Resistivity structure of a seismic gap along the Atotsugawa Fault, Japan

Seismicity along the Atotsugawa Fault, located in central Japan, shows a clear heterogeneity. The central segment of the fault with low-seismicity is recognized as a seismic gap, although a lot of micro-earthquakes occur along this fault. In order to elucidate the cause of the heterogeneity in seismicity, the electrical resistivity structure was investigated around the Atotsugawa Fault by using the magnetotelluric (MT) method. The regional geoelectrical strikes are approximately parallel to the fault in a low-frequency range. We constructed two-dimensional resistivity models across the fault using TM-mode MT responses to minimize three-dimensional effects on the modeling process. A smooth inversion algorithm was used, and the static-shifts on the apparent resistivity were corrected in the inversion process.A shallow, low resistivity zone along the fault is found from the surface to a depth of 1-2 km in the best-fit model across the high-seismicity segment of the fault. On the other hand, the corresponding low resistivity zone along the low-seismicity segment is limited to a shallower depth less than 1 km. The low resistivity zone along the Atotsugawa Fault is possibly due to fluid in the fracture zone; the segment with higher levels of seismicity may have higher fluid content in the fault zone compared with the lower seismicity segment. On a view of the crustal structure, a lateral resistivity variation in a depth range of 3-12 km is found below the fault trace in the high-seismicity segment, while a resistive layer of wide extent is found at a depth of about 5 km below the fault trace in the low-seismicity segment. The resistive layer is explained by less fluid condition and possibly characterized as high rigidity. Differences in the resistivity structures between low and high-seismicity segments of the fault suggest that the seismic gap in the central part of the Atotsugawa Fault may be interpreted as a locked segment. Thus, MT is an effective method in evaluating a cause and future activity of seismic gaps along active faults.The lower crust appears as a conductive zone beneath the low-seismicity segment, less conductive beneath the high-seismicity segment. Fluid is inferred as a preferable cause of the conductive zone in this study. It is suggested that the conductive lower crust beneath the low-seismicity segment is recognized where fluid is trapped by an impermeable layer in the upper crust. On the other hand, fluid in the lower crust may upwell to the surface along the high-seismicity segment of the fault.     

河北石家庄地区深部结构大地电磁探测

石家庄位于太行山隆起带和华北平原冀中坳陷盆地接触区,西邻太行山山前断裂带,1966年在其东南曾发生邢台7.2级强震.为研究该区的深部构造背景,并为分析地震活动性趋势提供基础资料,2010年10月采用宽频带大地电磁法对该区的深部结构进行探测研究.大地电磁剖面穿过石家庄南侧区域,长约167km,获得了64个测点数据.采用远...     

Electromagnetic study of lithospheric structure in the marginal zone of East European Craton in NW Poland

The marginal zone of the East European Platform, an area of key importance for our understanding of the geotectonic history of Europe, has been a challenge for geophysicists for many years. The basic research method is seismic survey, but many important data on physical properties and structure of the lithosphere may also be provided by the electromagnetic methods. In this paper, results of deep basement study by electromagnetic methods performed in Poland since the mid-1960s are presented. Over this time, several hundred long-period soundings have been executed providing an assessment of the electric conductivity distribution in the crust and upper mantle. Numerous 1D, 2D, and pseudo-3D electric conductivity models were constructed, and a new interpretation method based on Horizontal Magnetic Tensor analysis has been applied recently. The results show that the contact zone is of lithospheric discontinuity character and there are distinct differences in geoelectric structures between the Precambrian Platform, transitional zone (TESZ), and the Paleozoic Platform. The wide-spread conducting complexes in the crust with integral conductivity values reaching 10 000 S at 20–30 km depths are most spectacular. They are most likely consequences of geological processes related to Caledonian and Variscan orogenesis. The upper mantle conductivity is also variable, the thickness of high-resistive lithospheric plates ranging from 120–140 km under the Paleozoic Platform to 220–240 km under the East European Platform.     

