The Cornell Saudi Arabia Project: Crustal Studies in Saudi Arabia

The main objectives of the Cornell Saudi Arabia research project are: (1) study
the seismic attenuation characteristics of the crust (Lg) and uppermost mantle
(Sn) of the Arabian lithospheric plate, and (2) determine the crustal thickness
and map the geometry of the Moho, especially in Saudi Arabia. The large amount
and quality of the databases that we have used are by far the most
comprehensive and complete as of 2005. The results are striking: scientists
have carefully mapped the boundaries of the high attenuation zones in the
uppermost mantle to show the anomalous nature of the lithosphere beneath most
of Iran, Turkey, and surprisingly beneath most of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan,
Israel, and Palestine. In addition, it was determined the relatively rapid
transition from an oceanic-type to an average continental crust along the Red
Sea margin. Moreover, it was argued that there is no significant variations in
the crustal thickness between Archean and Proterozoic continental crusts.