Understanding the Northern Canadian Shield: Moho Depth, Anisotropy, and Tectonics from Receiver Functions

While extensively studied and well understood in certain regions, the Canadian Shield still presents significant challenges and uncertainties in its northern areas, particularly within the Churchill Province. Two major unresolved aspects in this region are the precise determination of Moho depth and the characterization of anisotropy.

To address these gaps, this study employs DeepRFQC, a state-of-the-art technique for rigorous quality control of receiver function signals. By analyzing all available signals across the area, DeepRFQC ensures that only high-quality data are selected, providing a robust foundation for subsequent analyses.

We used H-k stacking and Harmonic Decomposition to investigate the lithospheric structure. Calculated kappa (κ) values showed strong agreement with gravity data, underscoring the reliability of the results. Harmonic Decomposition revealed anisotropy patterns consistent with the regional stress field, offering new insights into the tectonic processes.

These findings suggest that the observed seismic anisotropy is closely aligned with the region’s predominantly NE-SW geological structures, providing a clearer understanding of the Churchill Province's lithospheric dynamics.