The crust-mantle transition and the Moho beneath the Vogtland/West Bohemian region in the light of different seismic methods

The structure of the crust and the crust-mantle boundary in the Vogtland/West Bohemian region have been a target of several seismic measurements for the last 25 years, beginning with the steep-angle reflection seismic studies (DEKORP-4/KTB, MVE-90, 9HR), the refraction and wide-angle experiments (GRANU’95, CELEBRATION 2000, SUDETES 2003), and followed by passive seismic studies (receiver functions, teleseismic tomography). The steep-angle reflection studies imaged a highly reflective lower crust (4 to 6 km thick) with the Moho interpreted in a depth between 30 and 32 km and a thinner crust beneath the Eger Rift. The refraction and wide-angle reflection seismic studies (CELEBRATION 2000) revealed strong wide-angle reflections in a depth of 26–28 km interpreted as the top of the lower crust. Long coda of these reflections indicates strong reflectivity in the lower crustal layer, a phenomenon frequently observed in the Caledonian and Variscan areas. The receiver function studies detected one strong conversion from the base of the crust interpreted as the Moho discontinuity at a depth between 27 and 37 km (average at about 31 km). The discrepancies in the Moho depth determination could be partly attributed to different background of the methods and their resolution, but could not fully explain them. So that new receivers function modelling was provided. It revealed that, instead of a first-order Moho discontinuity, the observations can be explained with a lower crustal layer or a crust-mantle transition zone with a maximum thickness of 5 km. The consequent synthetic ray-tracing modelling resulted in the model with the top of the lower crust at 28 km, where highly reflective lower crustal layer can obscure the Moho reflection at a depth of 32–33 km.     

Crustal electric structure of Haiyuan arcuate tectonic region in the northeastern margin of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, China

Through the analysis and 2-D inversion for the 5 profiles in Haiyuan arcuate tectonic region (105°～107°E,36°～37.5°N) in the northeastern margin of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, we have obtained the electric structure within a range of 160 km in width (east-west) and 60 km in depth in the studied area. The results show that the crustal electric structure can be divided into 6 sections, corresponding respectively to Xiji basin (Ⅰ), Xihuashan-Nanhuashan uplift (Ⅱ), Xingrenbu-Haiyuan basin (Ⅲ), Zhongwei-Qingshuihe basin (Ⅳ), Zhongning-Hongsibu basin (Ⅴ) and west-margin zone of Ordos (Ⅵ) from the southwest to the northeast. The crustal electric structure is characterized by a broom-shaped pattern, which scatters to the northwest and shrinks to the southeast. The structures in the top part of Haiyuan arcuate tectonic region are complete and large, however, they diminish from the arc top to the northwest and southeast ends. In the depth from 0 km to 10 km, the resistivity is high in the sections Ⅱ and Ⅵ, but relatively low in the other four sections, showing a similar pattern of basin depression. The electrical basement in the section Ⅲ is the deepest, displaying a "dustpan" shape that is deep in the southwest and shallow in the northeast. A series of discontinuous zones with high conductivity exist in the middle-lower crust in Haiyuan arcuate tectonic region, which is possibly related to the moderate and strong earthquakes in the region. The resistivity distribution in the focal area of the 1920 Haiyuan earthquake is significantly heterogeneous with an obviously high conductivity zone near the hypocenter regime.     

Distortions of the electromagnetic field by shallow basins and by resistive outcrops

The interpretation of magnetotelluric (MT) measurements carried out on shallow (several hundred metres deep) basins and on the surrounding highly resistive rock outcrops can be difficult due to different forms of distortion, mainly 3D effects. A good example for study of this problem is the Mór Graben, which is the transition zone between the Bakony and Vértes Mountains (W-Hungary), where more than 20 MT soundings have been made with stations spaced about 2 km apart to determine the structure of a conductivity anomaly at a depth of about 3–4 km.

The statistical treatment of the different distortions due to varying sediment cover (the S-effect or static shift) and to the steep wall of the resistive basement outcrops (edge effect), etc., enabled the estimation of the actual parameters of the conductive formation. The interpretation of the field data is supported by numerical modelling.     

唐山地震区地壳结构和构造:深地震反射剖面结果

1976年7月28日,在唐山地区发生了7.8级大地震.为了研究该区的地壳结构和断裂的深浅构造关系,2009年,我们在唐山市南部的丰南地区,跨唐山断裂带完成了1条道间距40m、炮间距200m、50次覆盖的深地震反射探测剖面.结果表明:研究区的地壳厚度为32 ～ 34km,莫霍面自东向西逐渐加深,在丰南县和宣庄镇之间,中-...     

