Constraints on shear velocity in the cratonic upper mantle from R ayleigh wave phase velocity

Abstract Seismic models provide constraints on the thermal and chemical properties of the cratonic upper mantle. Depth profiles of shear velocity from global and regional studies contain positive velocity gradients in the uppermost mantle and often lack a low‐velocity zone, features that are difficult to reconcile with the temperature structures inferred from surface heat flow data and mantle‐xenolith thermobarometry. Furthermore, the magnitude and shape of the velocity profiles vary between different studies, impacting the inferences drawn about mantle temperature and composition. In this study, forward modeling is used to identify the suite of one‐dimensional shear‐velocity profiles that are consistent with phase‐velocity observations made for Rayleigh waves traversing Precambrian cratons. Two approaches to the generation of 1‐D models are considered. First, depth profiles of shear velocity are predicted from thermal models of the cratonic upper mantle that correspond to a range of assumed values of mantle potential temperature, surface heat flow, and radiogenic heat production in the lithosphere. Second, shear velocity‐depth profiles are randomly generated. In both cases, Rayleigh wave phase velocity is calculated from the Earth models, and acceptable models are identified on the basis of comparison to observed phase velocity. The results show that it is difficult but not impossible to find acceptable Earth models that contain a low‐velocity zone in the upper mantle and that temperature structures that are consistent with constraints from mantle xenoliths yield phase‐velocity predictions lower than observed. For most acceptable randomly generated Earth models, shear velocity merges with the global average at approximately 300 km.