Reconstruction models of the Mediterranean area are typically based on geological and structural observations, and occasionally validated by selected paleomagnetic data. In contrast, the reconstruction of the present study primarily relies on APWPs defined by paleomagnetic data, and is tested against geological and tectonic observations. The study focuses on the Mesozoic displacement history of Adria with respect to the African and European plates. Kinematic reference frames for the large plates are provided by Global APWPs of various definitions, which tightly constrain the expected declinations in both the African and the stable European tectonic frames, but allow some speculations about paleolatitudes between 170 and 130 Ma.
The kinematic constraints for Adria are based on a recently published APWP derived from a substantial paleomagnetic dataset, representing stable and imbricated Adria, the Transdanubian Range Unit and the Southern Alps. The dataset was quality-controlled and it was evaluated with different methods (running mean averaging, spline fitting) resulting in closely correlating trends.
The GPlates reconstruction is based on the above defined APWPs, visualizing the tectonic displacements within the Africa-Adria-Europe system for selected time periods. Paleo-longitudes, not constrained by the paleomagnetic data, were estimated using structural reconstructions of the region. The outline of Adria microplate is a simplified one, based on the earlier published Greater Adria concept.
In the GPlates reconstruction the following important events of this system are highlighted
- Adria drifted away from Europe after 200 Ma, connected to the initial rifting of the Alpine Tethys
- Adria rotated clockwise with respect to Africa during 170–150 Ma. This period of time is characterized by hyperextension and initial spreading phases of the Alpine Tethys and also by intra-oceanic subduction in the Neotethys
- Adria rotated counterclockwise with respect to Africa during 150–120 Ma, when obduction and subsequent shortening took place in the Neotethyan margin, while spreading continued in the Piemont-Ligurian and Valais oceanic branches
- Adria shifted northward after 150 Ma, in coordination or independently of Africa, moving closer to stable Europe around 115 Ma. This may explain tectonic deformation and/or uplift in several units of African origin.
- Southward shift of Adria is suggested between 115–100 Ma, when a general deepening of the sedimentary basins is recognized in the Central Mediterranean.
How to cite: Velki, M., Márton, E., Kövér, S., and Fodor, L.: GPlates reconstruction of the Mesozoic motion of Adria based on a new robust APWP, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-6635, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6635, 2025.
The motion of the Adriatic microplate is thought to be highly sensitive to the surrounding subduction zones and the convergence of Africa and Eurasia. However, our understanding of mantle dynamics in the Mediterranean region and its effect on plate motion remains incomplete. Here, we present the results of several hundred, high-resolution 3D visco-elasto-plastic thermo-mechanical models of the entire Mediterranean region. The simulations start from plate tectonic reconstructions and simulate the geodynamic evolution over the last 35 Myr. They take the convergence of the African and Arabian plates with the Eurasian plate into account, along with the dynamics of the subduction systems in the western (Apennines-Calabria), central (Dinarides-Hellenides) Mediterranean, and in the Alpine-Carpathian region. The simulations give insights into the parameters that determine the motion of the Adriatic microplate. Our results demonstrate that the subduction systems around Adria are highly coupled, which gives rise to complex asthenospheric flow in the central Mediterranean. Three factors are of key importance: 1) the convergence between the African and Eurasian plates, 2) the retreat of the Alpine subduction zone to the north of Adria, and 3) the distance between the Calabrian and Hellenic subduction zones around Adria. Furthermore, in a system characterized by active convergence between Africa and Eurasia, the slab pull exerted by nearby subduction zones can only notably influence the motion of the Adriatic microplate if these subduction zones are located within a few hundred kilometers of Adria.
How to cite: Kaus, B., Schuler, C., Le Breton, E., Riel, N., and Popov, A.: 3D thermo-mechanical simulations of the Mediterranean show what controls the motion of Adria, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8403, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8403, 2025.
The Aegean and Western Anatolian region has experienced widespread extension since the Late Oligocene, characterized by southward migration of arc volcanism, exhumation, and basin formation. Recent seismic data have revealed a significant tear between the subducted Aegean and Cyprus slabs. Such a tear is expected to disrupt local mantle flow, yet its impact on surface processes like topography, deformation, and magmatism remains poorly understood. In this study, we develop 4D geodynamic models to explore the effects of slab tearing in this part of the eastern Mediterranean region. Our model results demonstrate that tear-induced mantle flow aligns closely with a range of geological and geophysical observations, including a counterclockwise toroidal flow beneath Western Anatolia. The slab tearing also triggers rapid transient mantle upwelling, resulting in dynamic topographical uplift. Additionally, it facilitates the influx of hot asthenosphere from behind the subducted slab, promoting partial melting and widespread magmatism across the region. The model further indicates that the overlying continent is under extension, with the extension direction transitioning from NE-SW in Western Anatolia to N-S towards the Aegean trench. Our findings reconcile with observed geological anomalies in the Aegean zone and Western Anatolia, such as the distribution of volcanic activity and patterns of crustal deformation. This correlation not only validates our model but also provides new insights into the complex interactions between slab dynamics and surface expressions, enhancing our understanding of how slab discontinuities manifest geological phenomena.
How to cite: Liu, X., Pysklywec, R., Göğüş, O., and Şengül, E.: Transforming the Eastern Mediterranean: The Aegean-Cyprus Slab Tear, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-13603, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-13603, 2025.
The Mediterranean region results from multiple tectonics, with alternating contractional (e.g., Variscan, Alpine) and extensional phases (e.g., Tethyan), that shaped the present-day structural configuration. Since the Cretaceous, most of the Mediterranean realm experienced complex contractional tectonics, leading to the formation of a part of the Alpine-Himalayan orogeny, with different deformation styles, conditions and absolute timing, often in relation to paleogeographic and paleo-tectonics inheritance.
The Aegean Realm, located in the eastern Mediterranean region, provides an ideal setting to study the interplay between contractional and extensional tectonics, with the latter related to the late, post-orogenic extension following the onset and evolution of the Alpine contractional phase. The extension was there accommodated by crustal-scale detachments, exhuming metamorphosed rocks of the Cycladic Blueschist Unit and syn-tectonic granite bodies in the context of the Aegean Metamorphic Core Complex (AMCC). The completely brittle Mykonos Detachment (MD), together with the basal and structurally lower ductile Livada Detachment (LD), belongs to the North Cycladic Detachment System and allowed the exhumation and unroofing of the syn-tectonic Middle Miocene (14-15Ma) granite that part of the northern sector of the Aegean Sea. Despite their importance in shaping that part of the AMCC, absolute ages on the activation of the brittle MD or the ductile LD in Mikonos Island, and a detailed description of the internal architecture of the MD are still not available and/or debated, where the MD is indirectly thought to be active since 10Ma.
Aiming to fill this gap, here we present the results of a detailed architectural and geochronological study of the MD where we identified at least 7 different gouge layers that compose the core of the fault zone as it is exposed in the northeastern sector of Mykonos Island. Gouge layers are surrounded by thick SCC’ domains, reasonably representing the beginning of the fault zone formation. Brittle Structural Facies – based structural analysis with K-Ar dating on authigenic illite-smectite from 7 fault gouge(s) yielded 6 different ages spanning from the Middle Miocene (13.34±0.77 Ma), coeval to the granite, to the Late Miocene (6.37±0.21 Ma), represented by the youngest gouge that is, moreover, cut by the younger principal slip surface of MD.
These ages, coupled with a high-resolution structural analysis, constrained at least 7 Myrs of protracted deformation along the same fault zone and focused the attention on the importance of such completely brittle detachments that do not ever thus represent a late deformation phase after a former ductile, deeper shearing. Indeed, these new structural and chronologic data indicate that upper crustal brittle deformation was coeval to the lower crustal ductile deformation during a large part of the evolution of a crustal-scale detachment and during the entire exhumation of the syn-tectonic granite. Such structures, thus, potentially represent(ed) pivotal structural features in shaping the present Mediterranean configuration by allowing the exhumation of syn-tectonic granites and the formation of the AMCC.
How to cite: Zuccari, C., Viola, G., Mazzarini, F., Tavarnelli, E., Aldega, L., Moretto, V., Xie, R., and Musumeci, G.: Late-alpine evolution in the Eastern Mediterranean region: temporal constraints on the post-orogenic extension from the crustal-scale brittle Mykonos Detachment (Aegean Realm, Cyclades), EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-6902, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6902, 2025.
