3.6.2. Ancient analogues of modern tectonic processes

The EEP provides a natural laboratory to study the effects of different tectonic processes on the structure of the crust and lithospheric mantle. Tectonic structures in the crust and sedimentary cover include Archean terranes, Paleoproterozoic mobile belts, island arcs and continental arcs, Proterozoic and Paleozoic continental rifts, and regions of Phanerozoic salt tectonics. Their study can provide ancient analogues for modern tectonic processes in the younger parts of Europe and a database for validation of process modelling. The cratonic lithosphere of the EEP permits to examine not only thermo-mechanical effects on topography evolution but also the effects of compositional changes in the lithospheric mantle.

The deep structure of the EEP lithosphere is poorly known. Available data are limited (mainly) to borehole studies, gravity, and seismic reflection/refraction profiles, which commonly do not infer lithosphere properties deeper than 10-20 km below the Moho at most (Artemieva, 2006). Similarly, existing regional electromagnetic studies are limited to models of crustal conductivity. Even these existing data are sparse for the central part of the EEP, which remains a large geophysical “white spot”. Due to the small number of seismic stations, continent-scale seismic tomography models have insufficient resolution for the eastern parts of the EEP. Specific goals for this far-field natural observatory will include integration of already available data, deployment of a seismic and MT network, and 3D process-oriented modelling for tectonic evolution of different parts of the EEP.