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Segmented Hellenic slab rollback driving Aegean deformation and seismicity
Author(s) -
Sachpazi M.,
Laigle M.,
Charalampakis M.,
Diaz J.,
Kissling E.,
Gesret A.,
Becel A.,
Flueh E.,
Miles P.,
Hirn A.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2015gl066818
Subject(s) - geology , slab , seismology , receiver function , induced seismicity , subduction , deformation (meteorology) , slab window , geophysics , lithosphere , tectonics , oceanic crust , oceanography
The NE dipping slab of the Hellenic subduction is imaged in unprecedented detail using teleseismic receiver function analysis on a dense 2‐D seismic array. Mapping of slab geometry for over 300 km along strike and down to 100 km depth reveals a segmentation into dipping panels by along‐dip faults. Resolved intermediate‐depth seismicity commonly attributed to dehydration embrittlement is shown to be clustered along these faults. Large earthquakes occurrence within the upper and lower plate and at the interplate megathrust boundary show a striking correlation with the slab faults suggesting high mechanical coupling between the two plates. Our results imply that the general slab rollback occurs here in a differential piecewise manner imposing its specific stress and deformation pattern onto the overriding Aegean plate.