A New Shear-Velocity Model of Continental Australia Based on Multi-Scale Surface-Wave Tomography

The Australian Seismological Reference Model (AuSREM) represents a state-of-the-art geophysical synthesis of the Australian continent. To date, its shear-wave component has limited resolution at lower-crustal to uppermost-mantle depths, where it is mainly constrained by sparse measurements collected at the local scale. In this study, we compile a large data set of surface-wave phase velocities based on seismic ambient noise and teleseismic earthquakes, to produce Rayleigh and Love phase-velocity maps of continental Australia in a broad period range (4-200 s). Via transdimensional Bayesian inversion, we translate the phase-velocity maps into a 3-D shear-wave velocity model extending to 300 km depth. Owing to the unprecedented seismic coverage and to the joint use of ambient-noise and teleseismic data, the retrieved model fills a tomographic gap in the known shear-wave velocity structure of the continent, comprising lower-crustal to uppermost mantle depths. Consistent with AuSREM, strong velocity heterogeneities in our model highlight the (faster) cratonic blocks and the (slower) sedimentary basins at upper-crustal depths. At mantle depths, the most prominent feature of the continent is a large-scale eastward decrease in shear-wave velocity. We interpret our observations in light of the relevant literature, and produce depth maps of the Moho and lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB). Notably, our LAB proxy features a stripe of thicker lithosphere extending to the east coast, which is not visible in the AuSREM LAB model. This observation supports the idea that lateral variations in lithospheric thickness control both the composition and volume of surface volcanism in eastern Australia.

Automated summary

In this study, we use seismic ambient noise and teleseismic earthquakes to compile a large dataset of surface-wave phase velocities and generate 3-D shear-wave velocity models of the Australian continent. Our model fills a gap in the known shear-wave velocity structure, showing strong heterogeneity in the upper crust and a large-scale decrease in shear-wave velocity in the mantle. We also observe a stripe of thicker lithosphere extending to the east coast, supporting the idea of lateral variations in lithospheric thickness controlling surface volcanism in eastern Australia.