Project Details
Projekt
Plate deformation, slab gaps, and mantle flow along the eastern margin of the Adriatic Plate from joint inversion of surface waves and shear-wave splitting
Subject Area
Geophysics
Term
since 2025
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 560282762
To identify the causes of geohazards along the eastern margin of the Adriatic Plate, it is essential to study geodynamic processes such as slab pull, mantle flow, and lithospheric deformation. The region is characterized by a transition from oceanic subduction in the southern Aegean to continental collision in the Hellenides and Dinarides. This transition involves several complex processes, including subduction, delamination of continental mantle lithosphere, lithospheric tearing (both horizontally and vertically), asthenospheric mantle flow, and crustal deformation, many of which remain poorly understood. To address this, we propose developing a three-dimensional azimuthally anisotropic shear-wave velocity model, by employing innovative joint inversion of shear-wave splitting and surface-wave phase velocity data. These two types of seismic observations, which have largely been analyzed independently in previous studies, will be integrated to systematically resolve lateral structural heterogeneities and azimuthal anisotropy within the crust, the mantle lithosphere and the asthenosphere. Our study will investigate the vertical layering of azimuthal anisotropy, which may arise from a combination of factors: structural anisotropy in the upper crust, ductile deformation in the lower crust, and mantle flow in both the lithospheric mantle and the asthenosphere. By studying these layers, we aim to better understand the spatio-temporal variability in lithospheric deformation across the region by identifying frozen-in and layered anisotropy. This distinction is particularly relevant for understanding the transition from NE-SW compression along the active deformation front to N-S extension in the hinterland in the Dinarides and Hellenides. Additionally, we will investigate the configuration of the subducting slab along the eastern margin of the Adriatic Plate, focusing on potential slab gaps in the Dinarides and the presence of horizontal or vertical tearing in the Hellenides. Resolving these features will illuminate their influence on mantle flow and lithospheric deformation. Data from the AdriaArray network will be used to analyze shear-wave splitting and surface-wave dispersion through semi-automated processing with rigorous quality control. A stochastic joint-inversion algorithm, including improved finite-frequency modeling of shear-wave splitting, will be developed to construct a 3D anisotropic model of unprecedented resolution. Extensive resolution tests and uncertainty quantification will be conducted to ensure the robustness of the model. The resulting anisotropic model will provide constraints essential for geodynamic modeling as well as more focused studies, which will be carried out by collaborations within DEFORM.
DFG Programme
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