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Science 9 May 1980:
Vol. 208. no. 4444, pp. 595 - 597
DOI: 10.1126/science.208.4444.595
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Articles

Crustal Structure of the Northeastern United States: Contrasts Between Grenville and Appalachian Provinces

STEVEN R. TAYLOR 1, M. NAFI TOKSÖZ 1, and MICHAEL P. CHAPLIN 1

1 Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139

Average crustal models for the northeastern United States are computed on the basis of the travel times of P and S waves from regional earthquakes. The Precambrian Grenville Province in New York State has a relatively homogeneous crust. The Paleozoic New England Appalachians have a well-defined, two-layer crust that is slightly thicker and shows a high-velocity lower layer relative to the Grenville. A time-term analysis based on Pn data (waves refracted from the Moho) shows that a relatively thick or low-velocity crust parallels northeast-trending geologic structures in central New England. The observed differences between the two orogenic belts may reflect contrasts in their tectonic evolution.

Submitted on December 14, 1979
Revised on February 8, 1980


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Determination of Seismic Energy from Lg Waves.
(2000)
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 90, 483-493
Seismic velocities in the shallow crust of western New England and northern New York.
V. Levin, W.-Y. Kim, and W. Menke (1995)
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 85, 207-219
   Abstract »    PDF »
Crustal and upper mantle structure of the Appalachian-Caledonide orogen from seismic results.
F. A. Cook, D. H. Matthews, and A. W. B. Jacob (1988)
Geological Society, London, Special Publications 38, 21-33
   Abstract »    PDF »
Crustal structure at Regional Seismic Test Network stations determined from inversion of broadband teleseismic P waveforms.
T. J. OWENS, S. R. TAYLOR, and G. ZANDT (1987)
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 77, 631-662
   Abstract »    PDF »
Fault plane solutions for northeastern United States earthquakes.
J. J. PULLI and M. N. TOKSOZ (1981)
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 71, 1875-1882
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