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Benz & McCarthy 1994
Benz, H.M. and McCarthy, J. (1994). Evidence for an upper mantle low velocity zone beneath the southern Basin and Range-Colorado Plateau transition zone. Geophysical Research Letters 21: doi: 10.1029/93GL01660. issn: 0094-8276.

A 370-km-long seismic refraction/wide-angle reflection profile recorded during the Pacific to Arizona Crustal Experiment (PACE) detected an upper mantle P-wave low-velocity zone (LVZ) in the depth range 40 to 55 km beneath the Basin and Range in southern Arizona. Interpretation of seismic data places constraints on the sub-crustal lithosphere of the southern Basin and Range Province, which is important in light of the active tectonics of the region and the unknown role of the sub-crustal lithosphere in the development of the western United States. Forward travel time and synthetic seismogram techniques are used to model this shallow upper mantle LVZ. Modeling results show that the LVZ is defined by a 5% velocity decrease relative to a Pn velocity of 7.95 km s-1, suggesting either a ~3--5% mafic partial melt or high-temperature, sub-solidus peridotite.

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Abstract

Keywords
Seismology, Body waves, Seismology, Structure of the crust, Seismology, Structure of the lithosphere and upper mantle, Seismology, General or miscellaneous
Journal
Geophysical Research Letters
http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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