Meghan S. Miller | The Australian National University (original) (raw)

Uploads

Papers by Meghan S. Miller

Keywords: lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary mantle upwelling receiver functions western Mediterr... more Keywords: lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary mantle upwelling receiver functions western Mediterranean The westernmost Mediterranean has developed into its present day tectonic configuration as a result of complex interactions between late stage subduction of the Neo-Tethys Ocean, continental collision of Africa and Eurasia, and the Canary Island mantle plume. This study utilizes S receiver functions (SRFs) from over 360 broadband seismic stations to seismically image the lithosphere and uppermost mantle from southern Spain through Morocco and the Canary Islands. The lithospheric thickness ranges from ∼65 km beneath the Atlas Mountains and the active volcanic islands to over ∼210 km beneath the cratonic lithosphere in southern Morocco. The common conversion point (CCP) volume of the SRFs indicates that thinned lithosphere extends from beneath the Canary Islands offshore southwestern Morocco, to beneath the continental lithosphere of the Atlas Mountains, and then thickens abruptly at the West African craton. Beneath thin lithosphere between the Canary hot spot and southern Spain, including below the Atlas Mountains and the Alboran Sea, there are distinct pockets of low velocity material, as inferred from high amplitude positive, sub-lithospheric conversions in the SRFs. These regions of low seismic velocity at the base of the lithosphere extend beneath the areas of Pliocene–Quaternary magmatism, which has been linked to a Canary hotspot source via geochemical signatures. However, we find that this volume of low velocity material is discontinuous along strike and occurs only in areas of recent volcanism and where asthenospheric mantle flow is identified with shear wave splitting analyses. We propose that the low velocity structure beneath the lithosphere is material flowing sub-horizontally northeastwards beneath Morocco from the tilted Canary Island plume, and the small, localized volcanoes are the result of small-scale upwellings from this material.

The Atlas Mountains of Morocco display high topography, no deep crustal root, and regions of loca... more The Atlas Mountains of Morocco display high topography, no deep crustal root, and regions of localized Cenozoic alkaline volcanism. Previous seismic imaging and geophysical studies have implied a hot mantle upwelling as the source of the volcanism and high elevation. However, the existence, shape, and physical properties of an associated mantle anomaly are debated. Here we use seismic waveform analysis from a broadband deployment and geodynamic modeling to define the physical properties and morphology of the anomaly. The imaged low-velocity structure extends to ~200 km beneath the Atlas and appears ~350 K hotter than the ambient mantle with possible partial melting. It includes a lateral conduit, which suggests that the Quaternary volcanism arises from the upper mantle. Moreover, the shape and temperature of the imaged anomaly indicate that the unusually high topography of the Atlas Mountains is due to active mantle support.

The tectonic configuration of the Banda region in southeast Asia captures the spatial transition ... more The tectonic configuration of the Banda region in southeast Asia captures the spatial transition from subduction of Indian Ocean lithosphere to subduction and collision of the Australian continental lithosphere beneath the Banda Arc. An ongoing broadband seismic deployment funded by NSF is aimed at better understanding the mantle and lithospheric structure in the region and the relationship of the arc–continent collision to orogenesis. Here, we present results from ambient noise tomography in the region utilizing this temporary deployment of 30 broadband instruments and 39 permanent stations in Indonesia, Timor Leste, and Australia. We measure dispersion curves for over 21,000 inter-station paths resulting in good recovery of the velocity structure of the crust and upper mantle beneath the Savu Sea, Timor Leste, and the Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) region of Indonesia. The resulting three dimensional model indicates up to ∼25% variation in shear velocity throughout the plate boundary region; first-order velocity anomalies are associated with the subducting oceanic lithosphere, subducted Australian continental lithosphere, obducted oceanic sediments forming the core of the island of Timor, and high velocity anomalies in the Savu Sea and Sumba. The structure in Sumba and the Savu Sea is consistent with an uplifting forearc sliver. Beneath the island of Timor, we confirm earlier inferences of pervasive crustal duplexing from surface mapping, and establish a link to underlying structural features in the lowermost crust and uppermost mantle that drive upper crustal shortening. Finally, our images of the volcanic arc under Flores, Wetar, and Alor show high velocity structures of the Banda Terrane, but also a clear low velocity anomaly at the transition between subduction of oceanic and continental lithosphere. Given that the footprint of the Banda Terrane has previously been poorly defined, this model provides important constraints on tectonic reconstructions that formerly have lacked information on the lower crust and uppermost mantle.

Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2013

Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 2015

Topography above subduction zones arises from the isostatic contribution of crustal and lithosphe... more Topography above subduction zones arises from the isostatic contribution of crustal and lithospheric buoyancy, as well as the dynamic contribution from slab-driven mantle flow. We evaluate those effects in southwestern Mexico, where a segment of the Cocos slab subducts horizontally. The eastern part of the volcanic arc—the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt—stands at an average elevation of 2.3 km, nearly 1.3 km above the fore-arc. Lateral changes in bulk crustal density are relatively small, and seismic imaging shows that there is little variation in crustal thickness between these two regions. Thus, the elevation difference between the arc and the fore-arc should arise from differences in mantle properties. We present finite element models of flat-slab subduction that provide a simultaneous match to topography, plate velocities, and stress state in the overriding plate. We find that the dynamic effects are primarily controlled by the amount of coupling at the subduction interface and in the mantle wedge, the lack of slab anchoring into the lower mantle, and the absence of continental mantle lithosphere. With a mantle wedge and a subduction interface that are, respectively, 2 and 4 orders of magnitude weaker than the asthenosphere, the flat slab exerts a downward pull that can explain most of the elevation difference between the fore-arc and the arc. We infer that lateral viscosity variations play a significant role in shaping dynamic topography in complex tectonic settings and that sublithospheric dynamics can influence the topography at wavelengths that are significantly shorter than previously recognized.

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

D″ represents one of the most dramatic thermal and compositional layers within our planet. In par... more D″ represents one of the most dramatic thermal and compositional layers within our planet. In particular, global tomographic models display relatively fast patches at the base of the mantle along the circum-Pacific which are generally attributed to slab debris. Such distinct patches interact with the bridgmanite (Br) to post-bridgmanite (PBr) phase boundary to generate particularly strong heterogeneity at their edges. Most seismic observations for the D″ come from the lower mantle S wave triplication (Scd). Here we exploit the USArray waveform data to examine one of these sharp transitions in structure beneath Alaska. From west to east beneath Alaska, we observed three different characteristics in D″: (1) the western region with a strong Scd, requiring a sharp δVs = 2.5% increase; (2) the middle region with no clear Scd phases, indicating a lack of D″ (or thin Br-PBr layer); and (3) the eastern region with strong Scd phase, requiring a gradient increase in δVs. To explain such strong lateral variation in the velocity structure, chemical variations must be involved. We suggest that the western region represents relatively normal mantle. In contrast, the eastern region is influenced by a relic slab that has subducted down to the lowermost mantle. In the middle region, we infer an upwelling structure that disrupts the Br-PBr phase boundary. Such an interpretation is based upon a distinct pattern of travel time delays, waveform distortions, and amplitude patterns that reveal a circular-shaped anomaly about 5° across which can be modeled synthetically as a plume-like structure rising about 400 km high with a shear velocity reduction of ~5%, similar to geodynamic modeling predictions of upwellings.

Eastern Indonesia is one of the least well-understood geological domains on Earth, yet the region... more Eastern Indonesia is one of the least well-understood geological domains on Earth, yet the region is one of the few places which is currently undergoing arc-continent collision. The Banda arc seismic experiment was designed to unravel some of the complex dynamics of convergent tectonics. This passive source experiment is composed of 30 broadband instruments that extend across the Nusa Tenggara Timur region of Indonesia and across Timor-Leste. This along-strike deployment allows for seismic imaging and assessment of the spatiotemporal evolution of the collision of oceanic to continental lithosphere of the Indo-Australian plate with the active volcanic arc. The experiment has been continuously recording broadband seismic data since early 2014 and will continue through the end of 2016, and the data will be archived at the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology Data Management Center under network code YS and will be available at the end of 2018.

Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2014

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 2013

Keywords: lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary mantle upwelling receiver functions western Mediterr... more Keywords: lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary mantle upwelling receiver functions western Mediterranean The westernmost Mediterranean has developed into its present day tectonic configuration as a result of complex interactions between late stage subduction of the Neo-Tethys Ocean, continental collision of Africa and Eurasia, and the Canary Island mantle plume. This study utilizes S receiver functions (SRFs) from over 360 broadband seismic stations to seismically image the lithosphere and uppermost mantle from southern Spain through Morocco and the Canary Islands. The lithospheric thickness ranges from ∼65 km beneath the Atlas Mountains and the active volcanic islands to over ∼210 km beneath the cratonic lithosphere in southern Morocco. The common conversion point (CCP) volume of the SRFs indicates that thinned lithosphere extends from beneath the Canary Islands offshore southwestern Morocco, to beneath the continental lithosphere of the Atlas Mountains, and then thickens abruptly at the West African craton. Beneath thin lithosphere between the Canary hot spot and southern Spain, including below the Atlas Mountains and the Alboran Sea, there are distinct pockets of low velocity material, as inferred from high amplitude positive, sub-lithospheric conversions in the SRFs. These regions of low seismic velocity at the base of the lithosphere extend beneath the areas of Pliocene–Quaternary magmatism, which has been linked to a Canary hotspot source via geochemical signatures. However, we find that this volume of low velocity material is discontinuous along strike and occurs only in areas of recent volcanism and where asthenospheric mantle flow is identified with shear wave splitting analyses. We propose that the low velocity structure beneath the lithosphere is material flowing sub-horizontally northeastwards beneath Morocco from the tilted Canary Island plume, and the small, localized volcanoes are the result of small-scale upwellings from this material.

The Atlas Mountains of Morocco display high topography, no deep crustal root, and regions of loca... more The Atlas Mountains of Morocco display high topography, no deep crustal root, and regions of localized Cenozoic alkaline volcanism. Previous seismic imaging and geophysical studies have implied a hot mantle upwelling as the source of the volcanism and high elevation. However, the existence, shape, and physical properties of an associated mantle anomaly are debated. Here we use seismic waveform analysis from a broadband deployment and geodynamic modeling to define the physical properties and morphology of the anomaly. The imaged low-velocity structure extends to ~200 km beneath the Atlas and appears ~350 K hotter than the ambient mantle with possible partial melting. It includes a lateral conduit, which suggests that the Quaternary volcanism arises from the upper mantle. Moreover, the shape and temperature of the imaged anomaly indicate that the unusually high topography of the Atlas Mountains is due to active mantle support.

The tectonic configuration of the Banda region in southeast Asia captures the spatial transition ... more The tectonic configuration of the Banda region in southeast Asia captures the spatial transition from subduction of Indian Ocean lithosphere to subduction and collision of the Australian continental lithosphere beneath the Banda Arc. An ongoing broadband seismic deployment funded by NSF is aimed at better understanding the mantle and lithospheric structure in the region and the relationship of the arc–continent collision to orogenesis. Here, we present results from ambient noise tomography in the region utilizing this temporary deployment of 30 broadband instruments and 39 permanent stations in Indonesia, Timor Leste, and Australia. We measure dispersion curves for over 21,000 inter-station paths resulting in good recovery of the velocity structure of the crust and upper mantle beneath the Savu Sea, Timor Leste, and the Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) region of Indonesia. The resulting three dimensional model indicates up to ∼25% variation in shear velocity throughout the plate boundary region; first-order velocity anomalies are associated with the subducting oceanic lithosphere, subducted Australian continental lithosphere, obducted oceanic sediments forming the core of the island of Timor, and high velocity anomalies in the Savu Sea and Sumba. The structure in Sumba and the Savu Sea is consistent with an uplifting forearc sliver. Beneath the island of Timor, we confirm earlier inferences of pervasive crustal duplexing from surface mapping, and establish a link to underlying structural features in the lowermost crust and uppermost mantle that drive upper crustal shortening. Finally, our images of the volcanic arc under Flores, Wetar, and Alor show high velocity structures of the Banda Terrane, but also a clear low velocity anomaly at the transition between subduction of oceanic and continental lithosphere. Given that the footprint of the Banda Terrane has previously been poorly defined, this model provides important constraints on tectonic reconstructions that formerly have lacked information on the lower crust and uppermost mantle.

Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2013

Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 2015

Topography above subduction zones arises from the isostatic contribution of crustal and lithosphe... more Topography above subduction zones arises from the isostatic contribution of crustal and lithospheric buoyancy, as well as the dynamic contribution from slab-driven mantle flow. We evaluate those effects in southwestern Mexico, where a segment of the Cocos slab subducts horizontally. The eastern part of the volcanic arc—the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt—stands at an average elevation of 2.3 km, nearly 1.3 km above the fore-arc. Lateral changes in bulk crustal density are relatively small, and seismic imaging shows that there is little variation in crustal thickness between these two regions. Thus, the elevation difference between the arc and the fore-arc should arise from differences in mantle properties. We present finite element models of flat-slab subduction that provide a simultaneous match to topography, plate velocities, and stress state in the overriding plate. We find that the dynamic effects are primarily controlled by the amount of coupling at the subduction interface and in the mantle wedge, the lack of slab anchoring into the lower mantle, and the absence of continental mantle lithosphere. With a mantle wedge and a subduction interface that are, respectively, 2 and 4 orders of magnitude weaker than the asthenosphere, the flat slab exerts a downward pull that can explain most of the elevation difference between the fore-arc and the arc. We infer that lateral viscosity variations play a significant role in shaping dynamic topography in complex tectonic settings and that sublithospheric dynamics can influence the topography at wavelengths that are significantly shorter than previously recognized.

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

D″ represents one of the most dramatic thermal and compositional layers within our planet. In par... more D″ represents one of the most dramatic thermal and compositional layers within our planet. In particular, global tomographic models display relatively fast patches at the base of the mantle along the circum-Pacific which are generally attributed to slab debris. Such distinct patches interact with the bridgmanite (Br) to post-bridgmanite (PBr) phase boundary to generate particularly strong heterogeneity at their edges. Most seismic observations for the D″ come from the lower mantle S wave triplication (Scd). Here we exploit the USArray waveform data to examine one of these sharp transitions in structure beneath Alaska. From west to east beneath Alaska, we observed three different characteristics in D″: (1) the western region with a strong Scd, requiring a sharp δVs = 2.5% increase; (2) the middle region with no clear Scd phases, indicating a lack of D″ (or thin Br-PBr layer); and (3) the eastern region with strong Scd phase, requiring a gradient increase in δVs. To explain such strong lateral variation in the velocity structure, chemical variations must be involved. We suggest that the western region represents relatively normal mantle. In contrast, the eastern region is influenced by a relic slab that has subducted down to the lowermost mantle. In the middle region, we infer an upwelling structure that disrupts the Br-PBr phase boundary. Such an interpretation is based upon a distinct pattern of travel time delays, waveform distortions, and amplitude patterns that reveal a circular-shaped anomaly about 5° across which can be modeled synthetically as a plume-like structure rising about 400 km high with a shear velocity reduction of ~5%, similar to geodynamic modeling predictions of upwellings.

Eastern Indonesia is one of the least well-understood geological domains on Earth, yet the region... more Eastern Indonesia is one of the least well-understood geological domains on Earth, yet the region is one of the few places which is currently undergoing arc-continent collision. The Banda arc seismic experiment was designed to unravel some of the complex dynamics of convergent tectonics. This passive source experiment is composed of 30 broadband instruments that extend across the Nusa Tenggara Timur region of Indonesia and across Timor-Leste. This along-strike deployment allows for seismic imaging and assessment of the spatiotemporal evolution of the collision of oceanic to continental lithosphere of the Indo-Australian plate with the active volcanic arc. The experiment has been continuously recording broadband seismic data since early 2014 and will continue through the end of 2016, and the data will be archived at the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology Data Management Center under network code YS and will be available at the end of 2018.

Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2014

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

Earth and Planetary Science Letters

Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 2013