Crust and Mantle Structure Beneath the Samoan Islands
Abstract
We used teleseismic receiver functions to map the seismic structure under the Samoan Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. We acquired seismograms for the permanent seismic station, AFI, and for five temporary stations located across the island chain from the Samoan Lithospheric Integrated Seismic Experiment (SLISE). We used multiple-taper correlation and Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms to calculate receiver functions for events with epicentral distance of 30° to 95° and examined the results in a frequency range of 1.0 - 5.0 Hz for crustal structure and 0.1 - 2.0 Hz for mantle structure. We identify complex crustal layering, including the interface between volcanic rocks and the ocean crust and a substantial underplated layer beneath the normal ocean crust. We find that the crust thins with decreasing age across the Samoan Islands and correlates with previous observations from gravity data (Workman, 2005). We additionally identify a velocity increase in the range of 50-100 km depth, potentially the Hales discontinuity. Deeper in the mantle, we observe transition zone thickness of 245-250 km across the island chain, which is within the margin of error for globally observed transition zone thickness. When migrated with IASP, transition zone discontinuity depths do appear deeper beneath the youngest island, indicating slower velocities and/or deeper discontinuity depths relative to the older islands in the system. We will provide improved constraints on transition zone discontinuity depths from ScS reverberations for all stations, and will place the crust and mantle results into a multi-disciplinary context, with comparisons to geochemical and surface observations. Workman, R., 2005. Geochemical characterization of endmember mantle components, Doctoral dissertation, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, http://dspace.mit/edu/handle/1721.1/33721.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013AGUFMDI41A2317B
- Keywords:
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- 3037 MARINE GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS Oceanic hotspots and intraplate volcanism;
- 7208 SEISMOLOGY Mantle;
- 7203 SEISMOLOGY Body waves;
- 7220 SEISMOLOGY Oceanic crust