Upper mantle structure below the European continent: Constraints from surface‐wave tomography and GRACE satellite gravity data

Tondi, R.; Schivardi, R.; Molinari, Irene; Morelli, A.

doi:10.1029/2012jb009149

Cited by 14 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 83 publications

(142 reference statements)

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“…Shear velocity models have been previously obtained for the crust and upper mantle of Europe and the Mediterranean region by body wave tomography [e.g., Schmid et al ., ], surface wave tomography [e.g., Peter et al ., ; Boschi et al ., ; Schivardi and Morelli , ], adjoint inversion applied to surface waves, and body wave data [ Legendre et al ., ; Zhu et al ., ] as well as surface waves and gravity data [ Tondi et al ., ]. As these models cover large areas and use relatively widely spaced seismograph stations, they have low lateral resolution.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Finite‐frequency Rayleigh wave tomography of the western Mediterranean: Mapping its lithospheric structure

Palomeras

Thurner

Levander

et al. 2014

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

105

148

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[1] We present a 3-D shear wave velocity model for the crust and upper mantle of the western Mediterranean from Rayleigh wave tomography. We analyzed the fundamental mode in the 20-167 s period band (6.0-50.0 mHz) from earthquakes recorded by a number of temporary and permanent seismograph arrays. Using the two-plane wave method, we obtained phase velocity dispersion curves that were inverted for an isotropic Vs model that extends from the southern Iberian Massif, across the Gibraltar Arc and the Atlas mountains to the Saharan Craton. The area of the western Mediterranean that we have studied has been the site of complex subduction, slab rollback, and simultaneous compression and extension during African-European convergence since the Oligocene. The shear velocity model shows high velocities beneath the Rif from 65 km depth and beneath the Granada Basin from 70 km depth that extend beneath the Alboran Domain to more than 250 km depth, which we interpret as a near-vertical slab dangling from beneath the western Alboran Sea. The slab appears to be attached to the crust beneath the Rif and possibly beneath the Granada Basin and Sierra Nevada where low shear velocities (3.8 km/s) are mapped to >55 km depth. The attached slab is pulling down the Gibraltar Arc crust, thickening it, and removing the continental margin lithospheric mantle beneath both Iberia and Morocco as it descends into the deeper mantle. Thin lithosphere is indicated by very low upper mantle velocities beneath the Alboran Sea, above and east of the dangling slab and beneath the Cenozoic volcanics.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Finite‐frequency Rayleigh wave tomography of the western Mediterranean: Mapping its lithospheric structure

Palomeras

Thurner

Levander

et al. 2014

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

105

148

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Many geophysical studies using joint inversion of gravity and seismological data by assuming a depth‐dependent linear velocity‐density relationship have provided reliable and valuable results about crustal and mantle structures [e.g., Lees and VanDecar , ; Zeyen and Achauer , ; Vernant et al ., ; Tondi and de Franco , ; Tiberi et al ., ; Tiberi et al ., ; Vermeesch et al ., ; Maceira and Ammon , ; Tondi et al ., ; Basuyau et al ., ; Simmons et al ., ; O'Donnell et al ., ; Basuyau and Tiberi , ; Tondi et al ., ]. Thus, using the DNA10‐S model (Dynamic North America Models of S Waves) by Obrebski et al .…”

Section: Inversion Of the Residual Geoid Anomalymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…[49] Many geophysical studies using joint inversion of gravity and seismological data by assuming a depth-dependent linear velocity-density relationship have provided reliable and valuable results about crustal and mantle structures [e.g., Lees and VanDecar, 1991;Zeyen and Achauer, 1997;Vernant et al, 2002;Tondi and de Franco, 2003;Tiberi et al, 2003;Tiberi et al, 2008;Vermeesch et al, 2009;Maceira and Ammon, 2009;Tondi et al, 2009;Basuyau et al, 2010;Simmons et al, 2010;O'Donnell et al, 2011;Basuyau and Tiberi, 2011;Tondi et al, 2012]. Thus, using the DNA10-S model (Dynamic North America Models of S Waves) by Obrebski et al [2011] and the NWUS11-S (Northwestern United States Teleseismic Tomography of S Waves) by James et al [2011], we have estimated a starting density model from equation (20) to improve the solution from the inversion of the residual geoid anomalies.…”

