The Miocene-to-Present Kinematic Evolution of the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East and Its Implications for Dynamics

Abstract

The present kinematics in the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East is now well constrained by GPS measurements and dominated by a circular counterclockwise motion. While Arabia rotates rigidly, the rotational velocities increase from the Levant to Aegea, causing extension in western Anatolia. We place the present pattern in light of the post–Middle Miocene geological history and propose that in addition to the effects of the Hellenic subduction and Zagros collision-subduction zones on driving the surface motion, an underlying asthenospheric flow is also required. This counterclockwise toroidal flow is expected to exist around the eastern edge of the African slab owing to subduction rollback, and it helps explain the initiation of the North Anatolia Fault, the extrusion and uplift of Anatolia, and the Mid-Miocene to Recent volcanism in eastern Anatolia. The Afar plume had a similar effect on the acceleration of Arabia at 40 Mya.

Crust-mantle mechanical coupling in Eastern Mediterranean and Eastern Turkey

“…their associated delay times decrease from the east to the west. The average direction of splitting is roughly similar to the APM of western Eurasia (19,46). In eastern Turkey the mantle lithosphere is largely missing (47, 48) because of delamination and slab break-off around 11 Mya.…”

Kinematic reconstructions and magmatic evolution illuminating crustal and mantle dynamics of the eastern Mediterranean region since the late Cretaceous

“…Although its exact timing is still debated [Armijo et al, 1999;Yaltirak et al, 2000;Şengör et al, 2005;Le Pichon and Kreemer, 2010], the NAF likely localized in the Dardanelle Strait 6-5 Ma ago, opening the Marmara Sea as a pull-apart basin [Armijo et al, 1999;Melinte-Dobrinescu et al, A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T…”

“…The total dextral offset of this structure in its western segment is estimated at 70-90 km (figure 3) [Armijo et al, 1999;Şengör et al, 2005;Le Pichon and Kreemer, 2010;Akbayram et al, 2015].…”

“…Highlighted by GPS measurements, the present-day kinematics of the eastern Mediterranean region is dominated by an overall counterclockwise rotation of velocity vectors from the northward collision of Arabia, westward motion of Anatolia and southward retreat of the Hellenic trench with respect to Eurasia [Reilinger et al, 2006;Le Pichon and Kreemer, 2010]. Several studies focused on the respective contributions of crustal and mantle processes in driving crustal deformation.…”

“…Since 6-5 Ma, the NAF has entered the Aegean domain, accommodating ~80 km of dextral strikeslip displacement in the Dardanelle Strait (figure 3) [Armijo et al, 1999;Şengör et al, 2005;Lacassin et al, 2007;Le Pichon and Kreemer, 2010;Akbayram et al, 2015]. At the same time, extension ceased in the Cyclades and has localized at the edges of the Aegean domain, where highangle normal faulting has formed several grabens and half-grabens (figures 8w-y), such as in the Evvia island and the Corinth region (forming the Central Hellenic Shear Zone [Papanikolaou and Royden, 2007]), the Peloponnese, the Cretan Sea and the Menderes massif [Armijo et al, 1996;Royden and Papanikolaou, 2011;Pérouse et al, 2012].…”