Crustal structure of a young margin pair: New results across the Liguro-Provencal Basin from wide-angle seismic tomography

Computer Science

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

Scientific paper

Tomographic inversion of two wide-angle seismic profiles acquired during the Sardinia cruise (2006) on the conjugate Gulf of Lions-West Sardinia margins pair offers insight into the deep structure of this young basin. It is the first combined conjugate margins study in this area based on deep seismic data. Modelling of the two conjugate profiles reveals that the conjugate margins are symmetric in term of crustal velocity structure, with a partitioning in three similar regions: (1) a zone of low crustal vertical velocity gradients and a crustal thickness of 18 to 10 km, interpreted to be thinned continental crust, (2) a transitional zone characterised by high lower crustal velocities, non-typical of continental or normal oceanic crust, and (3) a 4- to 5-km-thick crust showing vertical velocity gradients and relative velocity ranges typical of oceanic crust. This latter region is interpreted to be a thin oceanic crust resulting from a tectonic heritage and the possible influence of a cool slab back-arc basin. Although the three regions are found on both sides of the margin, they are asymmetric in terms of the width of these domains, wide and smooth along the Gulf of Lions margin, and narrow and abrupt along its conjugate Sardinia side. The width of Region 2 is larger on the Gulf of Lions side (~ 90 km) than on the Sardinia side (~ 40 km). Crustal thickness in Region 3 is about 1 km thinner on the Sardinia side than on its conjugate. In Region 1 the crustal thickness is lower on the Sardinia side at a given distance from the shelf break. The differences in width of Region 2 and in crustal thickness might be due to the origin as a back-arc basin of the NW-Mediterranean basin, with the final breakup located closer to the Western Sardinia margin, also probably linked to the complex tectonic history of the region. Our results do not support a simple shear mechanism of the opening of the basin along a lithospheric detachment fault.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Crustal structure of a young margin pair: New results across the Liguro-Provencal Basin from wide-angle seismic tomography does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Crustal structure of a young margin pair: New results across the Liguro-Provencal Basin from wide-angle seismic tomography, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Crustal structure of a young margin pair: New results across the Liguro-Provencal Basin from wide-angle seismic tomography will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-832192

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.