Miocene extension and crustal thinning in the Aegean were largely accommodated by a bivergent detachment system. The region contains several metamorphic core complexes that have overprinted Eocene high-pressure, low-temperature (HP-LT) metamorphic rocks of the Cycladic Blueschist Unit (CBU). The Attica Peninsula, along the northern margin, hosts the lateral termination of one of the major detachments, the SW-directed West Cycladic Detachment System (WCDS). Moreover, NE Attica has long been thought to contain a large tectonic window exposing the structurally lowest unit of the Attic Cycladic Belt, the Basal Unit. Our new mapping reveals that NE Attica primarily consists of a NE-dipping tectonic nappe of greenschist-retrogressed, HP-LT units, of probable Late Triassic to Late Cretaceous origins. In the west, Upper Cretaceous low-grade or non-metamorphosed units are juxtaposed above the nappe by a NNE-SSW striking, top-to-SW detachment fault. In the east, a package of HP marbles, evinced by calcite pseudomorphs after aragonite, lie above the nappe along a newly discovered NE-dipping fault, the Marathon Thrust. The common footwall of both structures includes isoclinally folded marbles and schists resulting in an apparent map-scale repetition of units. Schists are variably quartzitic to calcitic and contain intercalations of quartzites, metabasites, marble mylonites and, near the stratigraphic top, blue-grey marble. Axial planes of Dn recumbent isoclinal folds (Fn) develop a pervasive, gently NE-dipping Sn foliation (~320°/30°). Syn-metamorphic Fn axes have the same orientation as a NE-SW mineral and stretching lineation (Ln; from 050° to 100°) that forms along the Sn planar fabric. Ln plunges dominantly towards the NE with some variation from subsequent Dn+1 folding. The cooler Dn+1 event is recorded by SW-vergent folds with NW-SE striking Fn+1 axial planes that form an Sn+1 crenulation cleavage, locally defining the main foliation. NW-SE trending Fn+1 axes are parallel to an Ln+1 intersection lineation. Winged inclusions, flanking folds and domino boudinage of dolomite layers within calcitic marbles indicate top-to-SW sense of shear under ductile to brittle-ductile conditions. White mica 40Ar/39Ar (MAr) dates throughout the footwall are earliest Miocene and zircon (U-Th)/He (ZHe) ages are middle Miocene. A several m-thick fault gouge separates the footwall from low-grade metasandstones, limestones and serpentinite bodies in the detachment hanging wall. A narrow zone (10 m) in the immediate hanging wall contains Na-amphibole-rich schists and metabasic blocks with a different HP-LT record than the footwall. MAr dates from the hanging wall are Permian to middle Cretaceous and ZHe dates are early Eocene to middle Miocene. The geochronology from the footwall suggests coeval deformation with the CBU footwall of Mt. Hymittos and correlates the dominant top-to-SW detachment on NE Attica with the WCDS exposed at Mt. Hymittos and S Attica. Together with regional lithostratigraphic correlation, we propose the dominant nappe of NE Attica is CBU, specifically Lower Cycladic Blueschist Nappe, with Pelagonian Zone in the detachment hanging wall. Our reinterpretation is coherent with the classic Cycladic detachment architecture, and consequently limits the exposure of the Basal Unit to the easternmost marble thrust nappe on NE Attica and the Almyropotamos window on Evia.
How to cite: Bakowsky, C., Schneider, D., Grasemann, B., Dubosq, R., and Ducharme, T.: A (tectonic) window of opportunity: crustal architecture and low-temperature geochronology of the NE Attica Peninsula, Greece, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-238, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-238, 2025.
Current GNSS data from southwestern Greece indicates an extension rate of 6 mm.yr-1 in the NE-SW direction, i.e., perpendicular to the Hellenic subduction zone. Additionally, there is a significant NW-SE extension component, parallel to the trench. Around the Gulf of Corinth and the Gulf of Evia, the extrusion of the Anatolian microplate transitions into pure N-S extension at rates of up to 15 mm.yr-1. Farther west, this extension evolves into a complex network of strike-slip faults in the Ionian region (e.g., Patras, Cephalonia, etc.). These movements are often accommodated by fault systems that originated up to 3 million years ago, with offsets reaching several kilometers.
In the External Hellenides, older faults associated with late-orogenic collapse or early supra-subduction extension also exist. These include structures active during the intense Aegean crustal thinning in the Mio-Pliocene, such as in the Cretan Sea and the Gulf of Argos. In the Peloponnese, remnants of late-orogenic fault systems define the borders of Quaternary sedimentary basins like Megalopolis, Sparti and Olympia.
From new tectonic mapping and GNSS data in southwestern Greece, we discuss if some older, currently seismically inactive faults could be aligned with modern deformation gradients and potentially exhibit creep or interseismic strain accumulation.
How to cite: Bufféral, S., Kranis, H., Pubellier, M., Skourtsos, E., Viger, A., and Wicker, V.: Forgotten Faults that are Compatible with the Kinematics of the External Hellenides (Greece), EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8829, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8829, 2025.
The deformation of the Outer Dinarides, which fringe the eastern side of the Adriatic Sea, has been completed in the early Miocene. However, the southern portion of the thrust belt, which is mostly located in the Adriatic offshore, presents seismicity and evidence of active tectonics. This segment of the Dinarides, which turns from NW-SE to E-W, continues to the south into the Albanides, although the way in which this connection occurs, is not fully understood; see for instance the controversial interpretation of the Skutari-Pec Line. This contribution addresses the structural style of the southern segment of the Outer Dinarides and its continuation into the Albanides using a data set composed of proprietary and commercial multichannel seismic profiles. The data show that the structural style at the front of the southern Dinarides varies considerably along strike, in places reworking an intra-platform basin which has been inverted. The occurrence of a marked Messinian erosional surface and of Pliocene growth strata allows to constrain the timing of activity of the thrust front. Deformation has typically spared the western side of the Dalmatian carbonate platform, which faces the Ionian basinal domain. The surface marking the top of the Cretaceous shallow water platform becomes deeper towards the SE, suggesting that the load of the fold-and-thrust belt increases in that direction. The Dalmatian platform passes southward to the Kruja platform of Albania, a completely uprooted unit which has been incorporated into the Albanide thrust belt. The sediments of the Cenozoic foreland basin are currently accreting at the front of the Albanides. Offshore seismic reflection data contribute to understanding the structural relationship between the Dinarides and the Albanides and allow some inferences to be drawn about seismicity and tectonic rotation within the fold-thrust belt.
How to cite: Argnani, A. and Dalla Valle, G.: Structural style at the thrust front of the southern Dinarides and its connection to the Albanides, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-18026, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-18026, 2025.
The central Apennines (Italy) are located within the geodynamically complex Central Mediterranean. Subduction and continental collision of the Adriatic plate underneath the Tyrrhenian appear to have ceased and the region is undergoing large-scale extension of 3-4 mm/yr accompanied by large normal faulting earthquakes. The main drivers of seismicity, extension and surface deformation remain unresolved, inhibiting a fundamental understanding of Apennine geology and progress towards seismic hazard assessment. Multiple driving mechanisms have been proposed, including differences in gravitational potential energy (GPE), independent motion of the Adria microplate, and large-scale uplift related to slab detachment. In terms of structure, debates continue about whether the slab has detached and whether the continental Moho's overlap.
We systematically test these driving mechanisms and hypotheses by exploring different structures, forcings and rheologies through cross-scale numerical modelling. We adopt the seismo-thermo-mechanical (STM) modelling approach in a realistic 2D setup ranging from the surface to 800 km depth. The model uses a visco-elasto-plastic rheology and a strongly slip-rate dependent friction to spontaneously simulate fault growth and earthquake-like events. We start from the present-day setup in the central Apennines, integrating a geological cross-section, receiver function data and tomography. The initial temperature is based on long-term STM models and geothermal data.
Results indicate that an attached slab induces thrust earthquakes onshore, uplift in the orogen and subsidence above the Adriatic downgoing plate, all of which are inconsistent with observations. Shallow slab detachment, leaving no Moho overlap, also fails to reproduce the observed surface deformation, as it lacks a driving force within the model. Among hundreds of tested models, a model with a detached slab, slab rebound in the undetached slab remnant and Tyrrhenian/Adriatic Moho overlap explains most observations in the central Apennines. This model successfully reproduces normal faulting earthquakes within the orogen and slight compression offshore in the Adriatic Sea, driven by eduction of the partially subducted upper crust. However, the resulting horizontal surface velocities are lower than observed, indicating that external forces also drive part of the extension in the Apennines. We model this by imposing an eastward motion of the Adriatic plate of 3-4 mm/yr, representing the pull by the Adria microplate. Removing the topography shows that GPE slightly contributes to near surface extension, but its influence is minor compared to other parameters. Finally, the power law rheology of the mantle plays a key role in allowing upward mantle flow near the base of the lithosphere, thereby counteracting compression induced by the downward pull of the sinking detached slab.
To conclude, far-field Adriatic plate pull, eduction of the subducted upper crust and slab rebound drive extension and seismicity in the central Apennines. Knowing these drivers provides a basis for modeling the seismic cycle and advancing seismic hazard assessment.
How to cite: Fonteijn, M., Pathier, E., van Dinther, Y., and Socquet, A.: Deciphering tectonic driving mechanisms of seismicity in the central Apennines, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-17209, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-17209, 2025.
