Magnetotellurics and Transient Electromagnetics to Investigate the Geoelectric Structure of Southern Aegean, Greece

Abstract:

Since 2012 a great number of onshore magnetotelluric (MT) and Transient Electromagnetic (TEM) measurements have been conducted in Southern Aegean, Greece. The survey included Crete, almost all the islands of Dodecanese and Southern Cyclades, Southern Peloponnese, and the islands Kithira, Antikithira and Gavdos. Southern Aegean Sea, featuring the Southern Hellenic Arc (HA) of the Hellenic Subduction Zone (HSZ) and the Hellenic Volcanic Arc (HVA), depicts complex geotectonics and the most intense seismicity and geodynamics of Western Eurasia. In this work we summarize the most important results of the MT and TEM combined analysis and modelling. Furthermore, two permanent telemetric MT stations were installed and operated in Western Crete and Rhodes, respectively, to be used as remote reference and to investigate possible transient seismoelectromagnetic signals. The case of the October 12, 2013 strong earthquake (Mb6.4) is discussed.

The research was conducted in the framework of the project entitled “MagnetoTellurics in studying Geodynamics of the hEllenic Arc (MT-GEAR)”, co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) and National Resources within the context of the Action “Supporting Postdoctoral Researchers” of the Operational Programme 'Education and Lifelong Learning'.