Plume-Slab Interaction beneath Western US

Plume-Slab Interaction beneath Western US Figure. Slices through the DNA09-P velocity model. See text for description.
<p>
Using the Earthscope Transportable Array, Flexible Arrays in Cascadia, and regional seismic networks, we have constructed 3D P- and S-velocity models for the mantle structure beneath the western US. The DNA09-P and –S models use teleseismic body-wave traveltime measurements that have been cross-correlated at a range of frequencies for relative arrival times and them inverted for velocity structure using finite-frequency sensitivity kernels. The independent P- and S-velocity models show good agreement in the structures imaged. The figure illustrates some of the more interesting features in the region. Panel (a) maps the structures at 200 km depth and clearly shows the subducting Juan de Fuca slab high velocity anomaly (JdF) and the Yellowstone-Snake River Plain low-velocity anomaly (YS). The three west-to-east cross-sections illustrate the variable nature of the subducting slab. At its southern end (C-C’) the slab anomaly is strong, but at the latitude of Oregon it becomes weaker and shallower. Further east a strong low-velocity anomaly is imaged beneath Yellowstone that can be tracked from the Caldera to the base of model resolution at ~1000km depth. This is interpreted as the Yellowstone plume responsible for the hotspot rack at the surface. Panel (e) shows a 3D view of the subducting slab (JdF) and the low-velocity Yellowstone anomaly. The DNA models are avail- able at http://dna.berkeley.edu.
</p><p>References
</p><p>Obrebski, M., R.M. Allen, M. Xue, S.-H. Hung, Slab-plume interaction beneath the Pacific Northwest, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, doi:10.1029/2010GL043489, 2010.
</p><p>Acknowledgements: This work was funded by NSF EAR-0745934 and EAR-0643077. The work was facilitated by the IRIS-PASSCAL program through the loan of seismic equipment, USArray for providing data and the IRIS-DMS for delivering it.</p>

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  • Title: Plume-Slab Interaction beneath Western US
  • Description: Plume-Slab Interaction beneath Western US Figure. Slices through the DNA09-P velocity model. See text for description.
    <p>
    Using the Earthscope Transportable Array, Flexible Arrays in Cascadia, and regional seismic networks, we have constructed 3D P- and S-velocity models for the mantle structure beneath the western US. The DNA09-P and –S models use teleseismic body-wave traveltime measurements that have been cross-correlated at a range of frequencies for relative arrival times and them inverted for velocity structure using finite-frequency sensitivity kernels. The independent P- and S-velocity models show good agreement in the structures imaged. The figure illustrates some of the more interesting features in the region. Panel (a) maps the structures at 200 km depth and clearly shows the subducting Juan de Fuca slab high velocity anomaly (JdF) and the Yellowstone-Snake River Plain low-velocity anomaly (YS). The three west-to-east cross-sections illustrate the variable nature of the subducting slab. At its southern end (C-C’) the slab anomaly is strong, but at the latitude of Oregon it becomes weaker and shallower. Further east a strong low-velocity anomaly is imaged beneath Yellowstone that can be tracked from the Caldera to the base of model resolution at ~1000km depth. This is interpreted as the Yellowstone plume responsible for the hotspot rack at the surface. Panel (e) shows a 3D view of the subducting slab (JdF) and the low-velocity Yellowstone anomaly. The DNA models are avail- able at http://dna.berkeley.edu.
    </p><p>References
    </p><p>Obrebski, M., R.M. Allen, M. Xue, S.-H. Hung, Slab-plume interaction beneath the Pacific Northwest, Geophys. Res. Lett., 37, doi:10.1029/2010GL043489, 2010.
    </p><p>Acknowledgements: This work was funded by NSF EAR-0745934 and EAR-0643077. The work was facilitated by the IRIS-PASSCAL program through the loan of seismic equipment, USArray for providing data and the IRIS-DMS for delivering it.</p>
  • File name: DNA09fig.jpg
  • Owner: Rick Callender
  • Dimensions: 2174 x 1353 px

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