The central Mediterranean serves as a natural laboratory for studying various geodynamic processes, including continental collision and oceanic subduction (Dewey et al., 1989; Royden and Faccenna, 2018). The orogenic belts in this unique region are exceptional examples of subduction-related systems, shaped by different processes, such as continental underplating, delamination, trench retreat, among others. Despite extensive research on the Alps-Apennines-Dinarides-Hellenides orogenic systems, several scientific debates remain unresolved, highlighting the complexity of this area.
Previous studies using tomographic imaging have revealed the presence of high-velocity anomalies beneath these orogenic belts, which suggest the occurrence of a subduction process (e.g., Piromallo and Morelli, 2003; Giacomuzzi et al., 2012; Paffrath et al., 2021). However, these findings often differ, leading to varying interpretations of slab dip directions, geometry and extension as resolved by tomographs. Additionally, features such as slab windows, gaps, and tears, imaged as low-velocity anomalies in various models, add further complexity to the geodynamic picture.
In this study, we integrate seismic imaging (Menichelli et al., 2023) with analogue modelling (Funiciello et al., 2003; Kiraly et al., 2018, 2020) to showcase the strengths of this combined approach. While tomographic models provide valuable insights into the lithospheric and mantle velocity structures, they only offer a static snapshot without revealing the deep dynamics—something that analogue modelling addresses. This approach has been specifically applied to the central Mediterranean to target ongoing questions about the subduction processes that have shaped the region. This method offers valuable insights into subduction, mantle dynamics, and plate interactions, providing a comprehensive understanding of the connections between shallow and deep geodynamic processes.
This presentation will provide a brief overview of the results obtained from the computation of the 3D tomographic model of the central Mediterranean (Menichelli et al., 2023), with a specific focus on the Alps and the Apennines-Dinarides system. The tomographic images and related findings show how lithospheric composition, rheology and fluid content influence the geometry and kinematics of the slabs, including the Adriatic slab, that lie beneath these mountain ranges. Additionally, these aspects have been investigated through experimental models conducted at Roma Tre University (Laboratory of Experimental Tectonics), which offer critical insights into their role in shaping current deformation processes.
How to cite: Menichelli, I., Funiciello, F., Faccenna, C., Kiraly, A., and Chiarabba, C.: A New Perspective on Circum-Mediterranean Orogens: Insights from Seismic Imaging and Analog Models, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-2837, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-2837, 2025.
Plate kinematic reconstructions of the boundary between Iberia, Adria microplates and Europe during Mid-Late Cretaceous deformation is disputed. At this time the collision in the Pyrenees-Provence, the Eo-Alpine phase of subduction, and far-field inversion in Western Central Europe occurred when Africa began to converge northward. The tectonic relationships between these compressional features and the structure of the Alpine Tethys (Adria-Europe) and the Pyrenean-Valaisan rift (Iberia-Europe) are still uncertain. Here, we reconstruct the thermal histories of the European paleomargin of the Western Alps, in SE France, by combining the analysis of numerous low-temperature thermochronometers and U-Pb dating on zircon, apatite and calcite in the Vocontian basin and in the Pelvoux and Maures-Tanneron massifs. After a period of exhumation of the Variscan basement during the late Paleozoic well identified in the Pelvoux massif, we find evidence of a thermal event in the Maures-Tanneron massif around 200 Ma, which is consistent with increased heat flux linked to the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP). This is followed by a regionally significant heating event that results from the combined effect of depositional burial and crustal thinning associated with Alpine Tethys rifting during the Early Jurassic and the Cretaceous Vocontian-Valais rifting event, with a peak temperature reached around 90 Ma. This confirms the central role played by extension between Iberia and Europe in SE France, north of Corsica-Sardinia. A pre-Priabonian phase of cooling/exhumation is identified in both massifs between 80 and 50 Ma associated to N-S oriented Pyrenean shortening. A distinctive late Cenozoic cooling pattern in the Maures-Tanneron between 30-15 Ma is interpreted to reflect the opening of the Western European rift and the Liguro-Provençal basin. The onset of this phase, around 30 Ma, appears coeval with the Alpine collision marked by foreland basin deposition and the activation of the Penninic Frontal Thrust, which led to the burial of the Pelvoux massif. Brittle normal faulting in the Vocontian Basin dated between 34 and 7 Ma using calcite U-Pb geochronology suggests that the basin was impacted by the opening the Liguro-Provençal like the rest of Provence and Maures-Tanneron massif, whereas the Pelvoux massif recorded compression at this time. This study confirms that N-S compression between Iberia and Europe resulted in the inversion of the Cretaceous rift system during the Late Cretaceous. Both the age and the scale of the tectonic inversion in Europe suggest that both Iberia and Adria collided with the European paleomargin at this time, which in turn impacts the reconstruction of the boundary between Iberia and Adria. The impact of the Oligocene-Miocene extension in SE France seems to be significantly greater than previously thought. It might have played a role in isolating the developments of Provence and Vocontian basin from the Western Alps.
How to cite: Mouthereau, F., Boschetti, L., Schwartz, S., Rolland, Y., Bernet, M., Cogné, N., Lahfid, A., Pelletier, M., and Hoareau, G.: Evolution of the Iberia-Adria-Europe plate boundary revealed by the Meso-Cenozoic thermal history of the European paleomargin in SE France, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16940, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16940, 2025.
We propose that relamination of subducted continental crust can occur at extreme scales during early collision and use numerical modeling to identify the factors controlling this process. We employ 2D thermomechanical modeling using visco-elasto-plastic rheology and force boundary conditions to converge plates.
In our models, upper crust of the passive continental margin is pulled to mantle depth during early collision. Depending on boundary conditions and lithologic architecture of the downgoing plate, large volumes of subducted buoyant crust can relaminate from the slab, rise through the upper plate, and split the lithosphere even for considerable compressive tectonic stress. At the surface, such an exhumation is expressed as a phase of intense horizontal extension and magmatism. The process can create hundreds of kilometers wide core complex, in which metamorphic continental crust derived from the subducting plate is exposed. Horizontal tectonic stress, the thickness of the downgoing upper crust, and its rheological properties are among the factors that control the width and topography of the resulting complexes.
We propose that the Rhodope Metamorphic Complex on the Balkan Peninsula represents a prime example for this kind of dramatic relamination. Structurally deep tectonic units in this domain internal of the oceanic suture zone at the surface exhibit Eocene high-pressure metamorphism and nappe stacking followed by massive magmatism and large-offset normal faulting. Despite more than 100 kilometers of extension in Cenozoic times, the area still shows thick crust and high mountains, and we propose that extension was driven by massive relamination. Our modeling results support schemes that attribute the lower units of the Rhodope Metamorphic Complex to the subducting Adriatic plate.
How to cite: Muldashev, I. and Nagel, T.: Exhumation through Relamination: A Modeling Study of the Rhodope Metamorphic Complex, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-6507, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6507, 2025.
Arc-continent collision plays a key role in the formation of continental crust. However, details on the processes remain unclear particularly in old collision zones where geologic records are incomplete. Here we present a high-resolution age and geochemical dataset of Late Cretaceous magmatic rocks from Elazig area, SE Turkey along the Arabia-Eurasia collisional orogen. Zircon U-Pb ages obtained by SIMS and LA-ICPMS from 17 samples constrain a short magma duration from 83 to 73 Ma. All the rocks show relative depletions in HFSE (Ti, Nb and Ta), similar to arc lavas from subduction zones. They are heterogeneous (SiO2 = 45-78 wt.%), varying from low-K tholeiitic to calc-alkaline and shoshonitic composition with associated progressive enrichments in LREE and LILE, and change in radiogenic isotopic ratios, such as whole-rock εHf(t) values from +16 to -2. The Elazig magmatism can be explained specifically by a tectonic setting that switched rapidly from an intra-oceanic subduction to arc-continent collision within this part of Tethys where numbers of continental ribbons were present. The geochemical and isotopic variations can be attributed to melting of subducted sediments or mélange diapirs in the mantle wedge, with involvement of the continental materials increasing from 0.5 to 8 vol.%. It is evident that, while the intra-oceanic subduction gave rise to the tholeiitic arc crust from 83 Ma, the soon subsequent arc-continent collision in the region served as an efficient mechanism that transformed the juvenile arc crust toward a more mature continental crust. We argue that similar scenarios may have taken place worldwide in the early stage of collisional orogens, as also exemplified by the present-day Australia-Eurasia collision zone.
How to cite: Chung, S.-L., Lin, Y.-C., Bingöl, A. F., Li, X.-H., Yang, J.-H., and Lee, H.-Y.: Short-lived Arc Magmatism in the Arabia-Eurasia Collision Zone with Implications for Continental Crust Formation, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-4835, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-4835, 2025.
