Structure beneath Queen Charlotte Sound from seismic-refraction and gravity interpretations

1992 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1509-1529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianson Yuan ◽  
G. D. Spence ◽  
R. D. Hyndman

A combined multichannel seismic reflection and refraction survey was carried out in July 1988 to study the Tertiary sedimentary basin architecture and formation and to define the crustal structure and associated plate interactions in the Queen Charlotte Islands region. Simultaneously with the collection of the multichannel reflection data, refractions and wide-angle reflections from the airgun array shots were recorded on single-channel seismographs distributed on land around Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound. For this paper a subset of the resulting data set was chosen to study the crustal structure in Queen Charlotte Sound and the nearby subduction zone.Two-dimensional ray tracing and synthetic seismogram modelling produced a velocity structure model in Queen Charlotte Sound. On a margin-parallel line, Moho depth was modelled at 27 km off southern Moresby Island but only 23 km north of Vancouver Island. Excluding the approximately 5 km of the Tertiary sediments, the crust in the latter area is only about 18 km thick, suggesting substantial crustal thinning in Queen Charlotte Sound. Such thinning of the crust supports an extensional mechanism for the origin of the sedimentary basin. Deep crustal layers with velocities of more than 7 km/s were interpreted in the southern portion of Queen Charlotte Sound and beneath the continental margin. They could represent high-velocity material emplaced in the crust from earlier subduction episodes or mafic intrusion associated with the Tertiary volcanics.Seismic velocities of both sediment and upper crust layers are lower in the southern part of Queen Charlotte Sound than in the region near Moresby Island. Well velocity logs indicate a similar velocity variation. Gravity modelling along the survey line parallel to the margin provides additional constraints on the structure. The data require lower densities in the sediment and upper crust of southern Queen Charlotte Sound. The low-velocity, low-density sediments in the south correspond to high-porosity marine sediments found in wells in that region and contrast with lower porosity nonmarine sediments in wells farther north.

1996 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Chiarabba ◽  
A. Amato

In this paper we provide P-wave velocity images of the crust underneath the Apennines (Italy), focusing on the lower crustal structure and the Moho topography. We inverted P-wave arrival times of earthquakes which occurred from 1986 to 1993 within the Apenninic area. To overcome inversion instabilities due to noisy data (we used bulletin data) we decided to resolve a minimum number of velocity parameters, inverting for only two layers in the crust and one in the uppermost mantle underneath the Moho. A partial inversion of only 55% of the overall dataset yields velocity images similar to those obtained with the whole data set, indicating that the depicted tomograms are stable and fairly insensitive to the number of data used. We find a low-velocity anomaly in the lower crust extending underneath the whole Apenninic belt. This feature is segmented by a relative high-velocity zone in correspondence with the Ortona-Roccamonfina line, that separates the northern from the southern Apenninic arcs. The Moho has a variable depth in the study area, and is deeper (more than 37 km) in the Adriatic side of the Northern Apennines with respect to the Tyrrhenian side, where it is found in the depth interval 22-34 km.


1994 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 905-918 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Forsyth ◽  
M. Argyle ◽  
A. Okulitch ◽  
H. P. Trettin

A new seismic model of Canada's northeasternmost margin indicates a complex continent to ocean transition with similarities to both volcanic and nonvolcanic margins. The crustal structure beneath the Lincoln Sea includes: (i) a continental shelf with a uniform 3 km thick cover (velocity = 1.8–3.6 km/s) overlying at least 6 km of synrift(?) basinal strata (velocity = 4.3–4.9 km/s) that terminate near the base of the slope; (ii) a thick unit of oceanic layer 2-type velocity (5.4–5.8 km/s) overlying a velocity structure resembling a volcanic margin; (iii) a high-velocity lower crust (> 7.4 km/s) resembling North Atlantic volcanic margins or the Alpha Ridge but different from the Lomonosov Ridge near the North Pole; (iv) a change in velocity structure 15–25 km seaward of the shelf–slope break that coincides with a distinct short-wavelength, high-amplitude magnetic anomaly and the centre of a steep gravity gradient; and (v) a suggested Moho depth of 23 km beneath the Lincoln Sea margin along 63°W.The velocity structure beneath the Lincoln Sea is transitional from thinned continental crust beneath the shelf to a structure with oceanic affinities to the north. Typical, 10 km thick oceanic crust is not apparent beneath the northern Lincoln Sea. The upper crustal structure resembles a rifted, nonvolcanic margin such as the Goban Spur, while the high lower crustal velocity resembles a volcanic margin like the Hatton Bank or an oceanic complex like the Alpha Ridge. North of the seismic survey, the enigmatic Lincoln Sea plateau may be an intruded Lomonosov Ridge segment or a volcanic complex similar to the Alpha Ridge or the Morris Jesup Plateau.


