Subduction geometry beneath south-central Alaska and its relationship to volcanism
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Published version
Accepted version
Author(s)
Martin-Short, R
Allen, R
Bastow, ID
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The southern Alaskan margin captures a transition between compression and strike-slip-dominated deformation, accretion of the overthickened Yakutat terrane, termination of Aleutian arcmagmatism, and the enigmatic Wrangell Volcanic Field. The extent of subduction and mantle structurebelow this region is uncertain, with important implications for volcanism. We present compressional andshear wave mantle velocity models below south central Alaska that leverage a new seismometer deploymentto produce the most complete image of the subducting Pacific-Yakutat plate to date. We image a steeplydipping slab extending below central Alaska to >400 km depth, which abruptly terminates east of ~145°W.There is no significant slab anomaly beneath the nearby Wrangell volcanoes. A paucity of volcanism isobserved above the subducting Yakutat terrane, but the slab structure below 150 km depth andWadati-Benioff zone here are similar to those along the Aleutian-Alaska arc. Features of the mantle wedge oroverlying lithosphere are thus responsible for the volcanic gap.
Date Issued
2016-09-19
Date Acceptance
2016-09-06
Citation
Geophysical Research Letters, 2016, 43 (18), pp.9509-9517
ISSN
1944-8007
Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
Start Page
9509
End Page
9517
Journal / Book Title
Geophysical Research Letters
Volume
43
Issue
18
Copyright Statement
© 2016. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Martin-Short, R., R. M. Allen, and I. D. Bastow (2016), Subduction geometry beneath south central Alaska and its relationship to volcanism, Geophys. Res. Lett., 43, which has been published in final form at https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2016GL070580. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.
Sponsor
The Leverhulme Trust
Grant Number
RPG-2013-332
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Geology
TRAVEL-TIMES
FINITE-FREQUENCY
NORTH-AMERICA
PLATE
WRANGELL
ZONE
VELOCITIES
MAGMATISM
MODEL
BASIN
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
MD Multidisciplinary
Publication Status
Accepted