Dynamics of active continental margins : the Andes and the Aegean region

Abstract

The research presented in this thesis is aimed at contributing to our understanding of the forces that control the state of stress and associated deformation of overriding continental margins. For reasons outlined below, the study concentrates on two areas where deformation is currently active: the western margin of the South American plate, comprising the Andean Cordillera, and, secondly, the Aegean region, comprising the Aegean Sea, the Greek mainland, and western Turkey. The main objective of this thesis is not to provide additional observations regarding the tectonics of the regions under scrutiny, but rather, to investigate the causes of deformation by using the available data in a quantitative analysis based on a numerical modelling.