2015
DOI: 10.1002/2014jb011802
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Sharp mantle transition from cratons to Cordillera in southwestern Canada

Abstract: The Western Canada Sedimentary Basin marks the transition from the old North American continental lithosphere to young accreted terranes. Earlier studies in this region have suggested a large number of intricate basement domains as well as major seismic velocity gradients in the mantle. To investigate the effect of the accretion and subduction on the mantle structure beneath the western margin of the North American Craton, we analyze P-to-S converted waves from upper mantle discontinuities from the Canadian Ro… Show more

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Cited by 20 publications
(16 citation statements)
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References 105 publications
(234 reference statements)
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“…The establishment of the Canadian Rockies and Alberta Network (CRANE) [ Gu et al , ], which began in mid‐2006, spearheaded the development of regional seismic monitoring [ Gu et al , ; Stern et al , ] and analysis [ Gu , ; Gu and Shen , ; Schultz et al , ; Gu and Shen , ; Gu et al , ] in Alberta. With an average station spacing of ~250 km, CRANE provides semi‐uniform broadband data coverage necessary for a preliminary 3‐D survey of its underlying crust and mantle in central Alberta [ Gu et al , ; Gu and Shen , ; Gu et al , ]. In this study, we combine teleseismic data from CRANE and a Canadian National Seismic Network (CNSN) station to improve the constraints on the crustal structure of southern WCSB.…”
Section: Geophysical Investigations In the Study Regionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The establishment of the Canadian Rockies and Alberta Network (CRANE) [ Gu et al , ], which began in mid‐2006, spearheaded the development of regional seismic monitoring [ Gu et al , ; Stern et al , ] and analysis [ Gu , ; Gu and Shen , ; Schultz et al , ; Gu and Shen , ; Gu et al , ] in Alberta. With an average station spacing of ~250 km, CRANE provides semi‐uniform broadband data coverage necessary for a preliminary 3‐D survey of its underlying crust and mantle in central Alberta [ Gu et al , ; Gu and Shen , ; Gu et al , ]. In this study, we combine teleseismic data from CRANE and a Canadian National Seismic Network (CNSN) station to improve the constraints on the crustal structure of southern WCSB.…”
Section: Geophysical Investigations In the Study Regionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The lithosphere beneath the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) and northern Montana contains vital records of the Precambrian tectonic development of western Laurentia (Hoffman, ; Ross et al, ). While much of the basement is inaccessible to direct geological sampling due to extensive Phanerozoic sedimentation (e.g., Ross et al, ; Villeneuve et al, ), especially in southern Alberta and northern Montana near the Rocky mountain foredeep, geological (Hoffman, , ; O'Neill & Lopez, ; Pana, ; Sims et al, ; Sims et al, ), potential field (Boerner et al, ; Nieuwenhuis et al, ), geochemical (Aulbach et al, ; Buhlmann et al, ; Burwash et al, ; Chacko et al, ; Davis et al, ; Mueller & Frost, ; Ross et al, ; Villeneuve et al, ), and seismological (Bouzidi et al, ; Chen et al, ; Chen et al, ; Clowes et al, ; Eaton & Cassidy, ; Gu et al, , ; Gu & Shen, ; Ross et al, ; Schulte‐Pelkum et al, ) observations have provided compelling evidence for an intricate regional tectonic framework consisting of more than 20 Precambrian domains (Ross et al, ) and ancient bedrocks dating as far back as ~3.4 Ga (Mueller & Frost, ; Sims et al, ). Precambrian events in this region are highlighted by three proposed tectonic discontinuities, the east‐northeast trending Snowbird Tectonic Zone (STZ) across central Alberta, Vulcan Structure (VS) in southern Alberta, and Great Falls Tectonic Zone (GFTZ) in northern Montana (Figure a).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Following the overwhelming success of the LITHOPROBE (Clowes et al, ; Ross, ) project, regional broadband seismic arrays such as USArray, Canadian Rockies and Alberta Network (CRANE, since 2006; Gu et al, ), Regional Alberta Observatory for Earthquake Studies Network (RAVEN, since 2012; Schultz & Stern, ), and TransAlta Dam Monitoring Network (TD; since 2012) opened a new chapter in the investigation of crustal and mantle seismic structures near the western boundary of the North American craton. A series of recent studies (e.g., Bao & Eaton, ; Bao et al, ; Chen et al, , ; Gilbert, ; Gu et al, ; Gu & Shen, ; Kao et al, ; Schulte‐Pelkum et al, ) are testaments to renewed scientific interests in verifying, validating, and improving the existing theories of regional tectonics beneath western Laurentia. In the spirit of the aforementioned efforts, the overarching goal of this study is to place the latest broadband seismic observations, as well as existing geological and geophysical constraints, within a self‐consistent regional tectonic framework of western Laurentia.…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…During the past 10 years, the central‐southern WCSB has witnessed a period of rapid expansion of broadband seismic networks, which opens a new chapter for the seismic imaging of the WCSB. Recent studies based on passive source data from these newly deployed arrays have unraveled complex evolution history of mantle lithosphere beneath the Precambrian crustal domains (Bao & Eaton, ; Bao et al, ; Chen et al, , ; Gu & Shen, ; Gu et al, , ). The improved structural knowledge from these earlier works and the proliferation (10+ years) of seismic data laid a solid foundation for more accurate, higher‐resolution imaging of this region.…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%