Lithospheric layering in the North American craton

      ,womens silk pajamasLithospheric layering in the North American craton

     These authors show that changes in seismic anisotropy with depth across the stable part of North America reveal the presence of two lithospheric layers. The top layer, which is chemically depleted, is ~150 km thick under the ancient core of the continent and tapers out along its younger borders. The bottom of the lithosphere is relatively flat, in agreement with the presence of a thermal conductive root that subsequently formed around the depleted chemical layer.

Huaiyu Yuan & Barbara Romanowicz