The Alpine Orogeny resulted from the closure of the Neotethyan Ocean and the subsequent collision of Eurasia, Africa-Arabia and numerous microplates in between. The Kırşehir Massif is located at the NW corner of the Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex (CACC) and offers insights into the tectonometamorphic evolution of CACC during Alpine orogenesis. The tectonostratigraphy is defined by a migmatitic core that grades into a metasedimentary lower unit comprising gneiss, amphibolite, micaschist, calcschist and quartzite, transitioning into metasedimentary rock alternations and overlain by marbles with amphibolite intercalations in the upper unit. The metamorphic rocks are correlated to the Paleozoic-Mesozoic Tauride platform sequence. Purported southward obduction of Late Cretaceous (90-85 Ma) Neotethyan supra-subduction zone ophiolitic slices onto the massif resulted in Barrovian metamorphism of these rocks, increasing from greenschist (SE) to granulite (NW) facies. Prograde metamorphism is evinced by Cpx-Ttn-Plg-bearing melanocratic bands within migmatites and compositionally zoned Mn-rich spessartine garnets in high-grade metaclastic rocks. Preliminary published monazite U-Pb geochronology on a Grt-Sil gneiss indicates migmatization occurred at c. 85 Ma. Epidote and chlorite halos around clinopyroxene and partially chloritized mica indicate minor retrogression to greenschist facies. The presence of late- to post-tectonic garnets suggests a tectonic quiescence during the retrograde stage. Our mapping reveals a consistent structural architecture across the massif characterized by subhorizontal planar foliation. Early folds (F1) are preserved in decimeter-scale microlithons. Two generations of recumbent folds are present in mylonites: dominant folds with NNW-SSE axes (F2a) that are associated with strong stretching and mineral lineations marked by quartz, amphibole, and mica trails, and local folds with ~E-W axes (F2b) in anisotropic layers with S-vergent drag folds. Sigmoids, flanking and asymmetric folds, and shear bands indicate a pervasive top-to-S sense of shear under ductile and brittle-ductile conditions, and boudinage, stretched veins, and extensional crenulation cleavage suggest synchronous layer parallel extension and vertical thinning. Brittle cataclasis is most obvious along the marble horizons, and the massif is dissected by numerous high-angle oblique faults related to post-Cretaceous/Paleocene wrench tectonics in the region. New in-situ white mica Rb-Sr geochronology from foliation-defining white mica yielded c. 75 Ma dates, and indicates deformation was coeval with c. 74-67 Ma calc-alkaline to alkaline intrusions in the western and northern margins of the massif. New zircon (U-Th)/He dates from the basement rocks are concordant with published apatite fission track dates, suggesting Paleocene rapid cooling, further confirmed by early Paleogene sedimentary basins unconformably overlying the basement. Notably, crustal thickness estimates in the CACC are ~35 km. Despite an earlier structural investigation linking exhumation to a top-to-W low-angle detachment fault along the western boundary of the massif, we instead prefer a model invoking syn- to post-orogenic extreme N-S extension and vertical thinning. This process triggers the collapse of ~55 km thick crust and subsequent uplift of the Kırşehir Massif since the Late Cretaceous.
How to cite: Onat, K., Schneider, D., and Grasemann, B.: Syn- to post-orogenic S-directed extension of the Kırşehir Massif, central Türkiye, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-704, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-704, 2025.
One of the most fundamental aspects of earthquake research is to understand the rheological properties of the crust where seismicity develops. A number of studies have shown that the lower crust in extending tectonic regimes, for instance in east Africa is seismogenic. The origin of earthquakes in east African rift system are interpreted in the context of thermal and compositional the crust. Here, we focus on western Anatolia-Aegean extensional region as a primary example for the development of earthquakes throughout the crust where the thickness does not exceed 25 km. We compare predictions of the thermomechanical numerical models against seismicity (frequency-depth) distribution. Namely, stress state throughout the modeled crust is reconciled with the depth variation of seismic moment distribution. Our results help to account for the brittle-ductile transition beneath the Aegean-west Anatolia where the listric fault characteristics of the detachment fault systems has been identified through a number of observations -both in the field and seismic data. This may explain how the extended crust behaves in rather high vs lower strain rates.
How to cite: Aslan, C. and Göğüş, O. H.: Seismogenic Properties of The Crust Beneath the Western Anatolia-Aegean System: Models Vs Observations, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8863, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8863, 2025.
The NE Attica (meta)volcanics in the Lower Attica unit of the Attic-Cycladic Crystalline Complex (Greece) comprise an Early- to Middle- Triassic (250–240 Ma) thick succession (~ 300 m) dominated by tuffs, porphyritic rhyolite lava flows with subordinate intercalations of mafic pyroclastics and rare basaltic lavas. Detailed new U-Pb zircon data from the (meta)rhyolites reveal two dominant age groups at 251.9±0.9 Ma (37%) and 237.5±1.1 Ma (37%). The two age groups most likely relate to multiple magmatic pulses that grew over marginally older resorbed zircon, which is supported by many resorption features in the cathodoluminescence images. The rhyolites have a potassic mildly alkaline affinity and peraluminous character. They display many of the typical features of A-type magmas, including enrichment of incompatible elements, such as Zr, Nb, Y, Ga, Zn and Ce, as well as high FeO*/(FeO* + MgO) and 10,000*Ga/Al2O3 ratios. The A-type rhyolites have LREE-enriched patterns with pronounced negative Eu anomalies comparable with typical REE profiles for “hot-dry reduced rhyolites”. The investigated trace element patterns indicate that the NE Attica rhyolites were most likely to have evolved through simple fractional crystallization of a parental magma derived from an enriched mantle source, supplemented by a crustal component through assimilation of continental crust. The NE Attica rhyolites probably erupted in a within-plate setting in the back-arc region of the Cycladic realm.
The eruption of these rhyolites marks the onset of the anorogenic period during which the continental plate of the External Hellenides was subjected to extension and intra-plate rifting, which led to the opening of the Pindos-Cyclades back-arc basin.
How to cite: Stouraiti, C., Lozios, S., Soukis, K., Carter, A., and Mavrogonatos, K.: The Early to Middle Triassic (250–240 Ma) onset of rifting in the Attica-Cyclades realm: A-type rhyolites of NE Attica, Greece, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-20118, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-20118, 2025.
Normal faults dipping from very shallow ( 5°-10°) to steep (80°-85°) dip angles have been identified in regions of continental extension. Andersonian fault mechanics is not consistent with slip in such dip angles, hence the origin of normal faults, especially in shallow dips remains not well understood. A series of geological and geophysical observations have been used to interpret that graben bounding faults (shear zones) in western Anatolia are represented by low angle normal (detachment) faults. Here, reconciling geodynamic models with data, we aim to explain how array of normal faults including major detachment systems in this high magnitude of extensional region are formed. Namely, we track the evolution of strain across the whole crust in which various ranges of viscosities are implemented to the lower crust that permits the flow. The crustal flow accommodates fault rotation, meanwhile, we examine the role of pre-existing shallow dipping faults which may be reactivated when brittle properties of the upper crust (cohesion) is realistic. Our results, in particular, provide important insights into the genetic relationship between the fault mechanics and the (lower) crustal dynamics and have implications on how tectonic deformation in continents are complex, especially in regions where multistage orogenic and post orogenic events develop.
How to cite: Şencer, O. and Göğüş, O. H.: Geodynamic Models For Normal Faulting and Crustal Dynamics In Western Anatolia-Aegean Region, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8882, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8882, 2025.
International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 398 to the South Aegean Volcanic Arc measured subseafloor temperatures in a drilled hole in the Anhydros Basin, Aegean Sea. The coldest and highest temperatures were 13.9 oC at 52.5 meters below seafloor (mbsf) and 15.5 oC for the deepest measurement at 360.4 mbsf, respectively. The modeled heat flow is low (~0.023 W/m2) despite active magmatism and rifting in the region. The cool subsurface temperatures to depths exceeding 300 m also record cold seafloor temperatures during the last glacial period. The low heat flow reflects a combination of recent Pliocene initiation of rifting, thin crust that is less radiogenic than average continental crust, and tectonic separation from the Christiana-Santorini-Kolumbo volcanic field such that there are minimal magmatic influences on heat flow.
How to cite: Manga, M. and the IODP Expedition 398 Scientists: Low heat flow in the northeastern Anhydros Basin, Aegean Sea, recorded by deep subsurface temperatures, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-4561, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-4561, 2025.
The Shkoder-Peja transverse zone (SPTZ) of Northern Albania marks the boundary between the Dinarides and Albano-Hellenides and corresponds to a ~100 km SW-ward shift of the ophiolitic nappe front. Over the last sixty years, it has been variably interpreted as an inherited paleogeographic feature, a dextral strike-slip fault, the hinge of the clockwise (CW) rotating Albano-Hellenides system, and a Miocene-to-recent normal fault. Here we report on the paleomagnetism of 27 Triassic-Cretaceous sites from the Krasta-Cukali and Albanian Alps domains, located both within and north of the SPTZ. Two sites yielded only a pre-tilting magnetization, 15 sites were found to be remagnetized after mid-Eocene-lower Miocene tilt, while 8 sites showed both pre- and post-tilt magnetizations. Both pre- and post-tilt paleomagnetic directions yielded a ~70° CW rotation with respect to Adria/Africa, except 9 sites from the Koman zone at the boundary with the ophiolitic nappe, showing a smaller 38°±15° CW rotation. Thus, the well-known regional CW rotation of the Albano-Hellenides extends northward in the southern Dinarides, and the SPTZ is not a rotation boundary as previously assumed. The ~70° CW rotation is interpreted as the sum of a 30° rotation associated with Late Oligocene-Aquitanian thrusting of the Krasta-Cukali nappe over the Kruja zone, plus the 40° Miocene-Pleistocene rotation well-documented in the in the external zones of Albania of Albania. We suggest that the SPTZ is the heritage of an Early-Middle Triassic transform fault of the Maliac Tethyan ocean, later overprinted by the Lower Cretaceous obduction of the Vardar ocean, replacing Maliac since the middle-Jurassic.