Nature of the upper crust beneath central Tibet

A wide-angle reflection/refraction seismic line obtained through Sino-French joint research near the Bangung-Nujiang Suture in Tibet [1] yielded crustal velocity estimates for both P and S waves. AV_p/V_s ratio of 1.65 was derived fo waves propagating in the upper ( < 25 km) crust. According to the high-pressure, high-temperature velocity measurements of Kern [2] and others, such a ratio implies the presence of quartz-rich rocks, e.g., granites and granitic gneisses, in the upper Tibetan crust. Because of the high geothermal gradient in Tibet ( > 50°C/km near the surface), a shallow low-velocity zone is expected to form in a granitic upper crust for both P and S waves. A two-dimensional ray-tracing study indicates that the observed first P and S waves [1] can be interpreted as diving waves above a low-velocity zone where a positive gradient exists. The low-velocity zone commences at a depth of 10 km and extends possibly to 20 km or deeper.     

鄂尔多斯盆地西缘构造带北段深部电性结构

在横跨鄂尔多斯盆地西缘构造带北段的查甘池—银川—五湖洞约200 km长的东西向剖面上,进行了67个测点的大地电磁探测.使用“远参考道”和Robust技术处理数据.分析了各测点视电阻率、阻抗相位、二维偏离度、电性主轴方位角、磁实感应矢量等参数,采用NLCG二维反演方法对TE和TM两种模式的数据进行了二维反演.得到的二维电性结构表明,沿剖面查汗断裂带、贺兰山东缘断裂带和黄河断裂带是明显较大型电性边界,为超壳断裂带,而三关口断裂带深部延深不大.沿剖面阿拉善地块、贺兰山褶皱带、银川断陷盆地和鄂尔多斯地块具有明显不同的深部电性结构特征.阿拉善地块内部除浅表电阻率较低外,以下到深度约50 km都表现为高电阻特性.贺兰山褶皱带电性结构复杂,电阻率高低相间.银川盆地具有上宽下窄最深达约8 km低阻层,具有断陷盆地特征.鄂尔多斯地块具有低-高-低的深部电性结构特征,成层性较明显.     

上海地区地壳精细结构的综合地球物理探测研究

通过在上海地区开展深、浅地震反射、地震宽角反射/折射、高分辨地震折射和大地电磁测深等联合剖面探测, 获得了该地区近地表至Moho面的精细速度结构、电性结构和深浅构造关系.结果表明, 该地区地壳可划分为上、中、下三个组成部分.其中，上地壳厚为12～14 km，波速为57～59 km/s；中地壳厚度约为10 km，波速为59～62 km/s；下地壳厚为10～11 km, 波速为62～63 km/s，Moho面深度约为32 km.剖面浅部地质构造复杂，共解释出12条特征明显的断裂.其中，除3条断裂错断结晶基底（G界面）并向下延伸至上地壳底界面外，其他断裂均在深度3～5 km以上终止或收敛于G界面之上.此外，仅在剖面西侧基底下部约13～15 km埋深处发现一厚度在2 km左右的壳内高导层.所以，在综合各方面资料后分析认为，在剖面经过地区不存在发生大地震的深部构造条件，近地表所存在的活动断层是未来产生对该区有影响地震的震源区.     

Exploration and Research of Deep Crustal Structures in the Zhangzhou Basin and Its Vicinity

INTRODUCTIONThe Zhangzhou basinislocated onthe southeast coast of Fujian Province .Interms of geotectonicunits ,it lies in the east Fujian volcanic fault-depression zone between the Wuyi-Daiyun mountainupheaval zone and depression zone of Taiwan Straits of the south China block. In terms ofseismotectonics ,it islocatedinthe middle sectionof the southeasterncoastal seismic zone .In history,the area was influenced by repeated destructive earthquakes , and the seismic activity was closely…     

Seismic image of the Mount Spurr magmatic system

 The three-dimensional P-wave velocity structure of Mount Spurr is determined to depths of 10 km by tomographic inversion of 3,754 first-arriving P-wave times from local earthquakes recorded by a permanent network of 11 seismographs. Results show a prominent low-velocity zone extending from the surface to 3–4 km below sea level beneath the southeastern flank of Crater Peak, spatially coincident with a geothermal system. P-wave velocities in this low-velocity zone are approximately 20% slower than those in the shallow crystalline basement rocks. Beneath Crater Peak an approximately 3-km-wide zone of relative low velocities correlates with a near-vertical band of seismicity, suggestive of a magmatic conduit. No large low-velocity zone indicative of a magma chamber occurs within the upper 10 km of the crust. These observations are consistent with petrologic and geochemical studies suggesting that Crater Peak magmas originate in the lower crust or upper mantle and have a short residence time in the shallow crust. Earthquakes relocated using the three-dimensional velocity structure correlate well with surface geology and other geophysical observations; thus, they provide additional constraints on the kinematics of the Mount Spurr magmatic system. Received: 4 December 1997 / Accepted: 27 February 1998     

