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
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