Anisotropy from Receiver Function Analysis shed light into the Deformation Style of the Ivrea Body

One one the most prominent examples of shallow continental Moho is related to the Ivrea Body, in the Western Alps, with its formation and deformation still debated. Several recent temporary seismic deployments as well as the permanent station networks of Switzerland and Italy provided this study with sufficient teleseismic P-to-S converted waveforms to perform Receiver function analysis and retrieve anisotropic parameters for the Ivrea Body. 

In continuity with the work done by Salimbeni et al. (2021), where the anisotropic properties of the southern part of the Ivrea Geophysical Body were determined, here we present the results of the same analysis applied to the stations over the entire Ivrea body itself, from the south toward its northern margin.  

In this study, therefore, we present the result of this new Receiver Function analysis applied to  63 new broadband seismic stations deployed across the region. Our preliminary results show that, for the 35 stations located directly above the high gravity anomaly of the area, generally referred as a signature of the Ivrea Geophysical Body, the anisotropic properties of the shallow crustal materials have all similar affinities, with high degree of anisotropy and coherent angular pattern which displays a  change in direction from South to North.