Geophysical heterogeneity of the lithosphere of the megabasin of the Black Sea

• Date: 2010
• Main Authors: Starostenko, V. I., Makarenko, I.B., Rusakov, O. M., Pashkevich, I.K., Kutas, R.I., Legostayeva, O.V.
• Format: Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: S. Subbotin Institute of Geophysics of the NAS of Ukraine 2010
• Online Access: https://journals.uran.ua/geofizicheskiy/article/view/117496
• Journal Title: Geofizicheskiy Zhurnal

Magnetic, gravity, heat flow, seismic and Vp -tomographic data from the Black Sea basin has been interpreted comprehensively for the first time. It has resulted in a new and consistent image of lithosphere density, magnetic, thermal and velocity heterogeneities. The most detailed map of faults is compiled for the consolidated crust. A substantial and important difference in the crust and mantle structure and geophysical parameters of the Western and Eastern Black Sea depressions is revealed. These dissimilarities are in the sizes of areas of "granite-less" crust, pattern and intensity of heat flow, topography of the bottom of the crust, thermal lithosphere, mantle seismic velocity and structure of magnetic and gravity anomalies of the crust. The large mantle long-lived fault zones have been more reliably delineated in the Black Sea with the most prominent Odessa-Sinop fault zone. The Western and Eastern Black Sea depressions have been sequentially formed on two large distinct continental blocks with independent post-rift development. The rifting of the western basin began earlier than that of the eastern one. The Eastern Black Sea basin is characterized by longer thermal activity than the Western Black Sea basin and consequently it has been stabilized later.