Regional mapping of the crustal structure in southern California from receiver functions

Abstract

Lateral variations of the crustal structure in southern California are determined from receiver function (RF) studies using data from the Southern California Seismic Network broadband stations and Los Angeles Regional Seismic Experiment surveys. The results include crustal thickness estimates at the stations themselves, and where possible, cross sections are drawn. The large‐scale Moho depth variation pattern generally correlates well with the current status of the Mesozoic batholith: Deep Moho of 35–39 km is observed beneath the western Peninsula Ranges, Sierra Nevada, and San Bernardino Mountains, where the batholith is relatively intact, and shallow Moho of 26–32 km is observed in the Mojave Desert, where the batholith is highly deformed and disrupted. High‐resolution lateral variations of the crustal structure for individual geographic provinces are investigated, and distinctive features are identified. The crustal structure is strongly heterogeneous beneath the central Transverse Ranges, and deep Moho of 36–39 km is locally observed beneath several station groups in the western San Gabriel Mountains. Moho is relatively flat and smooth beneath the western Mojave Desert but gets shallower and complicated to the east. Anomalous RFs are observed at two stations in the eastern Mojave Desert, where a Moho step of ∼8–10 km is found between the NW and SE back‐azimuthal groups of station DAN in the Fenner Valley. Asymmetric extension of the Salton Trough is inferred from the Moho geometry. Depth extension of several major faults, such as the San Andreas Fault and San Gabriel Fault, to the Moho is inferred.