Evolution and architecture of the Hellenic Arc - Cyprus Arc junction in the eastern Mediterranean

本研究旨在利用高分辨率海洋多通道地震反射剖面研究地中海东部希腊弧-塞浦路斯弧结在过去2500万年中的构造和沉积演化。这两个弧形成了非洲板块和爱琴海-安纳托利亚板块之间的活动辐合边界。希腊弧仍然是一个活跃的俯冲带，它向南回滚，而俯冲的非洲板块则在其下方向北俯冲。塞浦路斯弧相对于非洲板块向南移动的速度要慢得多。这部分板块边界正处于从俯冲到大陆碰撞的过渡阶段。因此，希腊弧相对于塞浦路斯弧是向南移动的，其相对运动是由左旋变换调节的，这是本研究的重点。关键问题是“这样的弧结是如何表现的？”我们知道它们是极端地形，可能是由角落积聚的应力造成的。但是，构造演化及其对海洋沉积记录的影响尚不清楚。研究区域包括罗德盆地的南部、阿纳克西曼德山脉和佛罗伦萨高地的西部。这是最容易回答这些问题的地方，对周围的地质情况有很好的了解。海洋区域提供了出色的地下地震图像，使我们的团队能够检查构造和沉积演化，并确定在过去2500万年中与板块收敛相关的应力方向变化。我们的小组将测试各种假设，这些假设涉及弧-弧交界处（罗德盆地和阿那克西曼德山脉）极端地形的发展，随着板块收敛的进行，厚地壳块（阿那克西曼德山脉）从下板块向上板块的转移，挤压盆地（佛罗伦萨隆起、安塔利亚盆地）中的盐的行为，以及增生楔（地中海脊、佛罗伦萨隆起）应力系统从压缩转变为拉伸时的脱水时间。

This study aims to investigate the tectonic and sedimentary evolution of the Hellenic Arc-Cyprus Arc junction in the eastern Mediterranean Sea over the last 25 million years using high-resolution marine multi-channel seismic reflection profiles. The two arcs form the active convergent boundary between the African and Aegean-Anatolian plates. The Hellenic Arc is still an active subduction zone, rolling back to the south, while the subducting African plate dips down below it to the north. The Cyprus Arc is moving much more slowly southwards relative to the African plate. This part of the plate boundary is in transition from subduction to continental collision. Thus, the Hellenic Arc is moving southwards relative to the Cyprus Arc, with the relative motion accommodated by a sinistral transform, which is the focus of this study. The key question is "how do such arc junctions behave? We know they are sites of extreme topography, presumably caused by stress build up at corners. But, the tectonic evolution and its impact on the record of sediments deposited at sea is not well understood. The study area includes the southern portion of the Rhodes Basin, the Anaximander Mountains and the western portion of the Florence Rise. It is the most accessible place to answer these questions, with good knowledge of surrounding geology. The marine areas provide outstanding subsurface seismic images that enable our group to examine the tectonic and sedimentary evolution and determine and the changes in stress orientations during the last 25 million years associated with plate convergence. Our group will test various hypotheses related to the development of extreme relief at the arc-arc junction (Rhodes Basin and Anaximander Mountains), the transfer of thick crustal blocks (Anaximander Mountains) from lower to upper plate as plate convergence proceeds, the behavior of salt in compressional basins (Florence Rise, Antalya Basin), and the timing of dewatering in accretionary wedges (Mediterranean Ridge, Florence Rise) as their stress systems change from compression to transtension.