New Crustal Structure of the Eastern Mediterranean Basin: Detailed Integration and Modeling of Gravity, Magnetic, Seismic Refraction, and Seismic Reflection Data

A significant body of literature has been published on the post-Paleozoic evolution of the Eastern Mediterranean Basin (EMB) however, many contrasting opinions are presented, and much is poorly understood about this particularly complex piece of the Tethyan system. With detailed integration of gravity, magnetic, seismic refraction and seismic reflection data, we document results that address the fundamental questions concerning (1) the crustal structure underlying the EMB, and (2) the tectonic evolution associated with the early basin history. A synthesis of these results has been used to test existing plate tectonic models for the early Mesozoic evolution of the region and a preferred opening geometry is presented.