内蒙古锡林浩特-东乌旗剖面壳幔电性结构研究

为研究二连-东乌旗贺根山一带成矿构造环境,提供矿产资源勘查、预测、评价的地质背景依据,跨贺根山和锡林浩特板块缝合带一线布设了26个超宽频带长周期大地电磁测深点,点距3～6 km,剖面长度100 km,在对获取的资料采用Robust变换、互参考处理的基础上,定性分析了视电阻率和相位曲线、二维偏离度、电性主轴,并采用二维共...     

Buried rhyolites within the active,high-temperature Salton Sea geothermal system

Previously unrecognized pulses of rhyolite volcanism occurred in the Salton Trough between 420 ± 8 ka and 479 ± 38 ka (2σ), based on high-spatial resolution U–Pb zircon geochronology. Presently, these rhyolite lavas, tuffs and shallow subvolcanic sills are buried to depths between ~ 1.6 and 2.7 km at ambient temperatures between 200 and 300 °C, and are overprinted by propylitic to potassic hydrothermal alteration mineral assemblages consisting of finely intergrown quartz, K-feldspar, chlorite, epidote, and minor pyrite. Alteration resistant geochemical indicators (whole-rock Nd-isotopes, zircon oxygen-isotopes) reveal that these rhyolites are derived from remelting of MORB-type crust that was chilled and hydrothermally altered by deep-circulating hydrothermal waters. U–Pb zircon dating confirms the presence of Bishop Tuff in well State 2-14 at ~ 1.7 km depth, approximately 5 km NE of the geothermal wells that penetrated the buried rhyolites. These results indicate accelerated subsidence towards the center of the Salton Trough, increasing from 2.2 mm/a to 3.8 mm/a. Based on these results, the present-day Salton Sea geothermal field is identified as a focus zone of episodic rhyolitic volcanism, intense heat flow and metamorphism that predates present-day geothermal activity and Holocene volcanism by at least ~ 400 ka.     

A magnetotelluric study of the Damara Belt in Namibia: 1. Regional scale conductivity anomalies

The Namibian margin is dominated by the late Proterozoic to early Cambrian fold belts of the Damara Orogen, which wrap around and separate the Congo and Kalahari Cratons. This mosaic of relatively ‘soft’ fold belts and ‘hard’ cratons apparently controlled the path for the opening of the South Atlantic in the early Cretaceous. The continents split along the coast-parallel fold belts of the Damara Orogen while the inland fold belt (Damara Belt) was effected by extension and widespread igneous intrusion but never developed to the rift stage. This paper is concerned with the interpretation of magnetotelluric (MT) data along a 200 km NW-SE profile across the Damara Belt in NW Namibia. The regional, two-dimensional electrical resistivity model and the induction vector data exhibit three distinctive zones: (i) a generally very resistive upper crust which is typical for the granites and metasediments of the Damara Belt, (ii) two subvertical conductors in upper to mid-crustal levels which correlate with major tectonic zone boundaries and (iii) a highly conductive middle to lower crust in the southern part of the profile. The geometry of the conductive structures could reflect a regional shear system in which upper crustal listric faults pass into a detachment zone in the middle crust. We interpret the high electrical conductivity in terms of graphite (or other forms of mineralization) enrichment along the shear planes. This zone of crustal weakness may have originated in Pre-Damara times and had probably experienced several episodes of crustal reactivation before the intrusion of basaltic dike swarms during the Cretaceous rifting and magmatism associated with the opening of the South Atlantic.     

