TY - JOUR

T1 - Deep Sources of Recent Volcanism in Armenia Inferred From Ambient Noise Tomography

AU - Meliksetian, Kh.

AU - Sargsyan, L.

AU - Koulakov, I.

AU - Toghramadjian, N.

AU - Belovezhets, N.

AU - Berezhnev, Y.

AU - Navasardyan, G.

AU - Grigoryan, E.

AU - Vasilevsky, A.

AU - Sahakyan, E.

N1 - Meliksetian, K., Sargsyan, L., Koulakov,I., Toghramadjian, N., Belovezhets, N.,Berezhnev, Y., et al. (2026). Deep sourcesof recent volcanism in Armenia inferredfrom ambient noise tomography. Journalof Geophysical Research: Solid Earth,131, e2025JB032349. This research was partly funded by the PEER Science Cycle 9 Project 9–252, “Assessment of Geothermal Energy Resources and Natural Hazards in Armenia.” Additional funding was provided by the base funds of the Institute of Geological Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, supported by the Higher Education and Science Committee of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of the Republic of Armenia. The authors gratefully acknowledge the Caucasus TRANSECT project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, since waveform data for this research comes from the seismic monitoring network established in Armenia under this project. Special thanks to Dr. Hektor Babayan, Dr. Mikayel Gevorgyan, and Ara Levonyan for their ongoing dedication to and support of the development and maintenance of seismic monitoring networks in Armenia.

PY - 2026/1

Y1 - 2026/1

N2 - We perform Rayleigh wave ambient noise tomography to investigate crustal seismic velocity structure and sources of volcanism in Armenia. Armenia, a key part of the tectonically and volcanically active Caucasus-Anatolia region, is actively being deformed by the ongoing Arabian-Eurasian continental collision. Unlike typical intracontinental settings, Armenia exhibits exceptional diversity of volcanic compositions and eruption styles: large stratovolcanoes are interspersed among more broadly distributed monogenetic cones and extensive lava flows. This study presents the first seismic tomography model of Armenia with sufficient resolution to infer potential magma sources. We analyze ∼19 months of continuous ambient noise data recorded by 32 seismic stations, extracting Green's functions and Rayleigh wave dispersion curves. A two-step tomographic inversion first yields 2D group velocity maps, followed by a 3D shear-wave velocity model. Synthetic tests confirm the model's resolution and ability to detect lateral and vertical velocity anomalies. Our results reveal prominent low-velocity anomalies down to 25 km beneath monogenetic cones, likely indicating magma transport zones. At greater depths, velocity anomalies reverse sign. A high-velocity zone at 40 km depth beneath dispersed cones suggests crustal thinning and asthenosphere upwelling. Beneath Lake Sevan, we identify two distinct structures: a low-velocity anomaly in the NW linked to fault-related fracturing and fluid saturation, and a high-velocity anomaly in the SE that may represent a rigid block, possibly remnant oceanic crust. This study provides new insights into crustal structure beneath Armenia, shedding light on its magmatic and tectonic evolution.

AB - We perform Rayleigh wave ambient noise tomography to investigate crustal seismic velocity structure and sources of volcanism in Armenia. Armenia, a key part of the tectonically and volcanically active Caucasus-Anatolia region, is actively being deformed by the ongoing Arabian-Eurasian continental collision. Unlike typical intracontinental settings, Armenia exhibits exceptional diversity of volcanic compositions and eruption styles: large stratovolcanoes are interspersed among more broadly distributed monogenetic cones and extensive lava flows. This study presents the first seismic tomography model of Armenia with sufficient resolution to infer potential magma sources. We analyze ∼19 months of continuous ambient noise data recorded by 32 seismic stations, extracting Green's functions and Rayleigh wave dispersion curves. A two-step tomographic inversion first yields 2D group velocity maps, followed by a 3D shear-wave velocity model. Synthetic tests confirm the model's resolution and ability to detect lateral and vertical velocity anomalies. Our results reveal prominent low-velocity anomalies down to 25 km beneath monogenetic cones, likely indicating magma transport zones. At greater depths, velocity anomalies reverse sign. A high-velocity zone at 40 km depth beneath dispersed cones suggests crustal thinning and asthenosphere upwelling. Beneath Lake Sevan, we identify two distinct structures: a low-velocity anomaly in the NW linked to fault-related fracturing and fluid saturation, and a high-velocity anomaly in the SE that may represent a rigid block, possibly remnant oceanic crust. This study provides new insights into crustal structure beneath Armenia, shedding light on its magmatic and tectonic evolution.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105028120796

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/50b71c30-1d6e-3b7b-a281-283c8463ac43/

U2 - 10.1029/2025jb032349

DO - 10.1029/2025jb032349

M3 - Article

VL - 131

JO - Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth

JF - Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth

SN - 2169-9313

IS - 1

M1 - e2025JB032349

ER -