Section: Inversion With Seismological a Priori Informationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, density models from geoid anomalies inversion may help to decrease the ambiguity in interpreting the seismic models. Using gravity and surface wave velocity in a joint inversion scheme, where a 3-D density-velocity coupling was used, Tondi et al [2012] through a checkerboard test demonstrated that a combined output model has superior lateral and vertical resolutions when it is compared with an output model that only uses velocity data. The 3-D images derived from the velocity-density coupling revealed unprecedented information about the compositional and thermal anomalous structures beneath the European plate.…”

Section: The 3-d Inversion Algorithm and The Importance Of The Geoidmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Modeling 3‐D density distribution in the mantle from inversion of geoid anomalies: Application to the Yellowstone Province

Chaves

Ussami

2013

JGR Solid Earth

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[1] We developed a three-dimensional scheme to invert geoid anomalies aiming to map density variations in the mantle. Using an ellipsoidal-Earth approximation, the model space is represented by tesseroids. To assess the quality of the density models, the resolution and covariance matrices were computed. From a synthetic geoid anomaly caused by a plume tail with Gaussian noise added, the inversion code was able to recover a plausible solution about the density contrast and geometry when it is compared to the synthetic model. To test the inversion algorithm in a natural case study, geoid anomalies from the Yellowstone Province (YP) were inverted. From the Earth Gravitational Model 2008 expanded up to degree 2160, lower crust-and mantle-related negative geoid anomalies with amplitude of approximately 70 m were obtained after removing long-wavelength components (>5400 km) and crustal effects. We estimated three density models for the YP. The first model, the EDM-1 (estimated density model), uses a starting model with density contrast equal to 0. The other two models, the EDM-2 and EDM-3, use an initial density derived from two S-velocity models for the western United States, the Dynamic North America Models of S Waves by Obrebsky et al. (2011) and the Northwestern United States Teleseismic Tomography of S Waves (NWUS11-S) by James et al. (2011). In these three models, a lower and an upper bound for the density solution was also imposed as a priori information. Regardless of the initial constraints, the inversion of the residual geoid indicates that the lower crust and the upper mantle of the YP have a predominantly negative density contrast (~À50 kg/m 3 ) relative to the surrounding mantle. This solution reveals that the density contrast extends at least to 660 km depth. Regional correlation analysis between the EDM-1 and NWUS11-S indicates an anticorrelation (coefficient of~À0.7) at 400 km depth. Our study suggests that the mantle density derived from the inversion of geoid could be integrated with seismic velocity models to image mantle anomalous features beyond the depth limit of investigation achieved combining gravity and seismic tomography.

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“…To constrain the crustal thermal and compositional state it is necessary to compile its physical properties. Correcting for the effects of the crust is also crucial in studies targeting the seismic and density structure of the mantle [e.g., Ritsema et al, 2009;Tondi et al, 2012].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of chemical composition, water and temperature on physical properties of continental crust

Guerri

Cammarano

Connolly

2015

Geochem Geophys Geosyst

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We explore the influence of major elements chemistry and H 2 O-content on the density and seismic velocity of crustal rocks by computing stable and metastable crustal mineralogy and elastic properties as a function of pressure and temperature (P-T). Proposed average compositions of continental crust result in significantly different properties, for example a difference in computed density of $ 4 % is obtained at a given P-T. Phase transformations affect crustal properties at the point that crustal seismic discontinuities can be explained with mineral reactions rather than chemical stratification. H 2 O, even if introduced in small amount in the chemical system, has an effect on physical properties comparable to that attributed to variations in major elements composition. Thermodynamical relationships between physical properties differ significantly from commonly used empirical relationships. Density models obtained by inverting CRUST 1.0 compressional wave velocity are different from CRUST 1.0 density and translate into variations in isostatic topography and gravitational field that ranges 6600 m and 6150 mGal respectively. Inferred temperatures are higher than reference geotherms in the upper crust and in the deeper portions of thick orogenic crust, consistently with presence of metastable rocks. Our results highlight interconnections/dependencies among chemistry, pressure, temperature, seismic velocities and density that need to be addressed to better understand the crustal thermo-chemical state.

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Upper mantle structure below the European continent: Constraints from surface‐wave tomography and GRACE satellite gravity data

Cited by 14 publications

References 83 publications

Finite‐frequency Rayleigh wave tomography of the western Mediterranean: Mapping its lithospheric structure

Finite‐frequency Rayleigh wave tomography of the western Mediterranean: Mapping its lithospheric structure

Modeling 3‐D density distribution in the mantle from inversion of geoid anomalies: Application to the Yellowstone Province

Effects of chemical composition, water and temperature on physical properties of continental crust

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