Study of crustal structure with S—wave data from Maqen—Jingbian profile

2-D crustal velocity structure and vp/vs are obtained by processing and interpretation of S-wave data from Maqen-Jingbian deep seismic sounding(DSS)profile.The result shows that there exist obvious differences in 2-D S-wave velocity structure and vp/vs ratio structure along the profile.The S-wave velocities are low and vp/vs ration is high for the westem section of the profile and Haiyuan region,while they are normal for the middle and eastern sections.The changes in lithologic characters of two major anomalous zones are discussed according to lateral variation of S-wave velocity structure and vp/vs ratio structure.It is concluded that the development and occurrence of the Haiyuan strong earthquake is not only related to tectonic activities,but also to lithologic characters of the region.     

Crustal structure beneath the Songpan—Garze orogenic belt

The Benzilan-Tangke deepseismic sounding profile in the western Sichuan region passes through the Song-pan-Garze orogenic belt with trend of NNE.Based on the travel times and the related amplitudes of phases in the record sections,the 2-D P-wave crustal structure was ascertained in this paper.The velocity structure has quite strong lateral variation along the profile.The crust is divided into 5layers,where the first,second and third layer belong to the upper crust,the forth and fifth layer belong to the lower crust.The low velocity anomaly zone gener-ally exists in the central part of the upper crust on the profile,and it integrates into the overlying low velocity basement in the area to the north of Ma‘erkang.The crustal structure in the section can be divided into 4parts:in the south of Garze-litang fault,between Garze-Litang fault and Xianshuihe fault,between Xianshuihe fault and Longriba fault and in the north of Longriba fault,which are basically coincided with the regional tectonics division.The crustal thickness decreases from southwest to northeast along the profile,that is ,from62km in the region of the Jinshajiang River to 52km in the region of the Yellow River.The Moho discontinuity does not obviously change across the Xianshuihe fault basesd on the PmP phase analysis.The crustal average velocity along the profile is lower,about 6.30 km/s.The Benzilan-Tangke profile reveals that the crust in the study area is orogenic.The Xianshuihe fault belt is located in the central part of the profile,and the velocity is positive anomaly on the upper crust,and negative anomaly on the lower crust and upper mantle.It is considered as a deep tectonhic setting in favor of strong earthquake‘s accumulation and occurrence.     

A study on physical property of crustal ma—terial and seismogenic environment in northeastern Pamir

2-D crustal structure and velocity ratio are obtained by processing S-wave data from two wide-angle reflec-tion/refraction profiles in and around Jiashi in northeastern Pamir,with the result of P-wave data taken into con-sideration.The result shows that:1)Average crustal velocity ratio is obviously higher in Tarim block than in West Kunlun Mts.and Tianshan fold zone,which reflects its crustal physical property of “hardness“and stability.The relatively low but normal velocity ratio(Poisson‘s ratio)of the lower crust indicates that the “downward thrusting“ of Tarim basin is the main feature of crustal movement in this area.2)The rock layer in the upper crust of Tian-shan fold zone is relatively“soft“,which makes it prone to rupture and stress energy release.This is the primary tectonic factor for the concentration of small earthquakes in this area.3)Jiashi is located right over the apex or the inflection point of the updoming lower crustal interface C and the crust-mantle boundary,which is the deep struc-tural background for the occurrence of strong earthquakes.The alternate variation of vp/vs near the block bounda-ries and the complicated configuration of the interfaces in the upper and middle part of the upper crust form a par-ticular structural environment for the Jiashi strong earthquake swarm.vp/vs is comparatively high and shear modulus is low at the focal region,which may be the main reason for the low stress drop of the Jiashi strong earthquake swarm.     

