Eurasia‐Africa Plate Boundary region yields new seismographic data

The tectonic plate boundary between Eurasia and Africa is complex, in that it cannot be characterized as a single discrete plate boundary Deformation near this plate boundary varies from trans‐tensional in the Azores archipelago, through strike‐slip in the eastern Atlantic basin, to overall compressional between the European and African continents, with extensional sub‐domains in the Mediterranean Sea. This complex pattern of deformation, related plate motion, and underlying driving forces leads to strong variations in seismic hazard throughout the region. A better understanding of the plate boundary processes requires knowing crust and upper mantle structure in the region, which is best investigated with three‐component, broadband seismic data. To investigate the region's three‐dimensional crust and upper mantle structure, we are carrying out a multiinstitutional project (MIDSEA) involving seismologists from 10 countries on the northern, southern, and western sides of the plate boundary.