Lithospheric Thinning Beneath Rifted Regions of Southern California

摘要: The stretching and break-up of tectonic plates by rifting control the evolution continents oceans, but processes which lithosphere deforms accommodates strain during remain enigmatic. Using scattering teleseismic shear waves beneath rifted zones adjacent areas in Southern California, we resolve lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary lithospheric thickness variations to directly constrain this deformation. Substantial laterally abrupt thinning regions suggests efficient localization. In Salton Trough, either mantle has experienced more than crust, or large volumes new have been created. Lack a systematic offset between surface deep deformation rules out simple along throughgoing unidirectional shallow-dipping zones, is consistent with symmetric extension lithosphere.