Crust and uppermost mantle structure of the Ailaoshan-Red River fault from receiver function analysis

S-wave velocity structure beneath the Ailaoshan-Red River fault was obtained from receiver functions by using teleseismic body wave records of broadband digital seismic stations. The average crustal thickness, Vp/Vs ratio and Poisson’s ratio were also estimated. The results indicate that the interface of crust and mantle beneath the Ailaoshan-Red River fault is not a sharp velocity discontinuity but a characteristic transition zone. The velocity increases relatively fast at the depth of Moho and then increases slowly in the uppermost mantle. The average crustal thickness across the fault is 36―37 km on the southwest side and 40―42 km on the northeast side, indicating that the fault cuts the crust. The relatively high Poisson’s ratio (0.26―0.28) of the crust implies a high content of mafic materials in the lower crust. Moreover, the lower crust with low velocity could be an ideal position for decoupling between the crust and upper mantle.     

Crustal P-wave velocity structure in the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and insights into crustal deformation

The transitional area between the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Ordos Block and Alxa Block,also being the northern segment of the North-South Seismic Belt, is characterized by considerably high seismicity level and high risk of strong earthquakes. In view of the special tectonic environment and deep tectonic setting in this area, this study used two seismic wide-angle reflection/refraction cross profiles for double constraining, so as to more reliably obtain the fine-scale velocity structure characteristics in both the shallow and deep crust of individual blocks and their boundaries in the study area,and further discuss the seismogenic environment in seismic zones with strong historical earthquakes. In this paper, the P-wave data from the two profiles are processed and interpreted, and two-dimensional crustal velocity structure models along the two profiles are constructed by travel time forward modeling. The results show that there are great differences in velocity structure,shape of intra-crustal interfaces and crustal thickness among different blocks sampled by the two seismic profiles. The crustal thickness along the Lanzhou-Huianbu-Yulin seismic sounding profile(L1) increases from ~43 km in the western margin of Ordos Block to ~56 km in the Qilian Block to the west. In the Ordos Block, the velocity contours vary gently, and the average velocity of the crust is about 6.30 km s-1; On the other hand, the velocity structures in the crust of the Qilian Block and the arclike tectonic zone vary dramatically, and the average crustal velocities in these areas are about 0.10 km s-1 lower than that of the Ordos Block. In addition, discontinuous low-velocity bodies(LVZ1 and LVZ2) are identified in the crust of the Qilian Block and the arc-like tectonic zone, the velocity of which is 0.10–0.20 km s-1 lower than that of the surroundings. The average crustal thickness of the Ordos Block is consistently estimated to be around 43 km along both Profile L2(Tongchuan-Huianbu-Alashan left banner seismic sounding profile) and Profile L1. In contrast to the gently varying intra-crustal interfaces and velocity contours in the Ordos Block along Profile L1, which is a typical structure characteristic of stable cratons, the crustal structure in the Ordos Block along Profile L2 exhibits rather complex variations. This indicates the presence of significant structural differences in the crust within the Ordos Block. The crustal structure of the Helan Mountain Qilian Block and the Yinchuan Basin is featured by "uplift and depression" undulations, showing the characteristics of localized compressional deformation.Moreover, there are low-velocity zones with alternative high and low velocities in the middle and lower crust beneath the Helan Mountain, where the velocity is about 0.15–0.25 km s-1 lower than that of the surrounding areas. The crustal thickness of the Alxa Block is about 49 km, and the velocity contours in the upper and middle-lower crust of the block vary significantly. The complex crustal velocity structure images along the two seismic sounding profiles L1 and L2 reveal considerable structural differences among different tectonic blocks, their coupling relationships and velocity structural features in the seismic zones where strong historical earthquakes occurred. The imaging result of this study provides fine-scale crustal structure information for further understanding the seismogenic environment and mechanism in the study area.     

