HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGE OF UPPERMOST MANTLE BENEATH ZAGROS CONTINENTAL COLLISION

We invert 7671 relative P wave arrival times using the ACH damped least square method of Aki et al. (1977) to study upper mantle structure beneath the north of Zagros continental collision zone, west of Iran. The data for this study were recorded by 63 three component broad-band stations operated from September 2013 to October 2014 along a profile from Ilam, near the western political border of Iran with Iraq, extending across Zagros, Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone (SSZ), Urumieh–Dokhtar magmatic arc (UDMA), Central Iran and Alborz Mountains. Our results confirm two velocity contrasts at both sides of Central Iran block relative to Zagros mountains and Alborz mountains. A deep higher velocity anomaly can be observed beneath SSZ and UDMA. This anomaly might be interpreted as a signature of the thickened lithosphere beneath suture zone between Arabian Plate and Eurasia in NW Iran.