我国西北部分地区地壳-上地幔电性横向变化特征与地震活动的关系

由50余个测点的大地电磁测深资料,讨论了该区的地壳-上地幔电性横向变化特征。按照上地幔第一低阻层顶面埋深,将测区划分为四类地区:浅埋深(55-90公里)、中浅埋深(90-110公里)、中深埋深(110-160公里)和深埋深(160-250公里)。讨论了本区六次大震例的深部电性背景。指出了上地幔顶部的梯度带地区、地壳内电性横向变化剧烈的地区和地壳内存在局部特殊增厚的低阻层地区将可以作为潜在震源区的深部电性判据之一     

1927年古浪8级大震区及其周边地块的深部电性结构

沿穿过古浪大震震中区乐都—武威—白马岗北北东方向约340 km长的剖面,进行了16个测点的大地电磁探测.使用Robust技术处理观测数据,分析了视电阻率、阻抗相位、Swift二维偏离、最佳电性主轴方位角等参数,并采用NLCG二维反演技术对TE和TM两种模式的数据进行了二维反演模拟.结果表明：大通山—大坂山、西海原、皇城—双塔、龙首山和北大山5条断裂为明显的电性边界,其中西海原、皇城—双塔、龙首山和北大山断裂由西南向东北依次变浅变缓并在深部收敛于壳内低阻层上.沿剖面上地壳的电性构造较中下地壳的复杂,上地壳自西南向东北可分为中祁连隆起、北祁连褶皱带、冷龙岭隆起、武威盆地、潮水盆地和北大山隆起6个构造单元样式,显示与地表地质调查一致的构造格局;而在中、下地壳,武威盆地、潮水盆地和北大山隆起为一体,都属于阿拉善地块.中祁连和阿拉善地块电性成层性好,存在西南深、东北浅的壳内低阻层,北祁连褶皱带和冷龙岭隆起带电性结构复杂,高、低电阻体相间.1927年古浪地震震中区西南侧和上方区域的电阻率为高电阻率区,下方和东北侧区域为低电阻率区,处于电性结构明显呈台阶状陡变的地带,表明古浪地震是一次与断坡作用有关的地震.     

大兴安岭与两侧盆地结合地带深部电性结构与岩石圈尺度构造关系

横跨大兴安岭与海拉尔盆地和松辽盆地结合地带的大地电磁测深剖面揭示了盆山构造的深部电性结构.剖面西起海拉尔盆地东缘,向东延伸穿过大兴安岭中部,一直到达松辽盆地西缘.本文对剖面测点的二维偏离度、构造走向等进行了计算和分析,采用非线性共轭梯度(NLCG)二维反演方法对TM模式的数据进行了反演,获得了该剖面的地壳、上地幔电性结构模型,划分出三个典型构造单元:海拉尔盆地、大兴安岭和松辽盆地.研究结果表明,海拉尔盆地东缘和松辽盆地西缘浅部都呈低阻特征,但松辽盆地西缘深部电性结构比较复杂,而大兴安岭整体呈高阻特征.海拉尔盆地东缘可能属于兴安块体,松辽盆地西缘与大兴安岭接触关系复杂.海拉尔盆地东缘岩石圈厚度约为110km,大兴安岭岩石圈厚度约为110~150km.大兴安岭上地壳基本呈高阻特征,可能为多次叠置的岩浆岩,代表大兴安岭经历了多期次岩浆作用;中下地壳横向存在较大范围低阻体,可能反映了大兴安岭地壳内部非刚性的特点;残存在岩石圈地幔的高阻异常,说明其下地壳可能发生过拆沉作用.大兴安岭与松辽盆地结合带存在一个岩石圈尺度的西倾低阻带,向下延伸到岩石圈底部,可能是早期松嫩地块向兴安地块俯冲并以软碰撞形式拼合的构造遗迹.     

Three-dimensional P-wave velocity structure derived from local earthquakes at the Katmai group of volcanoes,Alaska