Study on the velocity structure of the crust in Southwest Yunnan of the north-south seismic belt—Results from the Menghai-Gengma-Lushui deep seismic sounding profile

Southwest Yunnan, located in the southern segment of the north-south seismic belt, is one of the regions with strong tectonic movement and seismic activity in China. Study on the characteristics of tectonic setting and deep geophysical field in the region is an important issue in basic science. In 2013, we conducted a 600-km-long Menghai-Gengma-Lushui profile of deep seismic wide-angle reflection/refraction and high-resolution seismic refraction in Southwest Yunnan. In this paper, we use 6 groups of clear intracrustal P-wave phases picked from the seismic record sections of 11 shots to build a velocity structure model of basement and 2D crustal P-wave of the region by using finite difference inversion and ray travel time forward fitting technology. The results show that, from south to north, the crust gradually thickens along the profile and its basement shows a significant lateral heterogeneity. In the vicinity of the Nanting River fault, the basement structure shows the character of alternate depressions and uplifts, and the shallowest basement is about 1.0 km. In the vicinity of Tengchong and Lancang, the basement is about 5.0 km deep. The velocity of the middle and lower crust in the region generally increases with the increasing of depth. At the block boundary and beneath the fault tectonic belt, the velocity contours show apparent irregularity and the P-wave velocity changes sharply. In this region, the Moho gradually deepens from south to north with relatively large lateral undulations. The shallowest point of the Moho is located near Menghai at a depth of about 32.0 km. The deepest point of the Moho is located near Tengchong at a depth of about 40.5 km. Between Gengma and Yongde, the Moho shows significantly fast uplifting and depressing with an amplitude of about 4.0 km. Beneath the Nanting River fault, Longling-Ruili fault, Dayingjiang fault and Tengchong volcano, the basement velocity structure, 2D crustal P-wave velocity structure, distribution of average profile velocity and intracrustal interface spreading also show significant changes from the basement to the top of the Moho, indicating that the crustal velocity and medium physical properties beneath the fault tectonic belt are apparently different from the crustal materials on its both sides, which suggests that these faults should be in a certain scale and may extend to the lower crust or the top of the upper mantle. The earthquakes in the region mainly occurred at a depth of 10–20 km, and the seismic activity is related to the intracrustal medium velocity difference and fault belt distribution. The results can serve as the important data of the crust-mantle structure for the analysis of the deep tectonic setting, earthquake precise positioning, seismogenic structure modeling of the seismic activities in Southwest Yunnan, as well as the important reference for the evaluation of seismic hazard and the planning of earthquake disaster mitigation of this region.     

Crustal structure beneath the Songpan——Garze orogenic belt

AbstractThe Benzilan-Tangke deep seismic sounding profile in the western Sichuan region passes through the Song-pan-Garze orogenic belt with trend of NNE.Based on the travel times and the related amplitudes of phases in therecord sections,the 2-D P-wave crustal structure was ascertained in this paper. The velocity structure has quitestrong lateral variation along the profile.The crust is divided into 5 layers,where the first,second and third layerbelong to the upper crust,the forth and fifth layer belong to the lower crust.The low velocity anomaly zone gener-ally exists in the central part of the upper crust on the profile,and it integrates into the overlying low velocitybasement in the area to the north of Ma’erkang.The crustal structure in the section can be divided into 4 parts:inthe south of Garze-Litang fault,between Garze-Litang fault and Xiashuihe fault,between Xianshuihe fault andLongriba fault and in the north of Longriba fault,which are basically coincided with the regional tectonics division     

Interpretation of S-Wave Data from Fanshi-Taipusiqi DSS Profile and Analysis of Correlation between Deep Structural Characteristics and Seismicity

By processing S-wave data from the Fanshi-Huai'an-Taipusiqi DSS profile,which is a three-component,wide-angle reflection/refraction profile,and in the light of the results from P-wave interpretation,two-dimensional(2-D)structures of the crust and upper mantle are presented,including S-wave velocity Vs and the physical parameter of medium-Poisson's ratio a.Taking other geological and geophysical information into account,and with reference to the results from petrophysical experiments at home and abroad,we carried out interpretation and inference with respect to deep crustal structure,tectonics,and lithologic characters.It has been concluded that in the upper and middle crust,a values are mostly not greater than 0.25,and rocks,which generally assume brittle,are mainly composed of granite; the rocks in the lower layer of the upper crust between Yangyuan-Huai'an containing inorganic CO2 itself releases carbon; for the rocks in the lower crust and crust-mantle transitional zone,which are comparatively plasti     

