Radially anisotropic 3-D shear wave structure of the Australian lithosphere and asthenosphere from multi-mode surface waves

•A new 3-D radially anisotropic shear wave speed model of Australia is constructed.•The lithosphere–asthenosphere transition (LAT) is estimated from velocity gradient.•Anomalous anisotropy with faster SH is found in the asthenosphere.•Very thick LAT that represent deep cratonic root is found in western Australia.

A new radially anisotropic shear wave speed model for the Australasian region is constructed from multi-mode phase dispersion of Love and Rayleigh waves. An automated waveform fitting technique based on a global optimization with the Neighbourhood Algorithm allows the exploitation of large numbers of three-component broad-band seismograms to extract path-specific dispersion curves covering the entire continent. A 3-D shear wave model is constructed including radial anisotropy from a set of multi-mode phase speed maps for both Love and Rayleigh waves. These maps are derived from an iterative inversion scheme incorporating the effects of ray-path bending due to lateral heterogeneity, as well as the finite frequency of the surface waves for each mode. The new S wave speed model exhibits major tectonic features of this region that are in good agreement with earlier shear wave models derived primarily from Rayleigh waves. The lateral variations of depth and thickness of the lithosphere–asthenosphere transition (LAT) are estimated from the isotropic (Voigt average) S wave speed model and its vertical gradient, which reveals correlations between the lateral variations of the LAT and radial anisotropy. The thickness of the LAT is very large beneath the Archean cratons in western Australia, whereas that in south Australia is thinner. The radial anisotropy model shows faster SH wave speed than SV beneath eastern Australia and the Coral Sea at the lithospheric depth. The faster SH anomaly in the lithosphere is also seen in the suture zone between the three cratonic blocks of Australia. One of the most conspicuous features of fast SH anisotropy is found in the asthenosphere beneath the central Australia, suggesting anisotropy induced by shear flow in the asthenosphere beneath the fast drifting Australian continent.