Key features of seismo-neotectonic pattern of the Eastern Mediterranean

The Eastern Mediterranean is a tectonically complex region located in the midst of the progressive Afro-Eurasian collision. The recent increasing geotectonic activity in this region highlights the need for combined analysis of seismo-neotectonic signatures. For this purpose, this article presents the key features of the tectonic zonation of the Eastern Mediterranean. Map of derivatives of the gravity field retracked from the Geosat satellite and novel map of the Moho discontinuity illustrate the most important tectonic features of the region. The Post-Jurassic deformation map of surface leveling reflects the modern tectonic stage of Eastern Mediterranean evolution. The developed tectono-geophysical zonation map integrates the potential geophysical field analysis and seismic section utilization, as well as tectonic-structural, paleogeographical and facial analyses. Tectonically the map agrees with the earlier model of continental accretion (Ben-Avraham and Ginzburg, 1990). Seismicity map of the Eastern Mediterranean tectonic region (for the period between 1900 and 2012) overlaying on the tectonic zonation chart reveals the key features of the seismo-neotectonic pattern of the Eastern Mediterranean. The results have important implications for tectono-seismological analysis in this region.