Crustal structure beneath Qiangtang and Lhasa terrane from receiver function

To determine the crustal structure in central Tibet, we used teleseismic waveform data recorded by 18 stations in the INDEPTH-Ⅲ seismic array across the central Tibet from the central Lhasa terrane to the central Qiangtang terrane. The S-wave velocity structures beneath stations are determined by inverting the stacked radial receiver function using the GA method. The first order features in the receiver function are modeled. Our results show that the Moho in Qiangtang is about 8 km shallower than that in Lhasa terrane along the INDEPTH-Ⅲ profile. It maybe suggests the northward subduction of the Lhasa mantle lid beneath the Qiangtang terrane is affected by the India-Asia collision. We conclude that there exist low velocity zone in the middle crust across the northern Lhasa and Qiangtang terrane, which can be related to the high temperature upper mantle beneath that.     

S-wave velocity and Poisson''''s ratio structure of crust in Yunnan and its implication

Receiver function of body wave under the 23 stations in Yunnan was extracted from 3-component broadband digital recording of teleseismic event. Thus, the S-wave velocity structure and distribution characteristics of Poisson's ratio in crust of Yunnan are obtained by inversion. The results show that the crustal thickness is gradually thinned from north to south. The crustal thickness in Zhongdian of northwest reaches as many as 62.0 km and the one in Jinghong of further south end is only 30.2 km. What should be especially noted is that there exists a Moho upheaval running in NS in the Chuxiong region and a Moho concave is generally parallel to it in Dongchuan. In addition, there exists an obvious transversal inhomogeneity for the S-wave velocity structure in upper mantle and crust in the Yunnan region. The low velocity layer exists not only in 10.0-15.0 km in upper crust in some regions, but also in 30.0-40.0 km in lower crust. Generally, the Poisson's ratio is on the high side, however it has a better co     

四川及邻区地壳流与动力特征研究

Using the broadband seismic data of the regional stations in the Sichuan Digital Seismic Network and the mobile seismic stations in this region,the receiver function inversion method was adopted to study the characteristics of crustal flow and dynamic effects in Sichuan and adjacent areas. The results show that: Velocity in the crust and upper mantle of the Sichuan basin is significantly higher than that beneath the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. The velocity v_S is from 3. 6 to 3. 8km / s in the crust and4. 5- 4. 8km / s in the upper mantle beneath the basin,and there is no low-velocity layer in the crust. The lithology shows a hard block. The v_S velocity in the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau is lower,with average v_Sof 3. 0- 3. 4km / s in the mid crust and4. 0- 4. 5km / s in the upper mantle. Low-velocity layers are distributed widely in the crust,most of which are in the mid crust at a depth of 20km- 40 km,and there are also a few low-velocity layers appearing in the upper crust at depths of 10km- 20 km and the lower crust at depths of 40km- 60 km. Affected by the northward pushing of the Indian plate,the eastward movement of the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau is blocked by the hard Sichuan basin,producing a southward and southeastward component.Such movement process is produced by the complicated forces acting in this area. Just under the action of these forces, the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau becomes a region with complicated geology and intensive earthquake activity. Obstructed by the hard Sichuan basin,the low-velocity crustal flow is delaminated and split into two or three upward and downward tributaries. The upward flow intruded into the upper crust,causing uplift of the earths urface,forming mountain crests; the downward flow intruded into the lower crust and upper mantle,resulting in thickening of the crust and depression of the Moho. The crustal flow in the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau is mainly distributed along the active faults. The crustal flow flows out from the Qiangtang block in the middle part of the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau,the mainstream flows along the NW-SE trending Xianshuihe fault zone,then turns NS and flows to the south along the Anninghe and Xiaojiang faults. There is another crustal flow in the north of the study area,flowing in the NE and E-W directions to the Longmenshan faults.     

