JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. ???, NO. , PAGES 1{39, Shallow subduction beneath Italy: three-dimensional images of the Adriatic-European-TyrrhenianLithosphere system based on high-quality P-wave arrival times R. Di Stefano1, E. Kissling2, C. Chiarabba1, A. Amato1 D. Giardini2 R. Di Stefano, INGV, CNT, Via di Vigna Murata 605, 00143 Roma, Italy. (raf-
[email protected]) E. Kissling, ETH, Institute of Geophysics, Schafmattstr. 30 ETH Hoenggerberg, CH-8093 Zuerich, Switzerland. (
[email protected]) C. Chiarabba, INGV, CNT, Via di Vigna Murata 605, 00143 Roma, Italy. (clau-
[email protected]) A. Amato, INGV, CNT, Via di Vigna Murata 605, 00143 Roma, Italy. (alessan-
[email protected]) D. Giardini, ETH, Institute of Geophysics, Schafmattstr. 30 ETH Hoenggerberg, CH-8093 Zuerich, Switzerland. (
[email protected]) 1INGV, CNT, Roma, Italy 2ETH, Institute of Geophysics, Zuerich, Switzerland D R A F T January 25, 2010, 1:32am D R A F T 2 DI STEFANO ET AL.: SHALLOW SUBDUCTION BENEATH ITALY Abstract. This paper presents a velocity model of the Italian (central Mediterranean) lithosphere in unprecedented detail. The model is derived by inverting a set of 166,000 Pg and Pn seismic wave arrival times, restricted to the highest- quality data available. The tomographic images reveal the geometry of the subduction- collision system between the European, Adri- atic, and Tyrrhenian plates, over a larger volume and with finer resolution than previous studies. We find two arcs of low-Vp anomalies running along the Alps and the Apennines, describing the collision zones of underthrust- ing continental lithospheres.