Seismic evidence for whole lithosphere separation between Saxothuringian and Moldanubian tectonic units in central Europe
The Bohemian Massif is part of the Variscan belt of central Europe. We carried out a high resolution mapping of lithospheric thickness beneath central Europe by investigating 264 teleseismic events recorded at 80 broad band stations in the western Bohemian Massif with the method of S receiver function analysis. A negative phase beneath the Saxothuringian and northeastern Teplá-Barrandian units at about 9-10 s before the S onset is interpreted as caused by the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) at 80-90 km depth. In the Moldanubian unit, the negative phase occurs at 13-15 s before the S onset, corresponding to lithospheric thickness of 120-130 km. The boundary between the domains is oriented E-W and probably marks the northern extension of Moldanubian lithosphere. The Moho also deepens from the Saxothuringian to the Moldanubian unit. The observed crustal/lithospheric domains could represent two distinct microplates with a relatively sharp boundary cutting through the whole lithosphere. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.