How to cite: Feriozzi, F., Siravo, G., and Speranza, F.: Paleogeographic heritage within Mediterranean orogens: The Shkoder-Peja transverse zone of Northern Albania, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-939, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-939, 2025.
The Dinaric Ophiolite Belt, an integral part of Inner Dinarides located in the Western Balkans, represents a significant piece of the Tethyan Mesozoic oceanic crust recording processes of subduction related metamorphism followed by exhumation. This study presents new microstructural data of the metamorphic sole from Zlatibor Ophiolite massif, located in Western Serbia, offering insight into the tectono-thermal evolution associated with the emplacement of oceanic lithosphere onto the continental margin during the Upper Jurassic.
Field observations from amphibolites of the metamorphic sole preserve a NW-SE trending mineral and stretching lineations associated with the main transport direction during obduction. Kinematic indicators in the Zlatibor massif are less clear and may reflect a strong flattening component during emplacement.
The ophiolite, dated to Middle to Upper Jurassic, provides a temporal framework for understanding the evolution of this segment of the Peri-Tethyan realm. Amphibolites within the metamorphic sole exhibit high pressure-medium temperature conditions, reflecting the thermal gradients typical for early stages of subduction.
The metamorphic sole of the Dinaric Ophiolite Belt serves as a good example for investigating the interplay between oceanic and continental lithosphere during the Jurassic. Understanding the timing and the mechanisms of ophiolite emplacement is critical for reconstructing the geodynamic evolution of the surrounding Tethyan domains.
How to cite: Barjaktarović, M., Decker, K., Grasemann, B., and Spahić, D.: The Dinaric Ophiolite Belt: Microstructural observations from the metamorphic sole and its tectonic importance, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-13690, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-13690, 2025.
The study of ancient volcanic and volcaniclastic sequences provides key insights into geodynamic processes that contributed to their evolution, as well as valuable information on paleoenvironment evolution and basin dynamics.
The Varese area hosts a Permian magmatic complex related to the igneous events that characterized the geodynamic evolution of the Southern Alps during the Late Palaeozoic. While previous research has detailed the petrographic, isotopic, and geochronological aspects of these magmatic rocks, detailed stratigraphic studies on the volcanic and volcaniclastic sequences and their interaction with depositional environments are limited. Compared to more studied areas like the Orobic Basin or the Atesinian District, the Varese area remains underexplored, particularly regarding post-Variscan sedimentary processes.
This study aims to enhance understanding of the Permian volcanic and volcaniclastic sequences in the Varese area through a detailed geological survey and stratigraphic analysis of the lithological units. The investigation focused on two structural blocks separated by the Marzio Fault, a significant tectonic structure in the region potentially linked to syn-magmatic tectonic activity. Stratigraphic sequences on either side of the fault were compared: the Grantola and Boarezzo sequences.
Field and laboratory analyses revealed distinct characteristics of the lithological units in the two sectors of northern Varese area. The Boarezzo 1 section comprises a basal pyroclastic sequence linked to nearby volcanic vents, overlain by thick agglomerate facies with interbedded peperitic layers and pyroclastic deposits. These features suggest a volcanic vent in a subaqueous lacustrine environment. The Boarezzo 2 section features a continental clastic sequence, likely deposited by fluvial systems eroding Variscan rocks and Permian volcanic deposits.
The Grantola section exhibits a thinner volcanic and volcaniclastic sequence. It includes pyroclastic deposits overlain by an acid to intermediate composition lava dome and an olivine-basaltic lava flow with vitrophyric lithofacies. These characteristics indicate a smaller volcanic system compared to the Boarezzo sections.
The Permian geological setting in this area likely consisted of a dome field with multiple medium-to-small effusive centers within a fluvio-lacustrine environment rather than extensive volcanic systems. The sequences comparison suggests that the Marzio Fault bounded two structural blocks, with distinct depositional and volcanic environments. South of the fault, a well-structured basin existed with dynamic sedimentation, while north of the fault, the Grantola section likely represented the basin’s shoulders.
Further research is essential for a comprehensive description of the volcanic and volcaniclastic sequences of the Lugano-Valganna magmatic complex. Additional studies could confirm hypotheses about the Permian geological setting and the interplay between volcanic activity and depositional environments in the Varese area. This research highlights the complexity of the region's geological history and the need for continued exploration to refine our understanding of its Permian evolution.
How to cite: Colombo, M., Di Capua, A., Livio, F., Scaramuzzo, E., and Tringali, G.: Volcanic and tectonic interaction during the Permian geodynamic event: new insights from the Lugano-Varese district, Southern Alps, (Italy-Switzerland), EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16466, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16466, 2025.
The Paleozoic Variscan cycle and the successive Mesozoic-Cenozoic Alpine supercontinent cycle have shaped the structural framework of the central European-Mediterranean area. Nevertheless, the tectonic events marking the transition between the two cycles are open to different interpretations. As a remnant of the Variscan chain, the European Southern Alps stand as an ideal study area to unravel the geodynamic processes governing this period.
Our focus is on the European western Southern Alps, specifically on the area included in the Geological Map n.74 “Varese” CARG project - (Geological CARtography), covering both the Italian and Swiss territory. Basing on our preliminary interpretations, during the Alpine orogeny, this sector has been affected by a deep-seated southeast-verging crustal wedge that back-tilted a wide area but left internally un-deformed the shallower crustal levels [1]. Thus, the well-preserved outcropping Permo-Carboniferous sequences and the overlying Mesozoic syn-rift units allow to decipher the relationships among structures active during the tectonic phases postdating the metamorphic peak reached by the Variscan orogeny.
In the study area, we focus on the presently overturned the Val Colla-Taverne Shear Zone. This structure crosscut the whole crustal thickness from the middle-lower crust to the north, to the upper crustal levels, to the south. From our preliminary observations, it seems that in the deepest sector of this shear zone, the activity of this structure is related to the development of a proper mylonitic fabric whereas, to the south, it seems that the fault activity reflects a polyphasic evolution with the superposition of a cataclastic fabric to the mylonitic one.
The activity of the Val Colla- Taverne Shear Zone has been previously interpreted as postdated by the deposition of the Carboniferous Variscan foredeep deposits, i.e., the Manno Conglomerate and Mesenzana Formation. Nevertheless, this units are locally clipped along the Val Colla- Taverne Shear Zone [2].
The deformation of the Variscan foredeep deposits is misleading and could interpreted either as related to the protracted activity of this structure trough Carboniferous time or to the local reactivation of this structure during the Permian and/or Alpine tectonic phases. To minimize the uncertainties about the evolution of the Val Colla-Tesserete Shear Zone and to clarify the role of this shear zone within the Variscan-Alpine cycle transitions we are conducting field observations and collecting samples for microstructural, petrographic, and geochronological analysis.
1: Scaramuzzo, E., Livio, F. A., Granado, P., Di Capua, A., & Bitonte, R. (2022). Anatomy and kinematic evolution of an ancient passive margin involved into an orogenic wedge (Western Southern Alps, Varese area, Italy and Switzerland). Swiss Journal of Geosciences, 115(1), 4.
2: Schumacher, M. E., Schönborn, G., Bernoulli, D., & Laubscher, H. P. (1997). Rifting and collision in the Southern Alps. Deep Structure of the Swiss Alps: Results of the National Research Program, 20, 186–204.
How to cite: Livio, F., Scaramuzzo, E., Bruno, M., Fellin, M. G., Colombo, M., Tringali, G., Ferrario, F., Silva-Fragoso, A., Ghignone, S., and Michetti, A. M.: Tracing the end of the Variscan orogeny: a polyphasic tectonic evolution recorded in the new “Varese Map” (CARG project)., EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-18179, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-18179, 2025.
Salt tectonics concepts may help explaining relatively complex tectonosedimentary relationships in the reinterpretation of inverted rifted margins. The objective of this study is to develop a valid model from extension to inversion for the Jurassic-Cretaceous Tarascon basin in the northern Pyrenees, considering the role of salt in the observed stratigraphy and structure, which may help to bring new light to the evolution of the Europe-Iberia plate boundary. To achieve this, a revised detailed geological map, cross-sections, and an evolutionary tectonic model have been proposed, based on an in-depth field analysis and the integration of existing and new structural and paleotemperature data. The Tarascon basin features a highly compartmentalised tectonosedimentary pattern, with synformal or steep tilted minibasins, separated by salt welds that truncate stratigraphic units, where most of the Keuper evaporites have been expelled, leaving mainly ophite or carniole bodies. Additionally, a large body of allochthonous Keuper gypsum has been described in the north of the basin. Therefore, deposition during the Jurassic and Cretaceous was controlled by both syn-extensional subsidence and salt migration. Furthermore, the development pattern of the different minibasins in the Tarascon basin appears related to the structure of the basement and the North Pyrenean massifs.