2014 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 407-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.S. Kim ◽  
J.F. Cassidy ◽  
S.E. Dosso ◽  
H. Kao

This paper presents results of a passive-source seismic mapping study in the Nechako–Chilcotin plateau of central British Columbia, with the ultimate goal of contributing to assessments of hydrocarbon and mineral potential of the region. For the present study, an array of nine seismic stations was deployed in 2006–2007 to sample a wide area of the Nechako–Chilcotin plateau. The specific goal was to map the thickness of the sediments and volcanic cover, and the overall crustal thickness and structural geometry beneath the study area. This study utilizes recordings of about 40 distant earthquakes from 2006 to 2008 to calculate receiver functions, and constructs S-wave velocity models for each station using the Neighbourhood Algorithm inversion. The surface sediments are found to range in thickness from about 0.8 to 2.7 km, and the underlying volcanic layer from 1.8 to 4.7 km. Both sediments and volcanic cover are thickest in the central portion of the study area. The crustal thickness ranges from 22 to 36 km, with an average crustal thickness of about 30–34 km. A consistent feature observed in this study is a low-velocity zone at the base of the crust. This study complements other recent studies in this area, including active-source seismic studies and magnetotelluric measurements, by providing site-specific images of the crustal structure down to the Moho and detailed constraints on the S-wave velocity structure.


1997 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Alessandrini ◽  
L. Beranzoli ◽  
G. Drakatos ◽  
C. Falcone ◽  
G. Karantonis ◽  
...  

We present a tomographic view of the crust and uppermost mantle beneath the Central Mediterranean area obtained from P-wave arrival times of regional earthquakes selected from the ISC bulletin. The P-wave velocity anomalies are obtained using Thurber's algorithm that jointly relocates earthquakes and computes velocity adjustments with respect to a starting model. A specific algorithm has been applied to achieve a distribution of epicentres as even as possible. A data set of 1009 events and 49072 Pg and Pn phases was selected. We find a low velocity belt in the crust, evident in the map view at 25 km of depth, beneath the Hellenic arc. A low velocity anomaly extends at 40 km of depth under the Aegean back arc basin. High velocities are present at Moho depth beneath the Ionian sea close to the Calabrian and Aegean arcs. The tomographic images suggest a close relationship between P-wave velocity pattern and the subduction systems of the studied area.


2008 ◽  
Vol 38 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Anne F. Sheehan ◽  
Thomas De La Torre ◽  
Gaspar Monsalve ◽  
Vera Schulte-Pelkum ◽  
Roger Bilham ◽  
...  

The Himalayan Nepal - Tibet PASSCAL Seismic Experiment (HIMNT) included the deployment of 28 broadband seismometers throughout eastern Nepal and southern Tibet in 2001- 2002. The main goals of the project were to better understand the mountain building processes of this region through studies of seismicity and Earth structure determined from local and teleseismic earthquakes. The seismic deployment was in collaboration with the National Seismological Centre, Department of Mines and Geology, Nepal, and the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Our new subsurface images from HIMNT teleseismic receiver functions and local earthquake tomography show evidence of the basal decollement of the Himalaya (Main Himalayan Thrust, MHT) and an increase in Moho depth from - 45 km beneath Nepal to -75 km beneath Tibet. We find strong seismic anisotropy above the decollement, likely developed in response to shear on the MHT. The shear may be taken up as slip in great earthquakes at shallower depths. Many local earthquakes were recorded during the deployment, and the large contrast in crustal thickness and velocity structure over a small lateral distance makes the use of a 3D velocity model important to determine accurate hypocentres. Large north-south variations are found in P and S wave velocity structure across the array. High Pn velocities are found beneath southern Tibet. Seismicity shows strong alignment of shallow (15-25 km depth) events beneath the region of highest relief along the Himalayan Front, and a cluster of upper mantle earthquakes beneath southern Tibet (70-90 km depth). Weak-mantle models do not expect the upper mantle earthquakes. Focal mechanisms of these upper mantle earthquakes beneath southern Tibet are mostly strike-slip, markedly different from the norm al faulting mechanisms observed for earthquakes in the mid and upper crust beneath Tibet. This change in the orientation of the major horizontal compression axis from vertical in the upper crust to horizontal in the upper mantle suggests a transition from deformation driven by body forces in the crust to plate boundary forces in the upper mantle. Several lines of evidence point to a decoupling zone in the Tibetan mid or lower crust, which may be related to the presence of a previously suggested flow channel in the Tibetan mid crust.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrey Goev