Crustal structure using receiver function in the east part of A’nyêmaqên suture belt

Twenty broadband seismographs were deployed along Hongyuan, Sichuan to Wuwei, Gansu. 81 teleseismic events were recorded in one year. We computed receiver functions from teleseismic waveform data and obtained S wave velocity structure beneath each station along the profile by using receiver function inversion method. The results revealed that the crustal structure is very complex and crustal average S wave velocity is to be on the low side. Low velocity structure generally exists in the depth range of 10~40 km in the crust between Aba arc fault and northern edge fault of Qinling earth’s axis and it is a tectonic feature of complex geological process such as ancient A’nyêmaqên Tethys ocean from closing and side colliding to subducted plate exhumed or thrust rock slice lifted. The Moho is about 50 km depth along the profile and is slightly deeper in the south than in the north.     

Research on the 3—D Seismic Structures in Qinghai—Xizang Plateau

Based on the recording data from the analogue and broadband digital seismic stations in and around Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet)Platean,the three dimensiomal 3-D) seismic velocity stroctures in Qinghai-Xizang Plateau were obtained by using the regional body wave tomography and surface wave tomography.The results from these two tomography methods have similar characteristics for P-and S-wave velocity structures in crust and upper mantle.They show that there are remarkahle low velocity zones in the upper crust of L hasa block in the southern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and the lower crust and upper mantle of Qiangtang block in the northern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.These phenomena may be related to the different steps of collision process in southern and northern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.     

Geothermal data analysis at the high-temperature hydrothermal area in Western Sichuan

The western Sichuan hydrothermal area is located at the northeastern margin of the eastern syntaxis of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which is also the eastern end of the Mediterranean-Himalayan geothermal activity zone. There are 248 warm or hot springs in this area, and 11 have temperatures beyond the local boiling temperature. Most of these hot springs are distributed along the Jinshajiang, Dege-Xiangcheng, Ganzi-Litang, and Xianshuihe faults, forming a NW-SE hydrothermal belt. A geothermal analysis of this high-temperature hydrothermal area is an important basis for understanding the deep geodynamic process of the eastern syntaxis of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. In addition, this study offers an a priori view to utilize geothermal resources, which is important in both scientific research and application. We use gravity, magnetic, seismic, and helium isotope data to analyze the crust-mantle heat flow ratio and deep geothermal structure. The results show that the background terrestrial heat flow descends from southwest to northeast. The crustal heat ratio is not more than 60%. The high temperature hydrothermal active is related to crustal dynamics processes. Along the Batang-Litang-Kangding line, the Moho depth increases eastward, which is consistent with the changing Qc/Qm(crustal/mantle heat flow) ratio trend. The geoid in the hydrothermal zone is 4–6 km higher than the surroundings, forming a local "platform". The NW-SE striking local tensile stress zone and uplift structure in the upper and middle crust corresponds with the surface hydrothermal active zone. There is an average Curie Point Depth(CPD) of 19.5–22.5 km in Batang, Litang, and Kangding. The local shear-wave(S-wave) velocity is relatively low in the middle and lower crust. The S-wave shows a low velocity trap(Vs3.2 km s.1) at 15–30 km, which is considered a high-temperature partial melting magma, the crustal source of the hydrothermal active zone. We conclude that the hydrothermal system in this area can be divided into Batang-type and Kangding-type, both of which rely on a crustal heating cycle of atmospheric precipitation and surface water along the fracture zone. The heat is derived from the middle and lower crust: groundwater penetrates the deep faults bringing geothermal energy back to the surface and forming high-temperature springs.     

