Regional crustal structure derived from the CD-ROM 99 seismic refraction/wide-angle reflection profile: The lower crust and upper mantle

2005 ◽  
pp. 271-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine M. Snelson ◽  
G. Randy Keller ◽  
Kate C. Miller ◽  
Hanna-Maria Rumpel ◽  
Claus Prodehl
Keyword(s):  
Crustal Structure ◽  
Upper Mantle ◽  
Lower Crust ◽  
Seismic Refraction ◽  
Wide Angle ◽  
Crust And Upper Mantle ◽  
Cd Rom ◽  
Reflection Profile

scholarly journals A Seismic Refraction Study of the Crust and Upper Mantle in the Vicinity of Bass Strait

1969 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 573 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Underwood
Keyword(s):  
Crustal Structure ◽  
Upper Mantle ◽  
Seismic Refraction ◽  
Travel Times ◽  
Crust And Upper Mantle ◽  
Australian Institute ◽  
First Arrival Travel Times ◽  
First Arrival ◽  
Future Work

A reconnaissance seismic refraction study of the crust and upper mantle of Bass Strait and adjacent land was undertaken in 1966 under the sponsorship of the Geophysics Group of the Australian Institute of Physics. The shot locations and times, the station locations, distances, and first arrival travel times are presented. Analysis of these data is described; they indicate a P n velocity below 8 km sec-I. Time terms are less than expected and do not agree with previous work. Crustal thicknesses cannot be computed until studies of upper crustal structure are made. These, and several mantle refraction studies, are suggested for future work.

An improved velocity model for the crust and upper mantle along the central mobile belt of the Newfoundland Appalachian orogen and its offshore extension

1998 ◽  
Vol 35 (11) ◽  
pp. 1238-1251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deping Chian ◽  
François Marillier ◽  
Jeremy Hall ◽  
Garry Quinlan
Keyword(s):  
Upper Mantle ◽  
Lower Crust ◽  
Velocity Structure ◽  
Sedimentary Basins ◽  
Velocity Model ◽  
Mobile Belt ◽  
Wide Angle ◽  
Crust And Upper Mantle ◽  
Angle Data ◽  
Appalachian Orogen

New modelling of wide-angle reflection-refraction data of the Canadian Lithoprobe East profile 91-1 along the central mobile belt of the Newfoundland Appalachian orogen reveals new features of the upper mantle, and establishes links in the crust and upper mantle between existing land and marine wide-angle data sets by combining onshore-offshore recordings. The revised model provides detailed velocity structure in the 30-34 km thick crust and the top 30 km of upper mantle. The lower crust is characterized by a velocity of 6.6-6.8 km/s onshore, increasing by 0.2 km/s to the northeast offshore beneath the sedimentary basins. This seaward increase in velocity may be caused by intrusion of about 4 km of basic rocks into the lower crust during the extension that formed the overlying Carboniferous basins. The Moho is found at 34 km depth onshore, rising to 30 km offshore to the northeast with a local minimum of 27 km. The data confirm the absence of deep crustal roots under the central mobile belt of Newfoundland. Our long-range (up to 450 km offset) wide-angle data define a bulk velocity of 8.1-8.3 km/s within the upper 20 km of mantle. The data also contain strong reflective phases that can be correlated with two prominent mantle reflectors. The upper reflector is found at 50 km depth under central Newfoundland, rising abruptly towards the northeast where it reaches a minimum depth of 36 km. This reflector is associated with a thin layer (1-2 km) unlikely to coincide with a discontinuity with a large cross-boundary change in velocity. The lower reflector at 55-65 km depths is much stronger, and may have similar origins to reflections observed below the Appalachians in the Canadian Maritimes which are associated with a velocity increase to 8.5 km/s. Our data are insufficient for discriminating among various interpretations for the origins of these mantle reflectors.

Crust and upper mantle velocity structure of the Intermontane belt, southern Canadian Cordillera

1992 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1530-1548 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. C. Zelt ◽  
R. M. Ellis ◽  
R. M. Clowes ◽  
E. R. Kanasewich ◽  
I. Asudeh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Upper Mantle ◽  
Lower Crust ◽  
Velocity Structure ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Seismic Reflection Profile ◽  
Wide Angle ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Crust And Upper Mantle ◽  
Middle Crust ◽  
Refraction Data