<p>The Kola region of the Russian Arctic is located in the northeast of the Baltic Shield and is widely known for its unique geology in regards to the presence of massive Paleozoic intrusions. Multidisciplinary researches have been carried out to provide a comprehensive reconstruction of Khibiny and Lovozero plutons’ formation and their structure models The main source of geochronological data comes from isotope analysis of the arrays’ rocks. The amount of research focuses on the deep structure beneath the Khibiny pluton is scarce. To investigate velocity structure of the investigated region we used receiver function technique. Essence of the method is to analyze P-S (PRF) and S-P (SRF) converted waves form seismic boundaries along with their multiples. For the given research we used seismograms of the teleseismic events recorded by the Apatity (APA) and Lovozero (LVZ) broadband seismic stations since 2000. We selected 220 and 232 individual PRF;147 and 122 individual SRF for LVZ and APA station respectively. As both LVZ and APA are located relatively close to each other, we combined all 452 PRF to get a robust estimation of delay times of P410s and P660s phases. Our estimations of P410s and P660s phases are 43.6 and 67.6 sec respectively. Delay time between these phases is 24 sec that is close to “standard” according to the IASP91 model. The individual times of each phase are slightly less than predicted by IASP91 (by 0.4 sec) and could indicate an increase of velocities in the upper mantle, but it is not unusual for cratonic regions. Joint inversion of PRF and SRF was used to restore velocity sections for the depth up to 300 km. All models have shown a gradient increase in velocities in the earth's crust and sharp crust-mantle boundary at depth of 40 ± 1 km with a velocity jump from 3.9 to 4.4 km/s. The most prominent feature of the upper mantle structure is the presence of the low-velocity zone at a depth from 90 to 140 km. One of the possible explanation of this discontinuity could be the presence of deep fluids and the high porosity of this zone. This study was partially supported by the RFBR grant 18-05-70082 and the SRW theme No. АААА-А19-119022090015-6.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 222 (2) ◽  
pp. 1093-1108
Author(s):  
Mehdi Maheri-Peyrov ◽  
Abdolreza Ghods ◽  
Stefanie Donner ◽  
Maryam Akbarzadeh-Aghdam ◽  
Farhad Sobouti ◽  
...  

SUMMARY We present the result of a 3-D Pg tomography in NW Iran to better understand the relationship between seismicity and velocity structure within the young continental collision system. In this regard, we have collected 559 07 Pg traveltime readings from 3963 well located earthquakes recorded by 353 seismic stations including 121 stations from four new temporary seismic networks. The most prominent feature of our Pg velocity model is a high correlation between the location of majority of large magnitude events and the location of low velocity regions within the seismogenic layer. The large instrumental and historical earthquakes with some limited exceptions tends to happen close to the borders of the low velocity regions. The Lorestan arc of Zagros has the thickest (∼20 km) low velocity region and Central Iran has the thinnest (less than 10 km) low velocity region where little seismicity is observed. Despite the relative increase of thickness of low velocity region in the uppermost part of the upper crust of Alborz, the average Pg velocity of the upper crust increases from Central Iran towards Alborz and reaches to its climax in the northern hills of Alborz, where the catastrophic Rudbar-Tarom 1990 event happened. The Pg velocity map shows presence of a low angle basement ramp in the Lorestan arc at the depth range of ∼10–20 km. The large low angle thrust Ezgele-Sarpolzahab 2017 earthquake and medium size high angle thrust events happened at the base and updip part of the velocity ramp, respectively. The calculated Pg velocity map shows low velocity regions at depths deeper than 11 and 20 km beneath the Sahand and Sabalan volcanoes, respectively.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Ribeiro Carreira ◽  
Emanuele Francesco La Terra ◽  
Sergio Luiz Fontes

