Deep electrical resistivity structure of northwestern Costa Rica

First long-period magnetotelluric investigations were conducted in early 2008 in northwestern Costa Rica, along a profile that extends from the coast of the Pacific Ocean, traverses the volcanic arc and ends currently at the Nicaraguan border. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the electrical resistivity structure and thus fluid distribution at the continental margin where the Cocos plate subducts beneath the Caribbean plate. Preliminary two-dimensional models map the only moderately resistive mafic/ultramafic complexes of the Nicoya Peninsula (resistivity of a few hundred Ωm), the conductive forearc and the backarc basins (several Ωm). Beneath the backarc basin the data image a poor conductor in the basement with a clear termination in the south, which may tentatively be interpreted as the Santa Elena Suture. The volcanic arc shows no pronounced anomaly at depth, but a moderate conductor underlies the backarc with a possible connection to the upper mantle. A conductor at deep-crustal levels in the forearc may reflect fluid release from the downgoing slab

Magnetotelluric measurements in the Alboran Sea

T23C-2284 The PICASSO program aims to understand the tectonic history of the western Mediterranean, between Spain and Morocco, where conflicting models have suggested that the region is either a relict subduction system or a zone of mantle delamination. As part of this program we successfully deployed 12 seafloor MT instruments in water depths greater than 800m in the Alboran sea. We plan to deploy additional instruments in the fall of 2010. An initial analysis of the data shows complex MT response functions with strong distortion due to seafloor topography and coast effect. This coast effect suggests a fairly resistive lithosphere beneath the seafloor, which is confirmed after inspection of the preliminary responses. We will present the data collected thus far, along with preliminary models of the profiles collected

Moho structure of Central America based on three-dimensional lithospheric density modelling of satellite-derived gravity data

The Central American isthmus hosts a highly variable Moho structure due to the diverse origin and composition of the crustal basement and the influence of large-scale neotectonic processes. Gravity data from the combined geopotential model EGM2008 were interpreted via forward modelling to outline the three-dimensional lithospheric density structure along the Middle American Trench, as well as the segmentation of the oceanic Cocos and Nazca plates and the overriding Caribbean plate. In this work, results for the depth of the Moho obtained from the density model are presented. The Quaternary volcanic arc correlates with a maximum Moho depth of 44 km in western Guatemala. To the south-east of the continental shelf, the Caribbean plate shows Moho depths between 20 and 12 km whereas to the north, values as shallow as 8 km are observed at the Cayman trough. For the oceanic Cocos plate, depths between 16 and 21 km are obtained for the Moho along the Cocos ridge, contrasting with values between 15 and 12 km for the seamount segment and 8 and 11 km for the segments of the crust that are not affected by the Galapagos hot-spot track.Collaborative Research Centre 574Special Priority Program 1257 ‘Mass Transport and Mass Distribution in the Earth System’German Academic Exchange Service//DAAD/AlemaniaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Básicas::Facultad de Ciencias::Escuela Centroamericana de Geologí