As part of the Lithoprobe Southern Cordillera transect, seismic refraction data were recorded along a 330 km long strike profile in the Intermontane belt. An iterative combination of two-dimensional traveltime inversion and amplitude forward modelling was used to interpret crust and upper mantle P-wave velocity structure. This region is characterized by (i) a thin near-surface layer with large variations in velocity between 2.8 and 5.4 km/s, and low-velocity regions that correlate well with surface expressions of Tertiary sedimentary and volcanic rocks; (ii) an upper and middle crust with low average velocity gradient, possibly a weak low-velocity zone, and lateral velocity variations between 6.0 and 6.4 km/s; (iii) a distinctive lower crust characterized by significantly higher average velocities relative to midcrustal values beginning at 23 km depth, approximately 8 km thick with average velocities of 6.5 and 6.7 km/s at top and base; (iv) a depth to Moho, as defined by wide-angle reflections, that averages 33 km with variations up to 2 km; and (v) a Moho transition zone of depth extent 1–3 km, below which lies the upper mantle with velocities decreasing from 7.9 km/s in the south to 7.7 km/s in the north. Where the refraction line obliquely crosses a Lithoprobe deep seismic-reflection profile, good agreement is obtained between the interpreted reflection section and the derived velocity structure model. In particular, depths to wide-angle reflectors in the upper crust agree with depths to prominent reflection events, and Moho depths agree within 1 km. From this comparison, the upper and middle crust probably comprise the upper part of the Quesnellia terrane. The lower crust from the refraction interpretation does not show the division into two components, parautochthonous and cratonic North America, that is inferred from the reflection data, indicating that their physical properties are not significantly different within the resolution of the refraction data. Based on these interpretations, the lower lithosphere of Quesnellia is absent and presumably was recycled in the mantle. At a depth of ~ 16 km below the Moho, an upper mantle reflector may represent the base of the present lithosphere.

Crustal seismic velocity and density structure of the Intermontane and Coast belts, southwestern Cordillera

1998 ◽  
Vol 35 (12) ◽  
pp. 1362-1379 ◽  
Author(s):  
George D Spence ◽  
Nancy A McLean
Keyword(s):  
Upper Mantle ◽  
Lower Crust ◽  
Seismic Velocity ◽  
Gravity Data ◽  
Seismic Refraction ◽  
High Density ◽  
Western Coast ◽  
Seismic Velocities ◽  
Crust And Upper Mantle ◽  
Reflection Data

Seismic refraction - wide-angle reflection data were recorded along a 450 km profile across the Intermontane, Coast, and Insular belts of the Canadian Cordillera. Crust and upper mantle structure was interpreted from traveltime inversion and forward-amplitude modelling, and the resultant seismic velocities were used to constrain modelling of the Bouguer gravity data along the profile. A high-velocity, high-density block in the upper 8 km of crust was interpreted as the subsurface extension of Harrison terrane; the Harrison fault at its eastern boundary may extend to at least 8 km depth and perhaps 20 km. Throughout the crust, both seismic velocities and densities are in general high beneath the Insular belt, low beneath the Coast and western Intermontane belts, and intermediate beneath the eastern Intermontane belt. However, densities are unusually low in the lower crust beneath the Coast belt (2800 kg/m3), relative to velocities (6.6-6.8 km/s). This indicates that Coast belt plutonic material is present throughout the crust; strong upper mantle reflectivity, previously interpreted on a Lithoprobe reflection line beneath the western Coast belt, may be high-density residue associated with the unusually low density plutonic material. Based on gravity data, Wrangellia must terminate sharply against the western edge of the Coast belt. In the lower crust, the lowest seismic velocities are found vertically beneath the surface trace of the Fraser fault, where velocities just above the Moho only reach 6.5 km/s, in contrast with 6.8 km/s beneath the western Coast belt and eastern Intermontane belt. This provides support for a subvertical geometry for the Fraser fault, perhaps with a broad zone of diffuse shearing in the lower crust. At this location, the Fraser fault does not appear to vertically offset the Moho, which is well-constrained at a uniform depth of km east of the Harrison fault.

Crust and upper mantle structure along the flank of Kōko Seamount

1980 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 1161-1169
Author(s):  
K. Furukawa ◽  
J. F. Gettrust ◽  
L. W. Kroenke ◽  
J. F. Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Upper Mantle ◽  
Seismic Refraction ◽  
Crustal Thickness ◽  
Mantle Structure ◽  
Crust And Upper Mantle ◽  
Velocity Gradients ◽  
Upper Mantle Structure ◽  
Hawaiian Ridge ◽  
Seamount Chain ◽  
Emperor Seamount Chain

abstract Inversion of an 80-km-long reversed seismic refraction profile near the northwestern flank of Kōko Seamount indicates that the crust adjacent to the southern end of the Emperor Seamount chain is approximately 9-km thick with no dip in the refracting horizons. These data require positive P-velocity gradients in the crust and upper mantle to fit the observed amplitudes. The crustal refractor P velocities and crustal thickness found are in general agreement with those found previously for the Emperor chain and near the Hawaiian Ridge. It is inferred from our data that the tectonic mechanism which created the Emperor and Hawaiian chains was highly localized.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document