Crustal and lithosheric structure of the subducting Adriatic Plate and the external accretionary wedge in the soutern Dinarides

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Thorsten Nagel
• Subject Area: Palaeontology
• Term: from 2011 to 2014
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 210250417

We propose to install two profiles of geophones in Montenegro during the active offshore experiment Alpha (Adria lithosphere investigation) which is scheduled for the research vessel FS Meteor in January-February 2012. These profiles will extend the offshore OBS (ocean bottom seismometer) profiles in the Adriatic Sea to implement a shoreline-crossing amphibious study. Offshore and onshore stations will record the airgun shots generated during the active seismic experiment onboard FS Meteor. The combined data will allow imaging the crustal and lithospheric structure not only of the Adriatic Plate offshore but also of the complete region of plate bending, and the subducting portion of the plate including the active accretionary wedge of the external Dinarides on top. This amphibious campaign would be the first refraction-based tomographic section through the orogenic system. This system is of particular interest as (1) it represents one of the few retreating subduction zones, which has consumed continental lithosphere for a long time and (2) the transition from compression at the front and extension within the wedge occurs over an extremely short distance with considerable thrustand normal-fault earthquakes being located only about 30 kilometres apart from each other. The parameters controlling these processes are largely unknown and this low-cost study will provide fundamental constraints for understanding the underlying mechanics and lithosphere geometry.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Persons: Professorin Dr. Heidrun Kopp; Dr. Bernd Schurr