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

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

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.