Crustal thicknesses in Uruguay from joint inversion of receiver functions and surface wave dispersion

Abstract

The development of a seismic network in Uruguay in recent years has enabled studies of crustal structure in a region with few seismological studies of this type. In this work, we update the crustal thicknesses and Vp/Vs ratios calculated by H-k stack and present S-wave velocity models based on joint inversion of receiver functions and Rayleigh wave group velocity dispersion curves.

Some interesting results are the presence of a lower crust with a high S-wave velocity of 4.1 km/s below one of the stations located on the Río de la Plata Craton and the existence of a transitional Moho in Uruguay's northernmost station on the Paraná Basin, perhaps suggesting the presence of localized underplated material. A relatively thick crust, 41.8 km, compared to surrounding stations, was found beneath the Sierra Ballena Shear Zone in the Dom Feliciano Belt. We confirm the decrease in crustal thickness when approaching the oceanic coast, reaching a Moho depth of 36.3 km in SE Uruguay. Finally, the calculated Poisson's ratio allows inferring a crust of felsic to intermediate composition beneath most of Uruguay.