← Back to Gallery

Upper Mantle Velocity Structure Beneath the Galapagos Archipelagos From the Analysis of Pn Wave Recorded by Broadband Seismic Instruments and Mermaids

Over the past two decades, global scale seismic velocity models have improved thanks to increased seismic station density and advancements in high-performance computing infrastructure and algorithms. However, the oceanic domain, accounting for 3/4 of the earth’s surface, shows lower resolution in comparison to the continental domain. The deployment of Mobile Earthquake Recorder in Marine Areas by Independent Divers (MERMAIDs) around the Galapagos in 2014 and in the South Pacific in 2018-2019 demonstrated the potential of this new generation of data acquisition in the Ocean and their ability to generate reliable seismic data. To map the extension of the Galapagos mantle plume beneath the oceanic crust, we merged data from eight MERMAIDs and broadband seismic stations. This improved the resolution of the seismic velocity model and expanded data coverage throughout the ocean domain. We use travel times of refracted waves Moho from regional shallow events (<40 km) with epicentral distance between 2^o and 16^oand Mw>5.5 to image the 3-D uppermost mantle velocity structure. This contribution will highlight the new Pn velocity anomalies maps and compare them with recent models like the Regional Seismic Travel Time model. We will discuss the potential and limitations of our approach, specifically in regards to data selection and modeling. Additionally, we will discuss geodynamic implication associated with the Galapagos mantle plume and its interaction with the spreading ridge.

Session: Seismology in the Oceans: Pacific Hemisphere and Beyond [Poster Session]

Type: Poster

Room: Exhibit Hall

Date: 5/2/2024

Presentation Time: 08:00 AM (local time)

Presenting Author: Walid Ben Mansour

Student Presenter: No

Additional Authors