Crustal and (sub)lithospheric structure beneath the Iranian Plateau from geophysical modeling

The thesis presents a geophysical study of the Iranian Plateau and the surrounding regions in order to understand the crustal and upper mantle structure. First, I present a study on the depth to basement and magnetic crustal domains beneath the Iranian Plateau by modeling aeromagnetic and gravity data. Inverse modeling of aeromagnetic data was carried out to estimate the depth to basement. Hereby, different magnetic domains in the uppermost crust (10-20 km depths) could be identified, which influence the medium to long wavelength trends of the magnetic anomalies. Next, the 3D crustal and upper mantle structure of Iran is investigated through integrated geophysical-petrological modeling combining elevation, gravity potential field, seismic data and petrological data. While tectonics and mantle xenolith suggest composition heterogeneities in the lithospheric mantle beneath Iranian Plateau, distinct mantle compositions are also required to make the model predictions and geophysical observables compatible. Sub-lithospheric sources have been disregarded in the initial model and I explore in the last step the effect of sub-lithospheric heterogeneities that might represent the remnants of a Neo-Tethys slab by adding a cold and fast body in the sub-lithosphere. My (sub)lithospheric thermochemical model structure provides synthetic seismic velocities comparable to model of Neo-Tethys slab break-off.

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