Previous compilation of crustal structure in South America had large unsampled areas including the thin crust in the Sub‐Andean lowlands, largely estimated by gravity data, and the sparsely sampled Amazon Craton. A deployment of 35 seismic stations in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay improved the coverage of the Pantanal Basin in Western Brazil, the intracratonic Paraná and the Chaco Basins. Crustal thicknesses and Vp/Vs ratios were estimated with a modified H‐k method by producing three stacked traces to enhance the three Moho conversions (the direct Ps and the two multiples Ppps and Ppss). This modified method gives lower uncertainties than previous studies and shows more regional consistency between nearby stations. The temporary stations and the Brazilian Network (RSBR) have characterized the crustal structure as follows. The Paraná Basin has a thick crust 40–45 km and average Vp/Vs ratio (1.71–1.77), while the Chaco Basin has a slightly thinner crust (35–40 km) and higher Vp/Vs ratio (1.75–1.79). This confirms the lack of widespread magmatic underplating in the Paraná Basin that could be related to the origin of the flood basalts during the South Atlantic opening. A belt of thin crust (30–35 km) with low Vp/Vs (<1.74) is confined to the eastern edge of the Pantanal Basin. Normal crust (38–43 km) is observed along the western edge of the Pantanal, from the southern part of the Amazon craton to the Rio Apa cratonic block. This study, combined with other published data, provides an updated crustal thickness map of South America.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.