Active tectonic trends and crustal modeling of the eastern Mediterranean Sea deduced from geophysical data

The eastern Mediterranean Sea is considered as a highly tectonic region evolving from the progressive African-Eurasian collision. The current research is an attempt to resolve the problems related to the geodynamic evolution of this region to delineate the main tectonic trends, the nature and thickness of the crust. These tectonic trends have played a very significant role in the most recent discovery of large gas fields in the mapped region. This has drawn the attention to the needs to investigate this region more thoroughly. Published gravity and magnetic data are utilized and analyzed using the most recent proposed techniques. The integration of the implemented methods revealed more new tectonic trends. The NW–SE trend is the major trend that is associated with Temsah and Misfaq-Bardwil trend while the NE–SW trend that is associated with Rosetta and Eratosthenes Seamount trends. The N–S trend that is associated with Baltim fault trend and another E–W trend is associated with the Neogene hinge zone and the Cyprian Arc. Moreover, a NNE–SSW related to the Tartus thrust trend and the Gulf of Aqaba was observed, in addition to an ENE–WSW trend relates to the Kyrenia-Missi trend. The observed WNW–ESE direction relates to the Animaxander Seamount trend and finally the NNW–SSW trend. Based on the delineated tectonic trends, the mapped region was classified into four main basins namely the Shelf basins, the Margin-dominated basins, the Deep basins, and the Levantine basin to the east. The depth to the basement is an irregular surface and gradually changes from more than 13 km in the northern part and decreases to less than 6 km in the southeastern Mediterranean Sea.