Active Tectonics in the Hellenic Trench

Active deformation of the sea-floor of the Hellenic trench has been observed using the Cyana SP-3000 submersible. The strain pattern observed on a scale of a few kilometers is similar to the one deduced from an analysis of Seabeam morphological maps on a scale of tens of kilometers. The overall strain pattern is compatible with subduction of the Mediterranean sea-floor toward the northeast. It is characterized by underthrusting in the Western Ionian branch and left-lateral strike-slip faulting in the Eastern Strabo branch.