Receiver Function Insights into Crust and Lithospheric Fabric in Northern Canada

This study examines the crustal structure of the Western Churchill Province (WCP) in northern Canada using H-kappa stacking, harmonic decomposition, and inversion of receiver function waveforms. The results constrain key parameters including Moho depth, Vp/Vs ratio, and crustal anisotropy. Moho depths range from 32 to 46 km. The mean Moho depth across all stations was determined to be 40 ± 5 km, which is consistent with the upper range of previous estimates, with the deepest values in the northernmost and southernmost regions. The Vp/Vs ratios are uniformly distributed, with nearly identical averages of 1.76 (inversion) and 1.79 (H-kappa), consistent with previous studies. Gravity analysis indicates that Bouguer anomalies are primarily controlled by subsurface density variations rather than Moho depth. Harmonic decomposition highlights coherent patterns of crustal dipping and anisotropy, with localized mid-crustal interfaces near 9 and 30 km. A subset of stations shows alignment between harmonic components, magnetic anomalies, and SKS shear-wave splitting directions, suggesting coupling between crustal structure and lithospheric fabric. These findings underscore the complex, laterally variable crustal architecture of the WCP and provide new constraints on its crust–mantle dynamics.