Regional & Plate Tectonics

Study Areas

Several large-scale regions have been analysed combining geodynamic numerical modeling and tectonics to determine the present characteristics of both crust and lithospheric mantle. Here below a compilation of published work dealing with:

Africa – Central Asia – Iberia – Alaska

Ongoing GeoCam Project

The Mediterranean region is a natural laboratory for the geodynamics of tectonic microplates separated by small oceanic and transition lithospheres that exhibits a wide diversity, mostly associated with subduction-related processes, as forced subduction, slab rollback, backarc spreading, continental collision, slab delamination and slab tear or/and breakoff.

The study area is indicated by the two NNE-SSW trending Geotransects across the Tyrrhenian, Apennines, Adriatic, Dinarides, Balkanides and Pannonian and Moesain basins (thick dark red lines).

Western-Central Mediterranean subduction-related orogens

Angola Margin (2023)

Diagenetic evolution of the Aptian Pre-Salt succession in Namibe Basin (Onshore Angola)

Open Access

Moragas, M., Baqués, V., Martín-Martín, J. D., Sharp, I., Lapponi, F., Hunt, D., et al. (2023). Paleoenvironmental and diagenetic evolution of the Aptian Pre-Salt succession in Namibe Basin (Onshore Angola). Marine and Petroleum Geology, 150, 106153.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2023.106153

Iberia (2023)

Modeling of the Iberian thermal lithosphere and perspectives on deep geothermal studies

Open Access

Torne, M., Jiménez-Munt, I., Negredo, A. M., Fullea, J., Vergés, J., Marzán, I., et al. (2023). Advances in the modeling of the Iberian thermal lithosphere and perspectives on deep geothermal studies. Geothermal Energy, 11(1), 3.

https://doi.org/10.1186/s40517-023-00246-6

Iberia (2021)

Four decades of Geophysical research on Iberia and adjacent margins (Review)

Open Access

Diaz, J., Torne, M., Vergés, J., Jiménez-Munt, I., Martí, J., Carbonell, R., Schimmel, M., Geyer, A., Ruiz, M., García-Castellanos, D., Alvarez-Marrón, J., Brown, D., Villaseñor, A., Ayala, C., Palomeras, I., Fernandez, M., Gallart, J., 2021. Four decades of geophysical research on Iberia and adjacent margins. Earth-Science Rev. 222, 103841.

http://doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.earscirev.2021.103841

Iberia (2021)

Modelling the topographic, lithospheric and lithologic controls on the transient landscape evolution of Northern Iberia

Open Access

Struth, L., Garcia-Castellanos, D., Rodríguez-Rodríguez, L., Viaplana-Muzas, M., Vergés, J., Jiménez-Díaz, A., 2021. Topographic, lithospheric and lithologic controls on the transient landscape evolution after the opening of internally-drained basins. Modelling the North Iberian Neogene drainage. BSGF - Earth Sci. Bull.

http://doi.org/doi:10.1051/bsgf/2021036

See evolution movies at: https://twitter.com/danigeos/status/1451480510186860550/video/1

Alaska (2020)

Crustal and lithospheric thickness model for Alaska (onshore and offshore)

Torne, M., Jiménez–Munt, I., Vergés, J., Fernàndez, M., Carballo, A., Jadamec, M., 2020. Regional crustal and lithospheric thickness model for Alaska, the Chukchi shelf, and the inner and outer bering shelves. Geophys. J. Int. 220, 522–540.

http://doi.org/doi:10.1093/gji/ggz424

Iberia (2019)

Drainage network dynamics and knickpoint evolution in the Ebro and Duero basins: Fom endorrheism to exorheism

Struth, L., Garcia-Castellanos, D., Viaplana-Muzas, M., Vergés, J., 2019. Drainage network dynamics and knickpoint evolution in the Ebro and Duero basins: From endorheism to exorheism. Geomorphology 327, 554–571.

http://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2018.11.033

Iberia (2019)

An introduction to the Alpine Cycle in Iberia

Vergés, J., Kullberg, J.C., Casas-Sainz, A., de Vicente, G., Duarte, L.V., Fernàndez, M., Gómez, J.J., Gómez-Pugnaire, M.T., Jabaloy Sánchez, A., López-Gómez, J., Macchiavelli, C., Martín-Algarra, A., Martín-Chivelet, J., Muñoz, J.A., Quesada, C., Terrinha, P., Torné, M., Vegas, R., 2019. An Introduction to the Alpine Cycle in Iberia, in: In C. Quesada and J. T. Oliveira (Eds.), The Geology of Iberia: A Geodynamic Approach, Regional Geology Reviews, Vol. 3. Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019, pp. 1–14.

http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11295-0_1

Iberia (2017)

A new Southern North Atlantic isochron map: Insights into the drift of the Iberian plate since the Late Cretaceous

Macchiavelli, C., Vergés, J., Schettino, A., Fernàndez, M., Turco, E., Casciello, E., Torne, M., Pierantoni, P.P., Tunini, L., 2017. A New Southern North Atlantic Isochron Map: Insights Into the Drift of the Iberian Plate Since the Late Cretaceous. J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth 122, 9603–9626.

http://doi.org/10.1002/2017JB014769

Link to: Iberian Plate motion from 83.5 Ma to Present movie

Central Asia (2017)

Modelling Neotectonic Deformation in Central Eurasia

Model results assuming a softer rheology (parameters described in Table 3 of the paper). The lithospheric structure comes from the central Eurasia lithospheric model by Robert et al. (2015, see below), and fault friction coefficient μf = 0.1. The (a) Figure shows the vertical integral of viscosity and slip rates on faults.

