Topographic expressions of mantle dynamics in the Mediterranean

The surface of the Earth is the ever-changing expression of the dynamic processes occurring at depth and at or above its surface. However, our ability to “read” landscapes in terms of their underlying tectonic or climatic forcing remains rudimentary. During the last decade, particular attention has been drawn to the deep dynamic contributions to topography, related to the stresses that are produced at the base of the lithosphere by mantle convection, and their relevance compared to the (iso)static component of topography. Here, we use examples from the Mediterranean and estimate residual and dynamic topography. We then compare those with surface uplift from geology for specific regions to disentangle the dynamic from the static components. Considering the different topographic signatures of tectonic processes (e.g. actual, residual, and dynamic topography as well as uplift rates) jointly provides a powerful way to distinguish between the contributions of mantle, crustal, and surface processes. Such an approach might bring us closer to reading topographic expressions in terms of their geological cause.