How to cite: Ibáñez-Belloso, M., Griera, A., Saura, E., Labaume, P., Saspiturry, N., Lahfid, A., and Teixell, A.: Structural interpretation of the salt-rich inverted Tarascon basin (north Pyrenean zone, south France) , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-958, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-958, 2025.
The Alboran domain, located in western Mediterranean between Spain and Morocco, is the result of a succession of different tectonic phases. During Oligocene and Miocene, the Alboran domain underwent the Tethyan subduction followed by a westward slab retreat leading to a back-arc extension. During Tortonian, the Africa-Eurasia convergence, striking N135°E, formed folds and thrusts that are currently found along the Alboran Island and high offshore reliefs (Xauen, Tofiño, Francesc-Pages banks). This convergence phase led to the indentation of a crustal African block within the Alboran Sea, delimited by two strike-slip fault systems: the Yusuf and the Al Idrissi fault systems. This globally left lateral system shows significant changes of orientation from north to south and cross-cut the small Al Idrissi volcanic edifice. Estimations for the Al Idrissi initiation varies between 1.1 Ma and 1.8 Ma with a total displacement calculated from offsets of the volcanic basement of 3 km. North of this volcanic edifice, the deformation is distributed along several km-long fault segments whose activity is inferred to have migrated from east to west. South of the volcano, the deformation is localized along a unique segment, the Bokkoya Fault, showing a change of direction compared to the Al Idrissi fault system. Interestingly, this Bokkoya Fault shares the same orientation as the thrusts and fold axis inherited from the previous convergence phase.
In this study, we propose to investigate the interactions between the compressive structures and the left-lateral strike-slip Al Idrissi fault system with analogue modelling experiments. Two successive phases of deformation are considered: a global oblique convergence of the entire sand pack followed by a left-lateral strike-slip fault phase. The experiment table is set up as a N-S directed basal fault separating a fixed western plate from a mobile eastern one. The first results show strong influences of the thrust faults on the strike-slip fault segmentation and the orientation of the segments. In the first stages of strike-slip displacement, the deformation is accommodated along segments separated by the former thrust faults. These segments does not share the same orientation than the expected Riedel faults for this set up (i.e. 16°), they display an angle of 11° relative to the basal fault. Then, two deformation branches develop, the fault segments link into clearly established strike-slip faults and their orientations remain oblique relative to the basal fault (5°). This strike-slip fault splitting into two branches is not usual, this phenomena is clearly relative to the interaction with the thrust faults. Through the last displacement stages, the deformation accommodation evolves from the western branch to the eastern one. The deformation becomes more localized along segment nearly oriented N-S like the initial basal fault. Some intersection between thrust faults and strike-slip segments still play as relay areas with an oblique orientation. These results will be integrated into models of seismic and tsunamigenic hazard of the Alboran domain in order to improve the hazard assessments.
How to cite: Caroir, F., Souloumiac, P., Cubas, N., Maillot, B., Vidil, L., and d'Acremont, E.: Late Tortonian to Pleistocene deformations of Alboran domain (Western Mediterranean): new insights from ALBANEO project and analogue modelling, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-14607, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-14607, 2025.
The Ojén nappe underlies the largest worldwide exposure of subcontinental lithospheric mantle, the Ronda peridotites (Betic Cordilleras), and features the typical lithological Alpujarride sequence with Paleozoic or older metapelites at the bottom covered by quartzites and a Triassic marble formation to the top. With the objective of determining the radiometric age of the carbonate sequence and the provenance of the nappe, detrital zircons from two quartzite samples from layers interbedded within marbles and metapelites were processed by means of U-Pb LA-ICP-MS analysis. Both samples were collected far away from the peridotite contact, in order to avoid age resetting promoted by the high-temperature Alpine emplacement of the peridotites at Miocene times (Esteban et al., 2011).
The youngest zircon grains in both samples show ages of 219 and 240 Ma (Late-Middle Triassic) that support the regional correlation with paleontologically dated Alpujarrride marbles from the Central and Eastern areas of the Betic Cordilleras. Otherwise, the analyzed detrital zircon grains display age distributions with Cisuralian (280–290 Ma), Middle Ordovician (460–465 Ma), Ediacaran–Cryogenian (560–615 Ma), and Tonian–Stenian (950–975 Ma) peaks. These data contrast with the scarcity of Mesoproterozoic (1001–1561 Ma), Archean (2503–2976 Ma), and Mesozoic (219–248 Ma) zircon ages. The Permian zircons are well-arranged into three main populations of 292 ± 2, 278 ± 3, and 254 ± 3 Ma. Zircons in the aforementioned populations exhibit Th/U ratios higher than 0.1, with a mean value of 0.34, which points to felsic igneous rocks as the main protolith for the zircon-bearing sediments.
In summary, on the basis of the U-Pb LA-ICP-MS age determinations obtained for the analyzed detrital zircons the following interpretations are suggested: 1) the youngest detrital zircon population, 254 ± 3 Ma (Late-Permian), is considered as the more conservative and appropriate estimation for the maximum sedimentation age, 2) the three Permian zircon populations are in agreement with the main age clusters reported so far for rhyolites and shallow crustal basaltic–andesite subalkaline rocks emplaced in transtensional Permian basins of the Variscan Orogen during the break-up of Pangea, 3) the detrital zircon populations point to a sediment source from a Cadomian peri-Gondwanan terrane and, 4) the well-defined Middle Ordovician detrital zircon population (460–465 Ma) strengthens the hypothesis that the Alborán microplate (meso-Mediterranean domain) could be located along the southern passive margin of the European Hunic superterrane.
Esteban, J.J., Cuevas, J., Tubía, J.M., Sergeev, S., Larionov, A. (2011). A revised Aquitanian age for the emplacement of the Ronda peridotites (Betic Cordilleras, southern Spain). Geol. Mag., 148, 183-187.
How to cite: Esteban, J. J., Cuevas, J., Puelles, P., and Tubía, J. M.: Provenance and Geodynamic implication from detrital zircon U-Pb LA-ICP- MS analysis of the Ojén Nappe (Betic Cordilleras, Spain), EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8329, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8329, 2025.
The Betic Cordilleras (south of Spain) represent a collisional orogen disaggregated by extensional collapse in a continuous convergent setting between the Iberia and Africa plates during Miocene time. In this context, some of the nappes that conform the Alpujarride Complex of the Internal Zones of the chain (Los Reales nappe and Benamocarra Unit; Cuevas et al., 2001) are intruded by a dolerite dyke swarm of Oligocene age (Esteban et al., 2013) providing an excellent example for studying the products related to the extensional collapse.
Petrographically, the studied dykes display ophitic texture defined mainly by plagioclase and pyroxene. Despite visible alteration, the low loss on ignition values and the chemical index of alteration suggests minimal post-magmatic modification of chemical composition. Geochemically, the dykes are consistently classified as tholeiitic andesite-basalts. Chondrite C1-normalized patterns display gently sloping rare earth element (REE) profiles, with a slight enrichment in light REEs (LREEs), flat distribution of heavy REEs (HREEs) and minor negative or positive Eu anomaly. In N-MORB normalized patterns, they show significant enrichment in large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs) relative to high-field-strength elements (HFSEs) along with negative Nb anomaly. These facts denote a signature intermediate between that of N- and Transitional-MORB, with influences from continental crust indicative of a subduction-related tectonic environment. REE ratios further reveal some characteristic of the mantle source. Notably, low Sm/Yb and Tb/Yb, among others, indicate that the dykes likely originated from a spinel-bearing peridotite, that is, a garnet- and plagioclase-free mantle source. Also, inter-element relationships of Lu/Hf, La/Sm, La/Yb, Ba/La and Th/Th ratios imply that the lithospheric mantle was probably metasomatized by slab derived hydrous fluids rather than by sediment components. Tectonic discrimination diagrams, though sometimes controversial, point to the origin of the dykes in a context of back-arc basalts (BAB) or a transition zone between BAB and island arc tholeiites (IAT).
In conclusion, based on the available data, we infer that the dolerite dykes of the Alpujarride Complex, classified as tholeiitic basaltic andesites, originated from a depleted, spinel-bearing mantle source. This would have been metasomatized by fluids derived from the subducting slab during Alpine orogeny in a back-arc tectonic setting to produce the parental liquids with the observed N or Transitional-MORB compositions.
Cuevas, J., Navarro-Vilá, F. & Tubía, J.M (2001). Evolución estructural poliorogénica del Complejo Maláguide (Cordilleras Béticas). Boletín Geológico y Minero, 112, 47-58.
