High resolution seismic tomography model of the Slave craton for diamond exploration targeting

加拿大是钻石的主要生产国之一，钻石是该国的财富来源。钻石是在地表以下极深的地方（约150公里）形成的。因此，要知道在哪里可以找到钻石，就需要有能力描述地球的结构特征，即钻石在哪里形成并向上运输到地表。这个项目的目的是提供一个三维的地下地震速度模型，在加拿大西北部的一个广阔的地区，包括大陆的大而古老的部分，称为奴隶克拉通。这个三维模型将通过分析地震波从一个震源（即任何全球性地震）传播到一个接收器网络（地震仪站）的传播时间分布来获得。通过分析大量地震数据和使用大量台站，我们的研究将产生该地区三维地震速度结构的高分辨率模型。这些结果将用于研究地下结构与已知钻石产地之间的联系，以便再次使用三维模型找到新的勘探目标。这项研究将有助于发现新的钻石目标，促进加拿大经济的一个重要部门，从而使加拿大受益。

Canada is one of the main producers of diamonds, which are a source of wealth for the country. Diamonds areformed at great depths beneath the surface (>150 km). Knowing where to look for diamonds therefore requiresthe ability to characterize the structure of the Earth where they form and get transported upward to the surface.This project aims to provide a three-dimensional seismic velocity model of the subsurface, down to >500 km,in a broad region in northwestern Canada that encompasses large and old parts of the continent, called theSlave Craton. This 3-D model will be obtained by analyzing the distribution of travel times of seismic wavesthat propagate from a source (i.e., any global earthquake) to a network of receivers (seismograph stations). Byanalyzing data for numerous earthquakes and using a large number of stations, our study will yield ahigh-resolution model of the 3-D seismic velocity structure in this region. The results will be used toinvestigate the links between subsurface structure and known diamond-producing regions, in order to find newexploration targets again using the 3-D model. This research will benefit Canada by helping find new diamondtargets and promote an important sector of the Canadian economy.