EarthScope targets in the central Appalachians

• Eastern US continental margin preserves the signature of several cycles of supercontinent assembly and breakup in the surface geology.

• To what extent have deep structures in the crust and mantle lithosphere persisted over this timeframe?

• Why has Appalachian topography persisted over long time period?

EarthScope targets in the central Appalachians• Central Appalachian swath:• Sharp gradients in Moho depths,

perhaps corresponding with surface geologic structures (Benoit et al., in prep.). Possible magmatic underplating in lower crust?

• Lateral transition in shear wave splitting behavior

• Encompasses C. VA Seismic Zone (2011 Mineral, VA earthquake)

• Encompasses youngest known volcanic rocks in the eastern US (Eocene basalts in and around Harrisonburg, VA)

EarthScope targets in the central Appalachians

Mid-Atlantic Geophysical Integrative Collaboration (MAGIC): FlexArray deployment + geomorphology/geodynamics component