Morphology of the Moho discontinuity in the Delamerian Zone

Knowledge of the Moho—the boundary between Earth’s crust and mantle—is fundamental for understanding mineral prospectivity because it defines the lithospheric architecture that governs the distribution of mineral systems. Variations in Moho depth reflect major crustal-scale features such as ancient sutures, orogenic roots, and lithospheric thinning zones, which act as long-lived conduits for mantle-derived magmas and hydrothermal fluids. In this study, the depth to the Moho was estimated using Common Conversion Point stacking of receiver functions, providing a high-resolution image of the crust–mantle boundary across the study area. All available, up to date, three-component seismic deployments undertaken by Geoscience Australia, academia and state and territory governments were analysed. The eastern part of the Delamerian Zone, often accepted as having a shallow Moho, may contain a significant volume of underplated material, extending the deepest part of the Moho down to ~60 km depth.