Mr. Dejonge et al., FROM TECTONIC RECONSTRUCTION TO UPPER-MANTLE MODEL - AN APPLICATION TO THE ALPINE MEDITERRANEAN REGION, Tectonophysics, 223(1-2), 1993, pp. 53-65
The seismic velocity structure of the upper mantle and lithosphere in
the Mediterranean region is very complex: many areas with anomalous P-
wave velocities can be recognized by means of seismic tomography. In v
iew of the complicated tectonic evolution of the peri-Mediterranean or
ogens and basins this is not surprising. In this study we will show re
sults of a modelling approach we have recently developed to predict th
is structure. In this approach we make a quantitative connection betwe
en the tectonic evolution on one hand and the present seismic velocity
structure on the other. Our model predicts the evolution of temperatu
re distributions in the lower lithosphere and upper mantle, by simulat
ing the flow of material inferred from a kinematic description of lith
osphere-scale processes. From the modelled present thermal state (the
endpoint of an evolution) we calculate expected seismic velocity anoma
lies that can be compared with results obtained by seismic tomography.
Thus, the method enables us to compare the implications of geological
reconstructions, describing the past tectonic processes, with seismol
ogical results for the present structure. The predicted mantle models
show a good correlation with the tomographic results obtained for the
mantle. This means we can verify many features present in the tectonic
scenarios with the seismologically determined deep structure.