Geodynamics and intermediate-depth seismicity in Vrancea (the south-eastern Carpathians): Current state-of-the art

Abstract

The Vrancea region of the south-eastern Carpathians is a remarkable site of intra-continental intermediate-depth seismicity. A large set of geological, geophysical, and geodetic observations has been accumulated for the last few decades and utilised to improve our knowledge of the shallow and deep structures beneath Vrancea, the crustal and mantle dynamics, and the linkage between deep and surface processes in the region. In this article we review geology and tectonics of the Vrancea region including post-collisional to recent deformations, syn- to post-collisional magmatism, and orogenic exhumation along the East and South Carpathians. The regional seismicity is analysed, and the recent seismic studies including reflection, refraction, body and surface wave tomography are reviewed. We discuss new geodetic measurements of horizontal and vertical movements in the region, geoelectric studies, density/gravity and thermal modelling. Qualitative and quantitative (including retrospective) geodynamic models developed for Vrancea are analysed. The knowledge of regional tectonics, geodynamics, seismicity, lithospheric deformation, and stress regime in the Vrancea earthquake-prone region assists in an assessment of strong ground motion, seismic hazard and risk. The earthquake simulation, seismic hazard, and earthquake forecasting models have also been reviewed providing a link between deep geodynamic processes and their manifestation on the surface. Finally we discuss unresolved problems in Vrancea in order to improve our understanding of the regional evolution, present tectonics, mantle dynamics, intermediate-depth seismicity, and surface manifestations of the lithosphere dynamics and to enhance our ability to forecast strong earthquakes in the Vrancea region. The problems to be solved include: (i) the origin of the high-velocity body revealed by seismic tomography studies (oceanic versus continental); (ii) the lithospheric scale mechanism driving the Miocene subsidence of the Transylvania basin; (iii) sub-crustal structure between 40 and 70 km; (iv) contemporary regional horizontal and vertical movements; and (v) a comprehensive seismic hazard assessment in the region.