Key results on deep electrical conductivity anomalies in the Pannonian Basin (PB), and their geodynamic aspects

Abstract

In the first part of the paper a brief introduction is given (a) to the magnetotelluric (MT) and magnetovariation (MV) soundings, (b) to electrical resistivity of minerals and rocks, and their dependence on temperature and fluid content. The basic geoelectric model in the Pannonian Basin is a (linear) tectonic zone (“dike”) and a series of dikes. In the second part the main crustal and mantle conductivity anomalies observed in the Pannonian Basin (PB) are summarized: (a) deep conductive crustal fractures and their relation to the occurrence of the earthquakes, boundary of the megablock(s) etc., (b) middle crustal conductors as indicators of decrease in stress and seismic activity depending on thermal regime, (c) the conductive asthenosphere and its lateral change in the PB in connection with the heat flow and tectonics. The general relation between the depth of the conductive asthenosphere and the regional heat flow is also presented, (d) MT anisotropy of the resistivity distribution in the PB and its tectonic explanation based on Haas’s tectonic map (2001, Fig. 1). All these observations and conclusions are considered as results for further investigations.