ABSTRACT. This article presents a geological-geophysical model along the 320 km NW-SE profile at the central region of the Paraná basin, based primarily on a 2D gravity model that complements the magnetotelluric (MT) field campaigns conducted by the National Petroleum Agency. Studies of large structures within the basement underneath a sedimentary basin are of vital importance for the understanding of its tectonic-stratigraphic evolution. The Paraná basin is a basin with a depocenter, reaching approximately 7000m in estimated depth. Two large regional structures are remarkable in the study area: the Ponta Grossa Arch, a NW-SE direction feature; and the a NW-SE gravimetric high anomaly. The region also includes great lava flows represented by basalt rocks of the Serra Geral Formation. Intrusion of dikes and sills of diabase, dating mainly from the Cretaceous that equally strikes the region. A regional model was created by a 40 km wavelength filtering process, used to estimate the limit of the upper mantle-lower crust, and the limit upper crust/lower crust. The cutoff value was calculated by considering the deep sources of the radial power spectrum of the area. The proposed final gravimetric model includes the regional topography and presents a fit, with an error of 1.229 mGal. Its shallowest part was obtained by analyzing data from six stratigraphic wells and by integrating a 1D magnetotelluric composed section. The deepest structures of the model were connected from studies of deep seismic refraction, receptor function analysis, and surface waves dispersion, in particular the Moho depth from previous studies conduced on the Basin. Tests with synthetic MT models support the proposed geological-geophysical model, which presents some notable characteristics: a smooth lower crust-upper mantle interface, which oscillates around 42 km deep. The upper crust was represented, on the final model, by a sedimentary basin and three main crustal blocks, designated as the Paraná River Block, the Paranapanema Block, and the Apiaí Block, in accordance with the geotectonic context. The basin-basement limit, derived from the 1D MT models, revealed a fractured surface with an average depth of 6000 m. The sedimentary portion can be differentiated in its established supersequences, but does not solve the problems posed by dikes and sills.Keywords: Radial Average Power Spectrum, Gravimetric Inversion model, Composed 1D Magnetotelluric Inversion models. RESUMO. Este artigo apresenta um modelo geológico-geofísico ao longo do perfil NW-SE de 320 km na região central da bacia do Paraná, com base principalmente em um modelo de gravidade 2D que complementa as campanhas de campo magnetotelluricas (MT) realizadas pela Agência Nacional de Petróleo. Estudos de grandes estruturas dentro do porão embaixo de uma bacia sedimentar são de vital importância para a compreensão de sua evolução tectônica-estratigráfica. A bacia do Paraná é uma bacia com um depocentro, atingindo aproximadamente 7000 m de profundidade estimada. Duas grandes estruturas regionais são notáveis na área de estudo: o Arco Ponta Grossa; anomalia NW-SE de alto valor de gravidade. A região também inclui grandes fluxos de lava representados pelas rochas basálticas da Formação Serra Geral. A intrusão de diques e soleiras de diabásio, que são principalmente ao Cretáceo, atingem igualmente a região. Um modelo regional foi criado por um processo de filtragem de comprimento de onda de 40 km, usado para estimar a superfície do Moho. O valor de corte foi calculado considerando as fontes profundas do espectro de potência radial. O modelo gravimétrico final proposto inclui a topografia regional e apresenta um ajuste, com erro de 1.229 mGal. Sua parte mais rasa foi obtida através da análise de dados de seis poços estratigráficos e integrando uma seção composta magnetotelúrica 1D. As estruturas mais profundas do modelo foram conectadas a partir de estudos de refração sísmica profunda, análise de função de receptor e dispersão de ondas de superfície, em particular a profundidade de Moho de estudos prévios de sismologia e gravimetria por satélite. Os testes com modelos MT sintéticos suportam o modelo geológico-geofísico proposto, que apresenta algumas características notáveis: uma interface muito suave da interface crosta inferior – manto superior, que oscila em torno de 42 km de profundidade. A crosta superior foi representada por uma Bacia Sedimentar, e três blocos crustais, designados como Bloco Rio Paraná, Bloco Paranapanema e Bloco Apiaí, de acordo com o contexto geotectônico. O limite do embasamento da bacia, derivado dos modelos 1D MT, revelou uma superfície fraturada com uma profundidade média de 6000 m. A porção sedimentar pode ser diferenciada em suas supersequências estabelecidas, mas não resolve os problemas causados por diques e soleiras.Palavras-chave: Espectro de potência médio radial, Modelo de inversão gravimétrica, Modelos de Inversão Magnetotellúrica 1D compostados. 


