Geological Society of America

39 Subduction, collision and orogeny. Part 2

Thursday, 7 October 2010
2:30 PM - 4:50 PM
Kemal Kurdas Salon

FROM SUBDUCTION TO COLLISION: THE ROLE OF THE ERATOSTHENES SEAMOUNT IN THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN

Paper number: 39-3
Program: Scientific Sessions
Time: 3:10 PM – 3:30 PM

Authors

Jeremy Hall Presenting Author
Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF
Christian Hübscher
University of Hamburg, Hamburg, N/A
Axel Ehrhardt
Hannover, N/A
Ali Dehghani
University of Hamburg, Hamburg, N/A
Sebastian Hölz
Kiel, N/A
Keith Louden
Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS
Ali Aksu
Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF
Uri Schattner
University of Haifa, Haifa, N/A

Abstract

The Hellenic and Cyprus Arcs mark the convergent boundary between the African plate and the Aegean-Anatolian microplate. Subduction of the African plate under the Hellenic Arc is continuous. However, diffuse seismicity and distributed contraction suggest that the Cyprus Arc is in transition form subduction to collision. Eratosthenes Seamount, a continental fragment of the African Plate, is drifting northward towards Cyprus. Its impinging on the Cyprus Arc is partly responsible for the uplift of Cyprus. The results of ODP Leg 160 confirmed this scenario.

Marine geophysical surveys conducted in 2010—gravity, magnetics, multi-channel seismic reflection, wide-angle reflection/refraction seismic, magnetotellurics and swath bathymetry—offer unparalleled insights into the processes affecting Eratosthenes in its interaction with Cyprus. Regional analysis of unconformities indicates shifts in the tectonics at the end of Miocene and in the late Pliocene, which may reflect multiple stages in the development of collision. Our surveys enable us to characterise the early stage of collision of Eratosthenes with Cyprus and point at possible precursors below the Hecataeus Rise.