European Lithospheric Mantle

Selected conference papers from the European Mantle Workshop, EMAW, held Ferrara, 2007.

Presenting a coherent synthesis of lithosphere studies, this book covers a range of geophysical methods (seismic reflection, refraction, and receiver function methods; elastic and anelastic seismic tomography; electromagnetic and magnetotelluric methods; thermal, gravity and rheological models), complemented by petrologic and laboratory data on rock properties. It also provides a critical discussion of the uncertainties, assumptions, and resolution issues that are inherent in the different methods and models of the lithosphere. Multidisciplinary in scope, global in geographical extent, and covering a wide variety of tectonics settings across 3.5 billion years of Earth history, this book presents a comprehensive overview of lithospheric structure and evolution. It is a core reference for researchers and advanced students in geophysics, geodynamics, tectonics, petrology, and geochemistry, and for petroleum and mining industry professionals.

The outflow of heat from the earth's interior, the terrestrial heat flow, and the temperature field at depth are determined by deep-seated tectonic processes. The knowledge of the re gional heat flow pattern is thus very important in geophysics and provides a useful tool for studying crustal and litho spheric structure and understanding the nature of their evo lution. In order to use the results of heat flow measurements for regional studies and/or to correlate the observed surface geothermal activity with other geophysical or geological fea tures, a map showing the surface distribution of heat flow is necessary. Since 1963, when the first comprehensive listing of all available heat flow data appeared (Lee, 1963), several at tempts have been made to up-date the list, to classify all the data and to interpret them with respect to tectonics, deep structure and to use them for constructing surface heat flow maps. The first listing was subsequently revised by Lee and Uyeda (1965); numerous new data which were published there after were included in successive catalogs compiled by Simmons and Horai (1968) and then again by Jessop et al. (1976). The map showing the surface heat flow pattern may also be of great value for practical purposes, in view of the recent world-wide search for applicable sources of geothermal energy.

Europe provides an outstanding field laboratory for studying lithospheric processes through time, for tracing the tectonic evolution of crust and mantle from the present far back into the early Precambrian. Two things are particularly striking: the importance of plate tectonics during the Phanerozoic and through the Proterozic into the Archeaen, and the significance of tectonic inheritance, older structures and rheologies guiding the younger evolution. 'European Lithosphere Dynamics' grew out of a major European Science Foundation programme, EUROPROBE, with participation of many hundreds of Earth scientists from all over Europe. The main research activities focused on specific target areas and involved integration of geological, geophysical and geochemical methods. Defining surface-depth relationships was a prerequisite for interpretation of the processes, present and past, responsible for the formation of the lithosphere.