P-Wave Arrival-Time Tomography of the Middle East Using ISC-EHB and Waveform Data

High-resolution seismic images are essential to gain insights into tectonic and geodynamical processes and assess seismic hazards. We constructed a P-wave model, MEPT (Middle East P-wave Travel-time), of the upper mantle beneath the Middle East and the surrounding region, which has a complex tecton...

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Main Authors: Ebru Bozdağ, Susini Desilva, Guust Nolet, Ridvan Orsvuran, Rengin Gok, Yahya M. Tarabulsi, Ahmed Hosny, Khalid Yousef, Abdullah Mousa
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: McGill University 2025-06-01
Series:Seismica
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Online Access:https://seismica.library.mcgill.ca/article/view/1349
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author Ebru Bozdağ
Susini Desilva
Guust Nolet
Ridvan Orsvuran
Rengin Gok
Yahya M. Tarabulsi
Ahmed Hosny
Khalid Yousef
Abdullah Mousa
author_facet Ebru Bozdağ
Susini Desilva
Guust Nolet
Ridvan Orsvuran
Rengin Gok
Yahya M. Tarabulsi
Ahmed Hosny
Khalid Yousef
Abdullah Mousa
author_sort Ebru Bozdağ
collection DOAJ
description High-resolution seismic images are essential to gain insights into tectonic and geodynamical processes and assess seismic hazards. We constructed a P-wave model, MEPT (Middle East P-wave Travel-time), of the upper mantle beneath the Middle East and the surrounding region, which has a complex tectonic and geological history embodying various plate boundaries such as spreading ridges, subduction, suture zones, and strike-slip faults causing destructive earthquakes, specifically in Iran, Caucasus and Anatolia, and active volcanism. We use data from the ISC-EHB bulletin and onset-time readings of first-arrival P waves from waveforms recorded in the Arabian Peninsula. The additional onset-time readings from the regional waveform data significantly improve the resolution of the structure underneath the Arabian Peninsula, clearly indicating the boundary between the Arabian platform and the Arabian shield down to about 300 km depth, highlighted by slow and fast wavespeed perturbations in the upper mantle. Consistent with previous studies, we observe the Arabian-Eurasian collision, the Red Sea rifting, the Hellenic Arc, and low-velocity anomalies beneath the lithosphere of the Red Sea and the west of the Arabian shield. Our model supports the connection of the slow wavespeed anomalies in the lithosphere along the Red Sea to the Afar plume and shows evidence for smaller mantle upwellings underneath the Arabian plate and Jordan.
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spelling doaj-art-5a53fd1fcb224b41b099ae044ddc87ab2025-08-20T03:23:56ZengMcGill UniversitySeismica2816-93872025-06-014110.26443/seismica.v4i1.1349P-Wave Arrival-Time Tomography of the Middle East Using ISC-EHB and Waveform DataEbru Bozdağ0Susini Desilva1Guust Nolet2Ridvan Orsvuran3Rengin Gok4Yahya M. Tarabulsi5Ahmed Hosny6Khalid Yousef7Abdullah Mousa8Department of Applied Mathematics & Statistics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, USA, & Department of Geophysics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, USADepartment of Geophysics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, USA, & Columbus State Community College, Columbus, OH, USAUniversité Côte d’Azur/CNRS/OCA/IRD, Géoazur, Sophia Antipolis, France, & Department of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USADepartment of Applied Mathematics & Statistics, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, USALawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USASaudi Geological Survey, National Program for Earthquakes and Volcanos, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaSaudi Geological Survey, National Program for Earthquakes and Volcanos, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaSaudi Geological Survey, National Program for Earthquakes and Volcanos, Jeddah, Saudi ArabiaSaudi Geological Survey, National Program for Earthquakes and Volcanos, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia High-resolution seismic images are essential to gain insights into tectonic and geodynamical processes and assess seismic hazards. We constructed a P-wave model, MEPT (Middle East P-wave Travel-time), of the upper mantle beneath the Middle East and the surrounding region, which has a complex tectonic and geological history embodying various plate boundaries such as spreading ridges, subduction, suture zones, and strike-slip faults causing destructive earthquakes, specifically in Iran, Caucasus and Anatolia, and active volcanism. We use data from the ISC-EHB bulletin and onset-time readings of first-arrival P waves from waveforms recorded in the Arabian Peninsula. The additional onset-time readings from the regional waveform data significantly improve the resolution of the structure underneath the Arabian Peninsula, clearly indicating the boundary between the Arabian platform and the Arabian shield down to about 300 km depth, highlighted by slow and fast wavespeed perturbations in the upper mantle. Consistent with previous studies, we observe the Arabian-Eurasian collision, the Red Sea rifting, the Hellenic Arc, and low-velocity anomalies beneath the lithosphere of the Red Sea and the west of the Arabian shield. Our model supports the connection of the slow wavespeed anomalies in the lithosphere along the Red Sea to the Afar plume and shows evidence for smaller mantle upwellings underneath the Arabian plate and Jordan. https://seismica.library.mcgill.ca/article/view/1349seismic tomographyP wave traveltimesinversionmantleMiddle East
spellingShingle Ebru Bozdağ
Susini Desilva
Guust Nolet
Ridvan Orsvuran
Rengin Gok
Yahya M. Tarabulsi
Ahmed Hosny
Khalid Yousef
Abdullah Mousa
P-Wave Arrival-Time Tomography of the Middle East Using ISC-EHB and Waveform Data
Seismica
seismic tomography
P wave traveltimes
inversion
mantle
Middle East
title P-Wave Arrival-Time Tomography of the Middle East Using ISC-EHB and Waveform Data
title_full P-Wave Arrival-Time Tomography of the Middle East Using ISC-EHB and Waveform Data
title_fullStr P-Wave Arrival-Time Tomography of the Middle East Using ISC-EHB and Waveform Data
title_full_unstemmed P-Wave Arrival-Time Tomography of the Middle East Using ISC-EHB and Waveform Data
title_short P-Wave Arrival-Time Tomography of the Middle East Using ISC-EHB and Waveform Data
title_sort p wave arrival time tomography of the middle east using isc ehb and waveform data
topic seismic tomography
P wave traveltimes
inversion
mantle
Middle East
url https://seismica.library.mcgill.ca/article/view/1349
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