Work

Investigating Rayleigh Wave Dispersion Across the Carpathian Orogen in Romania

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Carpathian Orogen represents a natural laboratory for studying geodynamic interactions between lithospheres of different ages. The ancient Archean Craton, such as the East European Craton, and Proterozoic platforms like the Scythian and Moesian platforms, collided with the younger Tisza and Dacia Mega-Units, resulting in the formation of the current architecture of the Carpathian Mountains. To better understand how lithospheric structure on Romanian territory changes from the East European Craton to younger European microplates, we used earthquake data recorded at permanent broadband seismic stations of the Romanian National Seismic Network (RSN). Applying the Multiple Filtering Technique, we examine the dispersion of Rayleigh wave group velocities for earthquakes located within a 4000 km radius of the epicenter. Travel time tomography, conducted through Fast Marching Surface Tomography, helps us to construct group velocity maps for periods between 30 and 80 s. Our findings highlight a low velocity body in front of the Vrancea slab, indicating asthenospheric upwelling due to slab verticalization.

Source: Geosciences

DOI: 10.3390/geosciences15060228

Authors: Andrei Mihai, Laura Petrescu, Iren-Adelina Moldovan, Mircea Radulian

Institutions: University of Bucharest, Institutul National de Cercetare si Dezvoltare pentru Fizica Pamantului, Academia Oamenilor de Știință din România, Romanian Academy

Language: English

Topic: Seismic Waves and Analysis

Subfield: Geophysics

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,172

Funders: Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore, Unitatea Executiva pentru Finantarea Invatamantului Superior, a Cercetarii, Dezvoltarii si Inovarii