Using of seismic data to build three-dimensional models of the crust and upper mantle: An example from the Yilgarn Craton, Australia  

Authors / CoAuthors

Goleby, B.R. | Blewett, R.S. | Fomin, T. | Fishwick, S. | Reading, A.M. | Drummond, B.J. | Kennett, B.L.N. | Champion, D.C. | Henson, P.A.

Abstract

One's understanding of the crustal architecture of Australia's Archaean Yilgarn Craton has increased greatly over the last few years with the collection a range of different seismic data types. The seismic data collected range from broadband seismic studies using distant earthquakes to study lithospheric scale problems, receiver function studies to obtain crustal velocity variations, deep seismic reflection transects to image province to mine scale studies on specific structural problems within the top few kilometres of the crust. At the craton scale, broadband deployments, recording P-wave, S-wave and surface wave variations, have been used to develop 3D velocity models of the craton. These velocity models allow researchers and the Yilgarn Craton mineral industry to understand the larger picture variations within the craton. An interesting feature of the data, easily identified in 3D, is the presence of a fast S-wave velocity anomaly (> 4.8 km.s-1) within the upper mantle. This anomaly is east-dipping and has a series of step-down offsets that coincide approximately with terrain boundaries. Receiver function results show significant variation in crustal and upper mantle velocities across the craton. The receiver function results for the depth to the Moho are consistent with the deep seismic reflection data; both show an increase in depth to the east. Refraction results have provided the framework for the construction of a 3D crustal architecture of the Eastern Yilgarn Craton that suggests the dominant geodynamic process involved the development of a foreland basin with its associated contractional folding and thrusting events. This contractional event were separated by equally important extension events, with the seismic reflection data suggesting that extensional movement on shear zones was more common that previously thought. The seismic reflection suggests that the dominant mineral systems operating involved fluid flow up along crustal-penetrating shear zones. These seismic data have proved invaluable in constraining the crustal geometry of the Yilgarn Craton and in developing three-dimensional models of the crust and upper mantle of the Yilgarn Craton, Australia. In all these data sets, ANSIR, the Australian National Seismic Imaging Facility, is acknowledged for its part in the provision of equipment and expertise and in the data collection phases of the work

Product Type

nonGeographicDataset

eCat Id

63454

Contact for the resource

Keywords

• External PublicationScientific Journal Paper

( Theme )

• seismology

( Theme )

• seismics

• AU-WA

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

• Earth Sciences

• Published_Internal

Publication Date

2005-01-01T00:00:00

Creation Date

Security Constraints

Australian Government Security ClassificationSystem    

Classification - unclassified

Legal Constraints

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence    

Access - restricted

Use - license

Status

Purpose

Maintenance Information

unknown

Topic Category

geoscientificInformation

Series Information

Lineage

Unknown

Parent Information

Extents

[-36.0, -24.0, 114.0, 126.0]

Reference System

Spatial Resolution

Service Information

Associations

Downloads and Links

Source Information

Source data not available.