GSA Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, USA - 2019

Paper No. 292-6
Presentation Time: 2:45 PM

MANTLE DYNAMICS AND PLATE BOUNDARY FORMATION: THE CASE OF THE NORTH ANATOLIAN FAULT


FACCENNA, Claudio, Dipartimento di Scienze Geologiche, Università Roma Tre, Largo San Leonardo Murialdo 1, Roma, 00146, Italy; Dept. of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin, Austin, TX 78712, CAPITANIO, Fabio, School of Geosciences, Monash University, melbourne, 00153, Australia and BECKER, Thorsten, Dept. of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, UT Austin, Austin, TX 78712

The Middle East region represents a key site within the Tethyan domain where continental break-up, collision, backarc extension and escape tectonics are kinematically linked together. This interacting plate system with a wealth of available geological and geophysical constraints offers a chance to evaluate the dynamics behind the motions and deformation of the plates.

Several prior studies analyzed the kinematics and the dynamics of the region, addressing such problems as to why Anatolia is moving westward, what is driving Arabia toward the north with respect to Africa, or why the Hellenic trench retreats so fast, and different models have been proposed. In particular, the formation of North Anatolia Fault in the Middle Miocene and its westward propagation represent still a highly debate issue.

The aim of this paper is to test different hypotheses about the driving forces of the Arabia–Anatolia–Aegean system, using numerical and analogue model.Our results show the importance of mantle flow for driving the system,Reconciling Anatolia escape with the formation of the NAF, the collision within the Bitlis, and the rapid backward acceleration of the Aegean trench.