Lithospheric thickness across Southern California

By detecting and analyzing conversion of shear waves to compressional waves across the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary, we have constructed a model of lithospheric thickness across Southern California. While average lithospheric thickness is ~70km across the region, the Salton Trough and the Inner Continental Borderland are characterized by anomalously thin lithosphere (40-50 km), consistent with their history of extensional deformation.

This model is now available for download: LAB_depths_in_Science_paper