Deep velocity structure of the southern edge of the Siberian Craton and Baikal Rifting
The velocity structure of the southern edge of the ancient Siberian craton has been modeled to an 80-km depth based on teleseismic records of a P-receiver function method (P-S). The correlation between the deep and the surface structure determined through modeling is indicative of the submeridional convergence of the south-western edge of the Siberian craton with the Central Asian mobile belt. A sublatitudinal crust extension in the contact zone caused by such convergence may initiate Baikal rifting at the craton’s southeastern edge.