WHERE DID THE INITIAL SOURCES OF THE ALLOCHTHONOUS OCEANIC CRUST IN THE SOUTHERN EASTERNMOST MEDITERRANEAN ORIGINATE?

For a long time, it was believed that tectonic movements in the southernmost Eastern Mediterranean (EMM), located south of the Aegean-Anatolian Plate, were linked to the transcontinental shears originating from the Atlantic Ocean. However, an integrated analysis of numerous geological and geophysical data has led us to conclude that the primary structures in the EMM are not associated with these shears but instead with the spreading and collision processes of the Neotethys Ocean. Over the Neoproterozoic orogenic belt, a Mesozoic terrane belt (MTB) has been identified within the Arabian and Sinai lithospheric plates. The westernmost part of this belt contains allochthonous oceanic crust. We propose that the characteristics of total collision processes are influenced by the presence of a large, deep, counterclockwise-rotating structure. A significant finding in this context is the identification of an ancient block of oceanic crust in the western portion of the MTB, which corresponds to the reversely magnetized Kiama hyperzone (Early Permian). This block has moved along transform faults originating from the Neotethys region, which is roughly aligned with the current location of Eastern Arabia. The movement of the MTB terranes has, for example, contributed to the formation of the Mt. Carmel ophiolites in northern Israel. Therefore, we conclude that a comprehensive geophysical-geological assessment – which includes 3D magnetic-gravity modeling and transformations, thermal field analysis, GPS vector behavior, seismotomographic data, and analyses of paleomagnetism, paleobiogeography, petrology, and tectonic structure – clearly indicates the allochthonous nature of the MTB and the oceanic crust of the EMM. These findings necessitate a reevaluation of the tectono-geodynamic evolution of the Easternmost Mediterranean and suggest a reassessment of hydrocarbon exploration prospects in this region.