Remnant Tethyan slab fragments beneath northern Türkiye

Abstract

For hundreds of millions of years, Gondwana and Laurasia were separated by the Paleo- and Neotethyan oceans. Their eventual collision led to the amalgamation of various continental fragments, initiating multiple subduction cycles in the broader Anatolian region. This study presents, for the first time, five finger-like high velocity perturbation anomalies beneath northern Anatolia (Türkiye), identified through high-resolution P-wave tomography at depths ranging from 80 to 250 km. These anomalies may represent shallow remnants of the Neotethyan slab, which may have remained buoyant due to underplating since the early Cenozoic. Their unique geometry and location suggest active mantle flow, possibly linked to either continental-continental subduction or recent lithospheric foundering.