Crust and upper mantle structure of a continental backarc: central North Island, New Zealand

SUMMARY Near vertical and wide‐angle seismic data provide evidence for a gradational crust–mantle boundary in a depth range of 15–20 km beneath the Central Volcanic Region (CVR), New Zealand. This volcanic area includes the Taupo Volcanic Zone and is a direct extension of Tonga‐Kermadec oceanic backarc spreading into continental lithosphere. Long‐range seismic refraction data show velocities of 6 km s −1 and less within the top 15 km of the crust of the CVR. At a depth of 15 km compressional seismic velocities increase to 6.8 km s −1 , and then to 7.4 ± 0.2 km s −1 at ∼20 km depth. These 7.4 km s −1 seismic wave speeds are interpreted as anomalous upper mantle as beneath this level passive seismic studies show similar Pn wave speeds that increase slowly to ∼7.8 km s −1 at about 80 km deep. We interpret rocks between 15 and 20 km to be a layer of new crust formed by underplating. The strongest reflection observed, and what might also be interpreted as a reflection Moho, is from the top of the proposed underplated layer at 15 km depth. At 20 km depth no such distinct reflection is observed. Rather, wide‐angle reflection data show a continuum of low‐level reflectivity between 15 and at least 35 km depth, indicating some heterogeneity and/or structure within the lower crust and upper mantle. Thus the transition from lower crust to upper mantle is broad, and a conventional reflection Moho does not exist beneath the CVR. Buoyancy force calculations based on rock uplift for the central North Island indicate that the subjacent mantle, to a depth of 80–100 km is ∼70 kg m −3 or 2 per cent less dense than normal mantle. Best estimates attribute half of this density anomaly to the effects of increased temperature with additional contributions from partial melt (∼1.2 per cent) and melt residuum.