Imaging 3-D electrical conductivity structure under US constrains lateral variations in the mantle water content

Abstract

Electrical conductivity variations provide unique constraints on chemistry, mineralogy, and physical structure of the crust and mantle. As a physical property, conductivity is highly sensitive to the presence of even small amounts of melt and water (i.e., hydrogen). Here, we present a new 3-D electrical conductivity model (MECMUS-2022) derived by inverting data from ~1300 USArray MT stations covering ∼80% of the contiguous United States on a quasi-regular 70-km grid. The use of a novel multi-scale imaging approach and locally refined meshes allows us to consistently incorporate a large range of spatial scales and image 3-D electrical conductivity distribution from the surface down to mantle transition zone. We find conductivity variations that correlate with known continental structures such as due to the active tectonic processes within the western United States (e.g., Yellowstone hotspot, Basin and Range extension, and subduction of the Juan de Fuca slab) as well as the presence of deep roots beneath cratons. We further interpret conductivity variations in terms of the upper mantle water content by coupling electrical conductivity with constrains on mantle thermo-chemical structure derived from the analysis of seismic data (in the form of P-to-s and S-to-p receiver functions). Further, we explore the links between electrical conductors and lithospheric controls on occurrence of critical mineral deposits.