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Abstract Seismic azimuthal anisotropy beneath Australia is investigated using splitting of the teleseismic PKS, SKKS, and SKS phases to delineate asthenospheric flow and lithospheric deformation beneath one of the oldest and fast‐moving continents on Earth. In total 511 pairs of high‐quality splitting parameters were observed at 116 seismic stations. Unlike other stable continental areas in Africa, East Asia, and North America, where spatially consistent splitting parameters dominate, the fast orientations and splitting times observed in Australia show a complex pattern, with a slightly smaller than normal average splitting time of 0.85 ± 0.33 s. On the North Australian Craton, the fast orientations are mostly N‐S, which is parallel to the absolute plate motion (APM) direction in the hotspot frame. Those observed in the South Australian Craton are mostly NE‐SW and E‐W, which are perpendicular to the maximum lithospheric horizontal shortening direction. In east Australia, the observed azimuthal anisotropy can be attributed to either APM induced simple shear or lithospheric fabric parallel to the strike of the orogenic belts. The observed spatial variations of the seismic azimuthal anisotropy, when combined with results from depth estimation utilizing the spatial coherency of the splitting parameters and seismic tomography studies, suggest that the azimuthal anisotropy in Australia can mostly be related to simple shear in the rheologically transition layer between the lithosphere and asthenosphere. Non‐APM parallel anisotropy is attributable to modulations of the mantle flow system by undulations of the bottom of the lithosphere, with a spatially variable degree of contribution from lithospheric fabric.
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Localized Anisotropic Domains Beneath Eastern North America
Abstract Seismic anisotropy beneath eastern North America likely reflects both the remnant lithospheric fabrics and the present‐day deformation of the asthenosphere. We report new observations of splitting in core‐refracted shear phases observed over 3–5 years at 33 sites in New Jersey, New York, and states in the New England region and also include data from eight previously studied locations. Our data set emphasizes back azimuthal coverage necessary to capture the directional variation of splitting parameters expected from vertically varying anisotropy. We report single‐phase splitting parameters as well as station‐averaged values based on splitting intensity technique that incorporates all observed records regardless of whether they showed evidence of splitting or not. Trends of averaged fast shear wave polarizations appear coherent and are approximately aligned with absolute plate motion direction. The general disparity between the fast axes and the trend of surface tectonic features suggests a dominant asthenosphere contribution for the observed seismic anisotropy. Averaged delay values systematically increase from ~0.5 s in New Jersey to ~1.4 s in Maine. Splitting parameters vary at all sites, and neighboring stations often show similar patterns of directional variation. We developed criteria to group stations based on their splitting patterns and identified four domains with distinct anisotropic properties. Splitting patterns of three domains suggest a layered anisotropic structure that is geographically variable, outlining distinct regions in the continental mantle, for example, the Proterozoic lithosphere of the Adirondack Mountains. A domain coincident with the North Appalachian Anomaly displays virtually no splitting, implying that the lithospheric fabric was locally erased.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1735912
- PAR ID:
- 10457871
- Publisher / Repository:
- DOI PREFIX: 10.1029
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems
- Volume:
- 20
- Issue:
- 11
- ISSN:
- 1525-2027
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- p. 5499-5521
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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