New constraints on the upper mantle structure of the Slave craton from Rayleigh wave inversion

Abstract

Rayleigh wave phase and amplitude data are analyzed to provide new insight into the velocity structure of the upper mantle beneath the Slave craton, in the northwestern Canadian Shield. We invert for phase velocities at periods between 20 s–142 s (with greatest sensitivity at depths of 28–200 km) using crossing ray paths from events recorded by the POLARIS broadband seismic network and the Yellowknife array. Phase velocities obtained for the Slave province are comparable to those from other cratons at shorter periods, but exceed the global average by ∼2% at periods above 60 s, suggesting that the Slave craton may be an end member in terms of its high degree of mantle depletion. The one‐dimensional inversion of phase velocities yields high upper‐mantleS‐wave velocities of 4.7 ± 0.2 km/s that persist to 220 ± 65 km depth and thus define the cratonic lithosphere. Azimuthal anisotropy is well resolved at all periods with a dominant fast direction of N59°E ± 20°, suggesting that upper mantle anisotropy beneath the Slave craton is influenced by both lithospheric fabric and sub‐lithospheric flow.