Tunini, L., Jiménez-Munt, I., Fernandez, M., Vergés, J., & Bird, P. (2017). Neotectonic Deformation in Central Eurasia: A Geodynamic Model Approach. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 122(11), 9461–9484.

https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JB014487

Tectonic map of the collision zone between Arabia and India plates with Eurasia plate, integrating GPS-derived velocities (red arrows), and horizontal velocities calculated from the model (black arrows). The sketch in the lower corner shows the inferred northward velocity direction of the intercollision zone (Pakistan and Afghan block), as well as the eastern and western escape tectonics produced by the westernmost Arabia and the easternmost India indenters. The thin black lines indicate the northward drift of Arabia and India plates based on Hatzfeld and Molnar (2010).

Central Asia (2017)

Lithospheric structure of Central Eurasia

Robert, A.M.M., Fernàndez, M., Jiménez-Munt, I., & Vergés, J. (2017). Lithospheric structure in Central Eurasia derived from elevation, geoid anomaly and thermal analysis. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 427(1), 271–293.

https://doi.org/10.1144/SP427.10

Africa (2016)

Modelling crust and lithospheric mantle structure of Africa

(a) Calculated crustal thickness map with isolines every 2 km. (b) Calculated crustal thickness map, superimposed on the structural map (Figure 1) with the main tectonic units. Encircled area denotes the Afar plume region, where the crustal thickness is overcalculated because the assumptions of our approach are not fulfilled.

(a) Calculated lithospheric thickness map with isolines every 20 km. (b) Calculated lithospheric thickness map superimposed on the structural map (Figure 1) with the main tectonic units. Encircled area denotes the Afar plume region, where the lithospheric thickness is over calculated because the assumptions of our approach are not fulfilled.

Globig, J., Fernàndez, M., Torne, M., Vergés, J., Robert, A., & Faccenna, C. (2016). New insights into the crust and lithospheric mantle structure of Africa from elevation, geoid, and thermal analysis. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 121(7), 5389–5424.

https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JB012972

Simplified tectonic map of Africa, based on Milesi et al. [2010], showing the location and extent of the Archean Cratons, intracratonic basins, and the surrounding Precambrian and Paleozoic fold belts, which were affected by rifting processes during Mesozoic and Cenozoic times and by Cenozoic volcanism.

Central Asia (2015)

Tunini, L. (2015). The Central Asia collision zone: numerical modelling of the lithospheric structure and the present-day kinematics. PhD Thesis Barcelona University, 1–191.

http://digital.csic.es/handle/10261/139818

Africa (2009)

Effective elastic thickness of Africa

Pérez-Gussinyé, M., Metois, M., Fernández, M., Vergés, J., Fullea, J., & Lowry, A. R. (2009). Effective elastic thickness of Africa and its relationship to other proxies for lithospheric structure and surface tectonics. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 287(1–2), 152–167.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2009.08.004

Figure shows the final result after merging bias-corrected Te from three different windows using the procedure explained in Section 4, with a) hypothesized hotspots in the African plate (as proposed by Morgan and Phipps Morgan, 2007), cratons and west and African rift systems. CVL: Cameroon volcanic line, H, Ti and D are Hoggar, Tibesti and Darfur volcanic provinces. Af and Vic mark the proposed locations of Afar and Victoria hotspots. b) Merged and bias-corrected Te overlain by Cenozoic volcanoes and earthquakes with magnitude MbN4.5. Note the general correspondence between low Te, volcanism and seismicity.

CC: Congo craton, TC: Tanzania craton, ZC: Zimbawe craton. A: Afar, MER: Main Ethiopian rift, wep: western Ethiopian plateau, eep: eastern Ethiopian plateau, WAR: western branch of the East African rift, EAR: eastern branch of the East African rift. R: Lake Rukwa, T: Lake Tanganika, M: Lake Malawi, V: Lake Victoria. N: Lake Natron, E: Lake Eyasi, M: Lake Manyara, TU: Lake Turkana. Vic and Af are proposed location for Victoria and Afar hotspots, respectively. b) Close up of Te results shown in Fig. 6 with main active faults and cratons superimposed. c) Same as in b) but overlain by Cenozoic volcanoes and earthquakes with magnitude Mb>4.5

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