Electrical conductivity and crustal structure beneath the central Hellenides around the Gulf of Corinth (Greece) and their relationship with the seismotectonics

A deep magnetotelluric sounding (MTS) investigation in the western part of the Gulf of Corinth has revealed a complex electrical image of the crustal structure. The geotectonic structure of the Parnassos unit and the Transition zone in the central Hellenides, overthrusting the Pindos zone both towards the west and towards the south, has been clearly identified by its higher resistivity and its intrinsic anisotropy related to the N–S strike of the Hellenides range. Subsequent N–S extension of the Gulf introduced another heterogeneous anisotropy characteristic that corresponds to E–W‐trending normal faults on both sides of the Gulf. The 2‐D modelling of the MTS results reveals the existence of a relatively conductive layer about 4 km thick at a depth greater than 10 km in the middle crust. It corresponds to a ductile detachment zone suggested by microseismic and seismic studies (King et al . 1985; Rigo et al . 1996; Bernard et al . 1997a). It may be attributed to the phyllite series lying between the allochthonous Hellenic nappes and the autochthonous Plattenkalk basement. Towards the east, under the Pangalos peninsula, approaching the internal Hellenides, the detachment zone could root deeply into the lower crust. Some strong local electrical anomalies are observed, reaching the conductive layer in the middle crust, such as that under the Mamousia fault and under the front of the overthrust of the Transition zone on the Pindos zone. Other anomalies affect only the shallower zones such as that beneath the Helike fault and in the Psaromita peninsula. These shallower anomalies provide complementary information to the study of spatial and temporal variations of the seismic anisotropy in relation to the short‐ and long‐term tectonic activity of the Gulf (Bouin et al . 1996; Gamar et al . 1999).