Establishing a multi-disciplinary active tectonic framework at the transition between Adria collision and Aegean extension

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Claudio Faccenna; Dr. Bernd Schurr
• Subject Area: Geophysics ; Geology
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 560303056

The tectonic region of the central eastern Mediterranean results from the interplay of different tectonic processes occurring over a relatively short spatial and temporal scale. The Adria plate represents a site of pivotal relevance, colliding along the Dinarides and subducting beneath the Ionian Sea at the Hellenic trench. The along-strike changes in the subduction dynamics cause complex upper plate deformation, producing marked rotations in the GNSS velocity field and a complicated deformation field, with faults trending in different directions, spanning from Western Balkans to the mainland Greece and to the Peloponnese. The evolution of this region and the origin of this complex strain field are still disputed. The aim of this project is to use multidisciplinary observations to shed light on the seismotectonic regime of this diffuse plate boundary in the Western Balkans and northern mainland Greece, marking the connection between the Adria collisional zone and the Aegean backarc extension related to the retreat of the Hellenic trench. This region is characterized by high seismic and tsunami hazard in the Mediterranean. The project will be structured around three work packages (WPs). WP1 will describe the geological deformation field, active faulting and uplift, to define the large-scale, long-term kinematics of the area. WP2 will focus on resolving the contemporary deformation field and kinematics using geodetic and seismological observations. WP3 is dedicated to integrating the long- and short-term observations (WP1 and WP2) to inform models of deformation at different spatial and temporal scales that will underpin the development of a regional seismo-tectonic map, a fundamental instrument for DEFORM project. AARte will harness a team of experts covering the different disciplines, including structural geology, tectonics and geomorphology, geodesy, seismology, and modeling. Our project aligns strongly with Theme 1 of the SPP-DEFORM by providing key insights into the plate-scale deformation of northern central Greece western Balkans and significantly contributes to Theme 2 program, which focuses on active faults and plate boundaries. The project's deliverables will provide essential inputs for both geodynamic modeling and seismic/tsunami hazard assessment, seismotectonic map, serving as critical contributions to Theme 3, particularly Activity fields B and E, which deal with seismic and tsunami hazard modeling.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 2497: Plate Deformation and Geohazards: The Eastern Margin of the Adriatic Plate (DEFORM)
• International Connection: Greece, New Zealand
• Co-Investigators: Professor Dr. Sascha Brune; Dr. Silvia Crosetto; Dr. Giorgio di Gomba; Dr. Sabrina Metzger; Professor Dr. Dirk Scherler; Professorin Taylor F. Schildgen, Ph.D.; Professorin Dr. Laura Wallace
• Cooperation Partners: Professorin Dr. Susan M. Ellis; Dr. Christos Evangelidis; Dr. Vasiliki Mouslopoulou; Professor Dr. Ioannis Papanikolaou, Ph.D.