Esteban, J.J., Tubía, J.M., Cuevas, J., Seward, D., Larionov, A., Sergeev, S., Navarro-Vilá, F. (2013). Insights into extensional events in the Betic Cordilleras, southern Spain: New fission-track and U-Pb SHRIMP analyses. Tectonophysics, 603, 179-188.
How to cite: Cuevas, J., Tubía, J. M., Gil Ibarguchi, J. I., and Esteban, J. J.: Geochemistry of the dolerite dyke complex of the Alpujarride Complex (Betic Cordilleras, Spain): insights on the extensional collapse of the chain, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8929, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8929, 2025.
The results of whole rock geochemical and zircon dating analyses on amphibolite and eclogite samples of the Ojén nappe (Alpujárride Complex, Betic Cordilleras, Spain) are presented, with the aim of deciphering the geodynamic setting for their protoliths and the age of both the protoliths and their metamorphism. The Ojén nappe rests below the Sierra Alpujata peridotite, the second largest massif of the Ronda peridotites after Sierra Bermeja. The lithological sequence of the Ojén nappe consists of two main parts: 1) a lower metapelitic member, with gneisses, migmatites, schists and quartzites of Paleozoic (and older?) ages and 2) un upper marble member of Triassic ages. Amphibolite and eclogite layers appear scattered at different levels of the metapelitic and marble members.
Geochemically, the eclogites and amphibolites are mainly classified as tholeiitic basalt and display weak crustal contamination, whereas normalized REE patterns and tectonic discrimination diagrams point to magmatic protoliths of basaltic compositions produced by partial melting of a transitional or enriched mantle source (T- or E-MORBs). The high Th/U ratios (0.19-0.74) of the zircon cores from the amphibolites and the eclogites support their magmatic origin. Ages of 192 and 185 Ma have been determined by means of LA-Q-ICP-MS dating, for eclogite and amphibolites respectively, and interpreted as the intrusion age of their magmatic protoliths. Zircon grains from eclogites also show metamorphic rims that yield concordant ages of 19.9 ± 1.7 Ma (Sánchez-Rodríguez and Gebauer 2000). The integration of regional, geochemical and age data supports the interpretation of the protoliths as gabbroic sills that were emplaced in the thinned continental margin of a Jurassic rift. We propose that this Mesozoic rift would represent the southern connection of the Atlantic Sea with the Neo-Tethys Ocean, which spread from Early Permian to Cretaceous times between Laurasia and Gondwana. The age of 19.9 ± 1.7 Ma is attributed to the thermal peak of a Miocene stage of subduction-zone metamorphism, which we link to the hot-emplacement and thrusting of the Ronda peridotites.
Sánchez-Rodríguez, L. & Gebauer, D. (2000). Mesozoic formation of pyroxenites and gabbros in the Ronda area (southern Spain), followed by Early Miocene subduction metamorphism and emplacement into the middle crust: U-Pb sensitive high resolution ion microprobe dating of zircon. Tectonophysics, 316, 19-44.
How to cite: Tubía, J. M., Cuevas, J., and Esteban, J. J.: Origin and age of the eclogites and amphibolites of the Ojén nappe (Betic Cordilleras, Spain): Insights about their protoliths and metamorphism , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-9060, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-9060, 2025.
The western Mediterranean basin opened progressively from the Oligocene onwards, resulting in the partial inversion, subduction, and incorporation of the Tethyan margins into the Alpine Tell and Rif orogenic belts in North Morocco and Algeria.
While proximal segments of these margins are accessible, the distal portions and the nature of the North African rifted margin crust remain largely unknown. Exceptions exist in the Tell, where various outcrops of basement and ophiolitic sequences were reported, but their origins and paleogeographic significance remain poorly constrained. In this underexplored region, we focus on two geological features sampling potential basement rocks.
Firstly, in the “external metamorphic massifs”, rocks are affected by subduction-related metamorphism of presumed Oligocene or older age. These continental-derived rocks outcropping close to the Oran region are associated with ultramafic rocks, potentially representing fragments of oceanic crust.
Secondly, we can find in the Oran region, basement rocks outcropping within Triassic salt diapirs, including high-grade metamorphic and mantle rocks. These have been interpreted as remnants of the North African rifted margin, brought to the surface by the diapirs.
This study is part of an ongoing Ph.D. aiming to constrain: (1) The tectonic and metamorphic analysis of the “external metamorphic massifs” through PT-t paths, (2) The characterisation of the basement rocks found in the Triassic salt diapirs with petrology, geochemistry and geochronology and (3) A reconstruction of the Tethyan margin geometry and composition.
Results from the Tell will be integrated with those of adjacent Rif belt where remnants of the distal domains have been identified. These complementary features offer a rare opportunity to investigate the evolution of the North African Mesozoic rifted margin from its formation to its eventual deformation during the Mediterranean opening.
How to cite: Patry, M., Leprêtre, R., Chabou, C., and Mohn, G.: Unravelling the tectono-metamorphic evolution of the Western Tell basement, North Algeria, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-10661, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-10661, 2025.
The Oligocene-to-present tectonic history of the western Mediterranean region is characterized by the ESE-ward roll-back of Alpine and Neo Tethys oceanic slab fragments that determined the diachronous spreading of two back-arc basins: the Liguro-Provencal Basin between 30 and 15 Ma and the Tyrrhenian Sea between 10 and 2 Ma. Such geodynamic events induced the fragmentation and dispersal of the Alpine chain through the formation and migration of microplates and terranes, making the debate on the nature, origin, and evolution of such crustal blocks vivid since the 1970s. For instance, the Corsica-Sardinia microplate rotated counterclockwise (CCW) by at least 50° during Oligo-Miocene and the Calabro-Peloritan, Kabylies and Alboran, know all together as AlKaPeCa, presently form isolated and enigmatic igneous/metamorphic terranes stacked over the Meso-Cenozoic sedimentary successions of the Apennines and Maghrebides. Here we show the synthesis of paleomagnetic vertical-axis rotations investigations which, besides back-arc basins widths and ages, may properly constrain drift timing when different age rocks are considered. We paleomagnetically sampled the Meso-Cenozoic sedimentary cover of the Calabrian (Longobucco succession) and Peloritan (Longi-Taormina succession) terranes and the mid-late Eocene continental Cixerri Formation of SW Sardinia. In addition, we re-evaluated previous paleomagnetic results from the whole Corsica-Sardinia microplate and considered the robust Serravallian-Pleistocene dataset from the Calabrian block. Such data indicate that South Sardinia, Peloritan and Calabrian blocks belonged to the “Greater Iberia plate” before mid-Oligocene (<30 Ma) dispersal, as they all show its characteristic paleomagnetic fingerprint (middle Cretaceous 30°-40° CCW rotation). Rifting of the Liguro-Provencal between 30 and 21 Ma induced 30° CCW rotation of both South Sardinia and Calabria blocks, whereas the Peloritan block, located further south, was passively drifted SE ward at the non-rotation apex of a Paleo Appennine-Maghrebides orogenic salient. South Sardinia plus the adjacent Calabrian block and North Sardinia-Corsica blocks assembled in the early Miocene and rotated 60° CCW as a whole between 21 and 15 Ma. After 10 Ma the Calabrian block detached from south Sardinia following the opening of the Tyrrhenian Sea and rotated 20° clockwise (CW), at the apex of a Neo Appennine-Maghrebides Arc. On the other hand, the Peloritan terrane rotated 130° CW on top of the Sicilian Maghrebides, along the southern limb of the orogenic salient.
How to cite: Siravo, G. and Speranza, F.: Paleomagnetic rotations and microplate-terrane dispersal during back-arc basin opening: From Greater Iberia rotation and fragmentation to Calabria and Peloritan terrane drift, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-2374, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-2374, 2025.
The Adria microplate plays a key role in the geodynamics of the Central Mediterranean, linking Western and Eastern Mediterranean regions and being sandwiched between Africa and Eurasia, which have been converging since at least Late Cretaceous time. The NE and SW margins of Adria are characterized by two opposite slab systems observed under the Apennines and Dinarides-Albanides-Hellenides fold belts resulting from subduction and delamination processes. The NW-dipping Ionian subduction under the Calabrian Arc seems to be connected with the SE termination of the slab beneath the Apennines. Unveiling the lithospheric structure of the Calabrian subduction zone, one of the narrowest arcs on Earth, is crucial for understanding the geodynamic evolution of the Mediterranean and adjacent marginal seas. Here we apply an integrated geophysical-petrological modelling to constrain and determine the present-day lithospheric and upper mantle structure (down to 400 km depth) along an ~800 km long NW-SE oriented lithospheric profile crossing the Southern Tyrrhenian Basin, Calabrian Arc and the Ionian Sea. The crustal structure is constrained using available seismic profiles and geological cross-sections, while seismic tomography and mantle xenoliths constrain the upper mantle structure and composition. Our results show a thick crust and a relatively deep Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary (LAB) underneath the Ionian Sea, contrasting with the thinner magmatic crust and lithospheric mantle of the Tyrrhenian Basin. The sharp change in lithosphere thickness, from the Calabrian accretionary wedge to the Tyrrhenian back-arc basin, contrasts with the greater lithosphere thickening below the subduction zone. Our results confirm the presence of an attached Ionian slab beneath the Calabrian Arc. The slab is colder and denser than the surrounding mantle and has a more fertile composition than the lithospheric mantle of the Southern Tyrrhenian.
