Evidence of subduction-related thermal and compositional heterogeneity below the United States from transition zone receiver functions
File(s)Maguire_et_al-2018-Geophysical_Research_Letters.pdf (5.23 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Maguire, R
Ritsema, J
Goes, S
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The subduction of the Farallon Plate has altered the temperature and composition of the mantle transition zone (MTZ) beneath the United States. We investigate MTZ structure by mapping P‐to‐S conversions at mineralogical phase changes using USArray waveform data and theoretical seismic profiles based on experimental constraints of phase transition properties as a function of temperature and composition. The width of the MTZ varies by about 35 km over the study region, corresponding to a temperature variation of more than 300 K. The MTZ is coldest and thickest beneath the eastern United States where high shear velocity anomalies are tomographically resolved. We detect intermittent P‐to‐S conversions at depths of 520 km and 730 km. The conversions at 730‐km depth are coherent beneath the southeastern United States and are consistent with basalt enrichment of about 50%, possibly due to the emplacement of a fragment of an oceanic plateau (i.e., the Hess conjugate).
Date Issued
2018-09-16
Date Acceptance
2018-08-01
ISSN
0094-8276
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
Start Page
8913
End Page
8922
Journal / Book Title
Geophysical Research Letters
Volume
45
Issue
17
Copyright Statement
©2018. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article, which has been published in final form at https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2018GL078378
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000445727500024&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Geology
transition zone
receiver functions
subduction
Hess conjugate
EARTHS MANTLE
SEISMIC DISCONTINUITIES
YELLOWSTONE HOTSPOT
CONVERTED PHASES
LARAMIDE OROGENY
OCEANIC PLATEAU
NORTH-AMERICA
FARALLON SLAB
BODY-WAVE
BENEATH
MD Multidisciplinary
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2018-08-09