The three-dimensional P-wave velocity structure beneath the Katmai group of volcanoes is determined by inversion of more than 10,000 rays from over 1000 earthquakes recorded on a local 18 station short-period network between September 1996 and May 2001. The inversion is well constrained from sea level to about 6 km below sea level and encompasses all of the Katmai volcanoes; Martin, Mageik, Trident, Griggs, Novarupta, Snowy, and Katmai caldera. The inversion reduced the average RMS travel-time error from 0.22 s for locations from the standard one-dimensional model to 0.13 s for the best three-dimensional model. The final model, from the 6th inversion step, reveals a prominent low velocity zone (3.6–5.0 km/s) centered at Katmai Pass and extending from Mageik to Trident volcanoes. The anomaly has values about 20–25% slower than velocities outboard of the region (5.0–6.5 km/s). Moderately low velocities (4.5–6.0 km/s) are observed along the volcanic axis between Martin and Katmai Caldera. Griggs volcano, located about 10 km behind (northwest of) the volcanic axis, has unremarkable velocities (5.0–5.7 km/s) compared to non-volcanic regions. The highest velocities are observed between Snowy and Griggs volcanoes (5.5–6.5 km/s). Relocated hypocenters for the best 3-D model are shifted significantly relative to the standard model with clusters of seismicity at Martin volcano shifting systematically deeper by about 1 km to depths of 0 to 4 km below sea level. Hypocenters for the Katmai Caldera are more tightly clustered, relocating beneath the 1912 scarp walls. The relocated hypocenters allow us to compare spatial frequency-size distributions (b-values) using one-dimensional and three-dimensional models. We find that the distribution of b is significantly changed for Martin volcano, which was characterized by variable values (0.8 < b < 2.0) with standard locations and more uniform values (0.8 < b < 1.2) after relocation. Other seismic clusters at Mageik (1.2 < b < 2.2), Trident (0.5 < b < 1.5) and Katmai Caldera (0.8 < b < 1.8) had stable b-values indicating the robustness of the observations. The strong high b-value region at Mageik volcano is mainly associated with an earthquake swarm in October, 1996 that possibly indicates a shallow intrusion or influx of gas. The new velocity and spatial b-value results, in conjunction with prior gravity (Bouguer anomalies up to − 40 mgal) and interferometry (several cm uplift) data, provide strong evidence in favor of partially molten rock at shallow depths beneath the Mageik–Katmai–Novarupta region. Moderately low velocities beneath Martin and Katmai suggest that old, mostly solidified intrusions exist beneath these volcanoes. Higher relative velocities beneath the Griggs and Snowy vents suggest that no magma is resident in the shallow crust beneath these volcanoes.     

Crustal seismic structure and depth distribution of earthquakes in the Archean Kuusamo region,Fennoscandian Shield

Two-dimensional crustal velocity models are derived from passive seismic observations for the Archean Karelian bedrock of north-eastern Finland. In addition, an updated Moho depth map is constructed by integrating the results of this study with previous data sets. The structural models image a typical three-layer Archean crust, with thickness varying between 40 and 52 km. P wave velocities within the 12–20 km thick upper crust range from 6.1 to 6.4 km/s. The relatively high velocities are related to layered mafic intrusive and volcanic rocks. The middle crust is a fairly homogeneous layer associated with velocities of 6.5–6.8 km/s. The boundary between middle and lower crust is located at depths between 28 and 38 km. The thickness of the lower crust increases from 5–15 km in the Archean part to 15–22 km in the Archean–Proterozoic transition zone. In the lower crust and uppermost mantle, P wave velocities vary between 6.9–7.3 km/s and 7.9–8.2 km/s. The average V_p/V_s ratio increases from 1.71 in the upper crust to 1.76 in the lower crust.The crust attains its maximum thickness in the south-east, where the Archean crust is both over- and underthrust by the Proterozoic crust. A crustal depression bulging out from that zone to the N–NE towards Kuusamo is linked to a collision between major Archean blocks. Further north, crustal thickening under the Salla and Kittilä greenstone belts is tentatively associated with a NW–SE-oriented collision zone or major shear zone. Elevated Moho beneath the Pudasjärvi block is primarily explained with rift-related extension and crustal thinning at ∼2.4–2.1 Ga.The new crustal velocity models and synthetic waveform modelling are used to outline the thickness of the seismogenic layer beneath the temporary Kuusamo seismic network. Lack of seismic activity within the mafic high-velocity body in the uppermost 8 km of crust and relative abundance of mid-crustal, i.e., 14–30 km deep earthquakes are characteristic features of the Kuusamo seismicity. The upper limit of seismicity is attributed to the excess of strong mafic material in the uppermost crust. Comparison with the rheological profiles of the lithosphere, calculated at nearby locations, indicates that the base of the seismogenic layer correlates best with the onset of brittle to ductile transition at about 30 km depth.We found no evidence on microearthquake activity in the lower crust beneath the Archean Karelian craton. However, a data set of relatively well-constrained events extracted from the regional earthquake catalogue implies a deeper cut-off depth for earthquakes in the Norrbotten tectonic province of northern Sweden.