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Mapping the Moho beneath the Southern Alps continent‐continent collision, New Zealand, using wide‐angle reflections
Author(s) -
Henrys S. A.,
Woodward D. J.,
Okaya D.,
Yu J.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2004gl020561
Subject(s) - geology , bouguer anomaly , seismology , crust , submarine pipeline , moho , collision zone , collision , gravity anomaly , tectonics , subduction , geophysics , paleontology , fungi imperfecti , geotechnical engineering , computer security , oil field , computer science , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
A wide‐angle stack using all onshore‐offshore, and onshore seismic data from the SIGHT'96 experiment provides a direct three‐dimensional (3‐D) image of the Moho below the continental collision zone through the South Island of New Zealand. A bright reflector sequence (up to 4 s thick), the base of which coincides with the PmP modeled Moho, extends throughout most of the lower crust and bends downward asymmetrically beneath the Southern Alps. The crustal root reaches a maximum depth at ∼15 s (45 km), beneath the regional (−80 mGal) Bouguer gravity low and is flanked east and west by shallower Moho where the average crustal thickness is ∼20 km. The 3‐D structure of the crustal root in the central South island is moderately well resolved by the SIGHT'96 experiment.