The two-sided continental subduction of the Adria microplate (Mediterranean)

The recycling of the continental lithosphere back into the mantle significantly impacts the structure and dynamics of orogens, particularly in the central Mediterranean region. We demonstrate that variations in the rheological properties of the continental lithosphere, as revealed by high-resolution regional tomography, influence the style of continental subduction. We explain the geometry and evolution of the oppositely verging Apennines and Dinarides orogens, as given by contrasting subduction processes, such as underplating and continental delamination, affecting the same plate (the Adriatic microplate, or Adria). In the case of the Apennines, slab peel-back predominates during subduction, resulting in a steeply dipping slab. In contrast, the Dinarides experience flat subduction due to the underplating of continental material. These different mechanisms, influencing kinematics and surface processes, are governed by rheological heterogeneities and different buoyancies of the continental lithosphere.