P-to-S and S-to-P imaging of a sharp lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary beneath eastern North America

Abstract

S-to-P (Sp) scattered energy independently confirms the existence of a seismic velocity discontinuity at the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary that was previously imaged using P-to-S (Ps) scattered energy in eastern North America. Exploration of the different sensitivities of Ps and Sp scattered energy suggests that the phases contain independent yet complementary high-resolution information regarding velocity contrasts. Combined inversions of Ps and Sp energy have the potential to tightly constrain associated velocity gradients. In eastern North America, inversions of Sp and Ps data require a strong, 5-10% velocity contrast that is also sharp, occurring over less than 11 km at 87-105 km depth. Thermal gradients alone are insufficient to create such a sharp boundary, and therefore another mechanism is required. A boundary in composition, hydration, or a change in anisotropic signature could easily produce a sufficiently localized velocity gradient. Taken separately, the magnitudes of the effects of these mechanisms are too small to match our observed velocity gradients. However, our observations may be explained by a boundary in hydration coupled with a boundary in depletion and/or anisotropy. Alternatively, a small amount of melt in the asthenosphere could explain the velocity gradient. The tight constraints on velocity gradients achieved by combined modeling of Ps and Sp energy offer promise for defining the character of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary globally. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.