This research is funded by the GEOADRIA (PID2022-139943NB-I00) project from the Spanish Government.
How to cite: Zhang, W., Jiménez-Munt, I., Vergés, J., Torne, M., M. Negredo, A., María Gómez-García, Á., Carminati, E., Gema Llorens, M., Sharma, M., and García-Castellanos, D.: Unveiling the lithospheric structure of the Calabrian Subduction (Central Mediterranean) Based on Integrated Geophysical-Petrological Modelling, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8528, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8528, 2025.
The tectonic evolution of the Central Mediterranean is heavily influenced by multiple subduction systems with intricate geometries. While numerous seismic studies have provided insights into these subduction zones, key aspects of their dynamics remain unresolved. To advance our understanding, it is essential to analyze the interplay between crustal structures, the mantle lithosphere, and the underlying asthenosphere in a coherent model. Surface wave tomography has established itself as a critical method for delineating the lithosphere-asthenosphere interface and subducting slabs without relying on local seismic sources.
This research is based on a combined inversion of ambient noise and earthquake-derived data to develop a comprehensive 3D shear-wave velocity model for Southern Italy and the broader southern Central Mediterranean. The inversion utilizes an extensive dataset comprising 95,000 Rayleigh wave phase velocity dispersion curves and 40,000 Love wave curves. These data, extracted from ambient noise cross-correlations (2–100 s) and earthquake-based two-station measurements (8–250 s), underwent rigorous quality control to ensure data integrity. Integration of the datasets was achieved through a correction factor derived from overlapping inter-station paths.
Azimuthally anisotropic Rayleigh wave phase velocity maps were generated using a regularized least-squares approach and subsequently inverted for depth using a stochastic particle swarm optimization algorithm, enhancing the reliability and precision of the resulting model.
The resulting 3D velocity model reveals significant subsurface features, including the Calabrian and Hellenic slabs, and identifies a slab tear beneath Sicily. Additionally, the model provides detailed insights into the transition from the Ionian lithosphere to the Calabrian slab and highlights a seismically inactive slab segment beneath western Sicily.
How to cite: Eckel, F., El-Sharkawy, A., Scarfì, L., Barberi, G., Langer, H., Lebedev, S., and Meier, T.: Active and passive Slabs in the Central Mediterranean imaged with surface wave tomography, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16193, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16193, 2025.
In the complex tectonic puzzle of the central-Mediterranean, where major plates such as Africa and Eurasia interacted- shaping the Alpine, Apennines, Dinarides and Hellenides orogenic belts- the Adria microplate plays a crucial role. Its subduction is characterized by an outward-dipping double vergence: westward below the Apennines and eastward below the Dinarides-Albanides-Hellenides system, defining the peculiarity of these orogens. The Adria microplate influence has impacted the evolution, subduction dynamics, crustal deformation, and seismicity of this unique geodynamic region (Dewey et al., 1989, Royden and Faccenna, 2018; Kissling et al., 2024).
To better understand the deformation and the intricate geodynamics of the Adria microplate, the AdriaArray project builds upon the success of the AlpArray initiative by extending seismic coverage to the eastern central Mediterranean, particularly along the Dinarides-Albanides-Hellenides belt. AdriaArray provides new and high-resolution seismic data addressing previous gaps and enabling the computation of new detailed velocity models that span from the crust to mantle depths. The main goal of this work is to obtain high-quality images of the Albanides-Hellenides system, a region historically limited by data scarcity.
In light of this, we are currently analyzing AdriaArray continuous seismic data from more than 1100 broadband seismic stations to develop a large-scale high-resolution surface-wave tomographic model. Our approach involves a joint inversion of teleseismic and ambient noise surface wave dispersion measurements, implemented through the Seislib code (Magrini et al., 2022). We compile surface-wave velocities to obtain both Rayleigh and Love phase and group velocities maps over a wide period range (3-150s). The final step involves applying a Bayesian approach to convert these velocity maps into a 3D shear-wave velocity model. The strength of this study lies in the extensive dataset, improved geometric coverage, and the use of joint inversion techniques, allowing high-resolution imaging at a wide range of depth (from the crust to upper mantle).
Preliminary results, including cross-correlations of ambient noise, surface-wave dispersion curves derived from ambient noise and teleseismic events, and Rayleigh and Love phase/velocity maps of the studied area, will be presented.
How to cite: Menichelli, I., Molinari, I., Magrini, F., and Piromallo, C.: Insight into the lithospheric velocity structure of the Adria plate from joint teleseismic and ambient noise tomography, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-1915, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-1915, 2025.
Seismic tomography has provided valuable insights into the mantle structure beneath Europe, unveiling key features such as the sources of Cenozoic rifting and volcanism in Central-Western Europe and the dynamics of subduction and slab rollback in the Mediterranean region. However, current tomographic models are constrained by trade-offs: high-resolution models cover limited areas, while broader-scale models lack the detail necessary to resolve finer mantle structures, especially in the lower mantle.
In this study, we introduce EURUS, a preliminary 3D P-wave tomography model of the European mantle, derived using the most extensive dataset of broadband, waveform-based traveltime measurements from 2010 to 2019. This dataset is augmented by analyst-picked travel times from the ISC-EHB catalogue. For our multifrequency tomography, we utilized 6,407,116 cross-correlation measurements in passbands between 30 and 2.7 seconds dominant period.
EURUS achieves high-resolution images (~100 km) of the mantle beneath the Euro-Mediterranean region, extending from the uppermost mantle to depths of approximately 1500 km. While consistent with earlier studies in identifying broad-scale upper-mantle anomalies, EURUS reveals much greater detail and complexity in the transition zone and the uppermost lower mantle, particularly beneath Western Europe and the southern Mediterranean.
In the mid-mantle, a seismically slow structure is observed as a sub-vertical column beneath the European Cenozoic Rift System, intersected by an extensive upper-mantle high-velocity anomaly likely corresponding to the cold Alpine subducted slab. The extension of the South Mediterranean subduction zone is still under investigation. These results highlight the potential of body-wave tomography to enhance our understanding of complex mantle upwelling patterns and slab systems beneath Europe.
How to cite: Civiero, C. and Tsekhmistrenko, M.: EURUS: a preliminary 3D mantle model of Europe from multifrequency P-wave tomography, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-6550, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6550, 2025.
Slab tearing or the lateral propagation of slab break-off in collisional belts has been suggested to control progressive along-strike mountain uplift and adjacent foreland basin development. However, along-strike differential collision due to oblique and/or irregular passive margin geometry can introduce additional complexities, influencing the progressive topographic growth. In this study, we employ 3D thermo-mechanical numerical modeling approach to differentiate the topography growth driven by propagation of slab tearing from along-strike differential collision. We test several control parameters, which include (1) obliquity of the passive margin, (2) presence of the continental micro-block parallel to the original passive margin, (3) age of the subducting oceanic slab, and (4) velocity of the convergence between two colliding plates, in order to investigate the role of these key factors in the along-strike variable growth of the mountains. In our models, slab break-off is triggered by the transition from oceanic to continental subduction, which occurs earlier on one side of the passive margin than on the other due to its initial oblique configuration. However, once slab break-off begins, it spreads horizontally at extremely high speed and always reaches the opposite side of the former passive margin within a few Myr. Importantly, the along-strike migration of subsequent continental collision is typically much slower (~2-34 cm yr-1) than slab tearing (~38-118 cm yr-1). Similarly, the vertical magnitude of surface uplift caused by slab tearing is higher than during the following phase of continental collision (>4 mm yr-1 and <4 mm yr-1, respectively). The parametric analysis reveals that the slab tearing and the associated horizontal propagation of mountain uplift mainly depend on the obliquity of the passive margin and the age of the slab, whereas the migration of collision-induced topographic growth is expectedly controlled by the obliquity angle and the convergence velocity. Furthermore, our modeling reveals that the presence of microcontinental block separated from the passive margin during the previous phase of extension leads to spatial and temporal transition from horizontal to vertical slab tearing and to more intense syn-collisional mountain building. Finally, we demonstrate the applicability of our modeling results for understanding natural orogenic systems in the Alps, the Apennines, the Taiwan, and the Bismarck arc of Papua New Guinea.
How to cite: Koptev, A., Maiti, G., Baville, P., Gerya, T., Crosetto, S., and Andrić-Tomašević, N.: Relative role of slab tearing and oblique continental collision in along-strike mountain growth: Insights from 3D thermo-mechanical modeling, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-6263, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6263, 2025.