1994 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Chiarabba ◽  
A. Amato

Local Earthquake Tomography (LET) is a useful tool for imaging lateral heterogeneities in the upper crust. The pattern of P- and S-wave velocity anomalies, in relation to the seismicity distribution along active fault zones. can shed light on the existence of discrete seismogenic patches. Recent tomographic studies in well monitored seismic areas have shown that the regions with large seismic moment release generally correspond to high velocity zones (HVZ's). In this paper, we discuss the relationship between the seismogenic behavior of faults and the velocity structure of fault zones as inferred from seismic tomography. First, we review some recent tomographic studies in active strike-slip faults. We show examples from different segments of the San Andreas fault system (Parkfield, Loma Prieta), where detailed studies have been carried out in recent years. We also show two applications of LET to thrust faults (Coalinga, Friuli). Then, we focus on the Irpinia normal fault zone (South-Central Italy), where a Ms = 6.9 earthquake occurred in 1980 and many thousands of attershock travel time data are available. We find that earthquake hypocenters concentrate in HVZ's, whereas low velocity zones (LVZ’ s) appear to be relatively aseismic. The main HVZ's along which the mainshock rupture bas propagated may correspond to velocity weakening fault regions, whereas the LVZ's are probably related to weak materials undergoing stable slip (velocity strengthening). A correlation exists between this HVZ and the area with larger coseismic slip along the fault, according to both surface evidence (a fault scarp as high as 1 m) and strong ground motion waveform modeling. Smaller wave-length, low-velocity anomalies detected along the fault may be the expression of velocity strengthening sections, where aseismic slip occurs. According to our results, the rupture at the nucleation depth (~ 10-12 km) is continuous for the whole fault lenoth (~ 30 km), whereas at shallow depth, different fault segments are activated due to lateral heterogeneities in the sedimentary cover. This finding confirms that the rupture process is controlled by lithologic and structural discontinuities in the upper crust, and emphasizes the contribution that LET can make to the study of fault mechanics.


Geophysics ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 49 (10) ◽  
pp. 1605-1621 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. J. W. Jones ◽  
R. S. White ◽  
V. J. Hughes ◽  
D. H. Matthews ◽  
B. R. Clayton

Two‐ship multichannel seismic profiles, using expanding spread and constant offset source‐receiver configurations, were shot with explosive charges and a 16.4 ℓ air gun to investigate the structure of the continental shelf off northwest Britain. A long‐range (69 km) expanding spread profile reveals that the crystalline basement off northern Scotland is covered by sedimentary sections up to 2.5 km thick, and is divisible into two seismic units with velocities of 6.1 km/s and 6.6 km/s. Prominent supercritical Moho reflections indicate a crustal thickness of 26.7 km. Strong sedimentary and basement refractions, together with oblique reflections from the vicinity of the Moho, have been profiled at a constant air gun‐receiver offset of 10 km across a sedimentary basin west of the Orkney Islands. On the Outer Hebridean shelf to the west of mainland Scotland, the metamorphic basement lies within 250 m of the sea floor. P- to S-wave conversion occurs at the basement surface; [Formula: see text] gives a Poisson’s ratio of 0.27–0.31 at depths of 300–1 000 m. Marked changes in mode conversion efficiency are observed on constant offset profiles and are attributed to variations in the velocity structure of an uppermost low‐velocity (4.9 km/s) layer of weathered basement. The deeper crustal velocity appears uniform with depth, although there is some evidence of significant lateral velocity changes (6.28–6.61 km/s). In contrast to the shelf north of Scotland, reflections from within the basement and from near the base of the crust are recorded only sporadically on constant‐offset profiles. A strong event at 10.4 s two‐way reflection time appears to have arisen from a seismic discontinuity within the upper mantle. The differences in seismic character of the basement on the two‐ship profiles suggest significant variations in crustal structure within the Caledonian foreland of northern Britain.


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