Name
Lithospheric Modification Beneath the Wyoming Craton Revealed by 3-D Anisotropic Surface Wave Tomography
Date & Time
Monday, May 25, 2026, 11:15 AM - 11:30 AM
Description
The Wyoming craton has experienced a complex tectonic history involving Archean assembly, Proterozoic suturing, flat-slab subduction, Laramide orogeny, and interaction with the Yellowstone hotspot. Whether these processes have led to widespread modification of the cratonic lithospheric root remains debated. Here, we investigate the present-day lithospheric structure of the Wyoming craton using a recent high-resolution 3-D anisotropic surface wave tomography model derived from both Rayleigh and Love waves.
The model reveals strong lateral heterogeneity in isotropic velocities and radial anisotropy. Persistent low-velocity anomalies characterize the Yellowstone hotspot and the Cheyenne Belt across all periods. In contrast, the northern craton (Montana) exhibits fast velocities at periods <70 s but slower velocities at longer periods, consistent with a shallower lithosphere. Beneath central Wyoming, a NE–SW-trending fast anomaly extends to depths >200 km in the VSV model but is largely absent in long-period Love wave images. The associated VSV > VSH signature suggests mantle downwelling beneath south-central Wyoming, while slow, radially anisotropic regions beneath the hotspot, Cheyenne Belt, and northeastern craton indicate mantle upwelling.
The overall velocity and anisotropy patterns are consistent with vigorous small-scale mantle convection beneath the Wyoming craton, implying ongoing lithospheric modification. Strong positive radial anisotropy (~5-6%; VSH > VSV) above ~100 km transitions to largely isotropic lithosphere below ~120 km, potentially contributing to the mid-lithosphere discontinuity. A fast lid above ~100 km and a pronounced velocity reduction between ~115–190 km indicates a lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary near ~150 km, suggesting distinct origins for the MLD and LAB.
Location Name
Marion McCain - Ondaatje Hall *
Full Address
Dalhousie University
Halifax NS
Canada
Halifax NS
Canada
Session Type
Oral Presentation
Abstract ID
388
Speaker Organization
Natural Resources Canada
Session Name
S1
Co-authors
Dr. Aibing Li - University of Houston
Dr. Zhongmin Tao - Walmart Global Tech
Presenting Author
Riddhi Dave