Tomographic inversion of P410s delay times for simultaneous determination of P and S velocities of the upper mantle beneath the Baltic Shield

Teleseismic data recorded by stations in the Swedish National Seismic Network (SNSN) are used for a study of upper mantle structure beneath the Baltic Shield using the receiver function technique. The data show very clear conversions from the 410 and 660 km discontinuities. The signals associated with P to S conversions at these discontinuities arrive 1–2 s earlier than predicted by global models such as IASP91 or PREM. We interpret this as a manifestation of higher than average velocities in the mantle beneath the shield, consistent with lower than average global temperatures. For a 1400 km profile along the network, we observe variations of around 1 second in delay times of P410s and slightly less for P660s. Under the assumption that the mantle discontinuities are at a given constant depth, the delay times of the mantle converted phases are tomographically inverted to reveal P and S velocity structure below the stations. Synthetic tests show that this tomographic inversion has the potential to resolve P and S velocity variations at structural scales adequate for upper mantle studies. Results from application to real data appear to be consistent with independently produced mantle velocity structures deduced from normal tomographic arrival time data. For the P velocity model, a north-dipping body of (relatively) low velocity is found for the central part of the profile at 58–64°N. A sharp contrast from low to high velocities that may be associated with the Proterozoic–Archean boundary is found at 66°N.