EU Marie Curie Funded Project reveals the Dynamics Driving Mediterranean Quake

The Department of Geosciences at the University of Malta welcomes a new Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr Amr El-Sharkawy - from the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG) in Egypt and a former Post-doc at Kiel University in Germany. His research interests span lithospheric structure, seismic tomography, geodynamics, and data-integrative modeling. Recently, he joins the Department of Geosciences under the supervision of Dr Matthew Agius.

He will lead the EU-funded MSCA "DEFMOD-LiMA" project - Deformation Modelling of the Lithosphere in the Eastern Mediterranean-Anatolian Region. This project explores one of the most tectonically complex areas on Earth, where the African, Arabian, and Eurasian plates converge. The region's tectonic activity, including subduction, continental collision, and back-arc extension, creates dynamic deformation processes that continue to shape its geological structure and drive significant seismicity.

To better understand these processes, the project will integrate geophysical and geodynamic methodologies to examine the driving forces of lithospheric deformation. Using high-resolution 3D shear-wave velocity models of the crust and mantle, DEFMOD-LiMA will map variations in crustal and lithospheric thickness, linking them to regional stress and strain patterns. By incorporating geological, geophysical, and geodetic datasets, the project will simulate current lithospheric dynamics and their coupling with mantle flow in the underlying asthenosphere.

This research will enhance the accuracy of seismic hazard models and deepen understanding of continental collision zones not only in the Eastern Mediterranean but also in other tectonic regions such as the Himalayas and the Appalachians. The project contributes to advancing global geodynamic knowledge and supports more resilient societies through improved seismic risk evaluation.

It's worthy mentioning, DEFMOD-LiMA is a collaborative effort between four leading institutions: Christian Albrechts University (Kiel, Germany), Johannes Gutenberg University (Mainz, Germany), the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ Potsdam, Germany), and the University of Malta. The project is funded through the Horizon Europe framework under the "HORIZON MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships – European Fellowships" action type. More information is available on the CORDIS EU project page.

This EU-funded MSCA Fellowship supports outstanding researchers conducting original and independent scientific investigations across the world.