Slab configuration beneath the Hellenides by combined teleseismic and local earthquake P-wave tomography – Implications for subduction dynamics, plate motion and deformation

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The south-eastern margin of the Adriatic plate plays a decisive role for the tectonic evolution of the entire Mediterranean area. At its southern end, the oldest oceanic lithosphere in the world is consumed in the Hellenic subduction zone. Strong rollback of the Hellenic slab presumably influences the motion of the entire Adriatic plate and the broad deformation of the Balkan peninsula. Further north, the tectonic style changes to continental subduction/collision and is probably accompanied by tearing and break-off of the previously subducted lithosphere. The overriding European lithosphere is widely deformed and exhibits the highest seismic hazard in Europe. Despite its geophysical significance, the area is much less well studied than the Alps and the Apennines and, therefore, first-order questions regarding slab configuration and geometry are still highly debated. Based on seismic data from existing networks supplemented by mobile broadband stations deployed in the area during the project to attain a dense and even coverage, we aim to apply a combination of teleseismic and local earthquake P-wave tomography to obtain high-resolution images of mantle structure beneath the area. Together with a compilation of kinematic reconstructions since Mesozoic time and 3D geodynamic modelling of the Alpine-Mediterranean area, these images will allow us to gain new insights into subduction dynamics and the drivers of plate motion and deformation in this region.