Patterns in seismic anisotropy driven by rollback subduction beneath the High Lava Plains

Abstract

Received 24 March 2011; revised 25 May 2011; accepted 31 May 2011; published 8 July 2011. [1] We present three‐dimensional laboratory modeling of the evolution of finite strain and compare these to shear wave splitting observations in the Northwest U.S. under the High Lava Plains (HLP). We show that relationships between mantle flow and anisotropy are complicated in subduction zones and factors such as initial orientation of the olivine fast‐axis, style of subduction, and time evolving flow are important. Due to increased horizontal shear, systems with a component of rollback subduction have simple trench‐normal strain alignment within the central region of the backarc mantle wedge while those with more simple longitudinal sinking are often variable and complex. In the HLP, splitting observations are consistent with rollback‐driven laboratory results. Citation: Druken, K. A., M. D. Long, and C. Kincaid (2011), Patterns in seismic anisotropy driven by rollback subduction beneath the High Lava Plains, Geophys. Res. Lett., 38, L13310, doi:10.1029/2011GL047541.