Pn Velocity Structure beneath Arabia-Eurasia Zagros Collision and Makran Subduction Zones

A.I. Al-Lazki¹ and Mina AlFahal²

Abstract

We use Pn-tomography to map lithospheric mantle velocity and anisotropy at Arabia-Eurasia plate boundary, namely Makran and Zagros. We use catalogue events recorded by Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran networks, International Seismological Centre, and National Earthquake Information Center. Events of 1.8 to 16 degree distances were used for this Pn-tomography.

In this study we show that northeastern Arabia plate is characterized by cold and stable lithospheric mantle. Contrastingly, Eurasia is underlain by hot unstable lithospheric mantle. Arabia-Eurasia lithoshperic suture follows the Zagros Collision surface suture within ~70km lateral proximity. At the southernmost Zagros Collision Arabia lithosphere is inferred to extend farther northeast beneath Lut Block. This may be indicative of extended subduction of Arabia beneath Eurasia in southernmost Zagros.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90188 ©GEO-2014, 11th Middle East Geosciences Conference and Exhibition, 10-12 March 2014, Manama, Bahrain