Crustal velocity structure of the Shaowu-Nanping-Pingtan transect through Fujian from deep seismic sounding-tectonic implications

The Shaowu-Nanping-Pingtan deep seismic sounding profile is located in northern Fujian Province. High-quality seismic sounding data were acquired by five large explosive blasts received by 133 digital seismic instruments along the profile. Based on seismic facies analysis and travel-time picking on shot record sections, a model of the velocity structure of upper crust was developed by finite-difference tomography of the first breaks; the 2-D P-wave velocity structure and tectonic characteristics of the crust were interpreted further by fitting of waveforms and seismic travel times. The results show that the top of the crystalline basement is buried at depths of 2.0–4.0 km, with the deepest buried up to 4.0 km within the Fuzhou Basin. The Moho interface was found to be deeper in the west and shallower in the east(i.e., 30.0 km near the coast, increasing to 33.0 km northwestward). The lower crust on the east side of the Zhenghe-Haifeng Fault Zone has a smoothly varying gradient structure, whereas on the west side it has two distinct layers with a boundary between those layers at a depth of 23 km. Seismic velocities on the west side are generally lower than on the east side; a low velocity layer is observed with a lowest speed of 6.25 km/s at a depth of 22 km on the west side, which may consist of partially molten material. The Zhenghe-Haifeng Fault is a deep crustal fault, and should be a channel for deep material upwelling; it has a direct relationship with multiple stages of continental tectonic movements in Southern China and with multiple magmatic events that started in the Proterozoic and ended in the of late Tertiary in Fujian.     

Crustal structure using receiver function in the east part of A＇nyemaqen suture belt

Twenty broadband seismographs were deployed along Hongyuan, Sichuan to Wuwei, Gansu. 81 teleseismic events were recorded in one year. We computed receiver functions from teleseismic waveform data and obtained S wave velocity structure beneath each station along the profile by using receiver function inversion method. The results revealed that the crustal structure is very complex and crustal average S wave velocity is to be on the low side. Low velocity structure generally exists in the depth range of 10～40 km in the crust between Aba arc fault and northern edge fault of Qinling earth＇s axis and it is a tectonic feature of complex geological process such as ancient A＇nyemaqen Tethys ocean from closing and side colliding to subducted plate exhumed or thrust rock slice lifted. The Moho is about 50 km depth along the profile and is slightly deeper in the south than in the north.     

S-wave velocity structure in the SE Tibetan plateau

We use observations recorded by 23 permanent and 99 temporary stations in the SE Tibetan plateau to obtain the S-wave velocity structure along two profiles by applying joint inversion with receiver functions and surface waves. The two profiles cross West Yunnan block(WYB),the Central Yunnan sub-block(CYB), South China block(SCB), and Nanpanjiang basin(NPB). The profile at ~25°N shows that the Moho interface in the CYB is deeper than those in the WYB and the NPB, and the topography and Moho depth have clear correspondence.Beneath the Xiaojiang fault zone(XJF), there exists a crustal low-velocity zone(LVZ), crossing the XJF and expanding eastward into the SCB. The NPB is shown to be of relatively high velocity. We speculate that the eastward extrusion of the Tibetan plateau may pass through the XJF and affect its eastern region, and is resisted by the rigid NPB, which has high velocity. This may be the main cause of the crustal thickening and uplift of the topography. In the Tengchong volcanic area, the crust is shown to have alternate high- and low-velocity layers, and the upper mantle is shown to be of low velocity. We consider that the magma which exists in the crust is from the upper mantle and that the complex crustal velocity structure is related to magmatic differentiation. Between the Tengchong volcanic area and the XJF, the crustal velocity is relatively high.Combining these observations with other geophysical evidence, it is indicated that rock strength is high and deformation is weak in this area, which is why the level of seismicity is quite low. The profile at ~23°N shows that the variation of the Moho depth is small from the eastern rigid block to the western active block with a wide range of LVZs. We consider that deformation to the south of the SE Tibetan Plateau is weak.     

2-D P-wave velocity structure of lithosphere in the North China tectonic zone: Constraints from the Yancheng-Baotou deep seismic profile

We obtained the 2-D P-wave velocity structure of the lithosphere in the eastern North China Craton, Shanxi fault subsidence zone, and Yinchuan-Hetao fault subsidence zone by ray tracking technology based on six groups of clearly identified crustal phases and one group of lithospheric interface reflection phases from seismic recording sections of 21 shots along the 1300-km-long Yancheng-Baotou deep seismic wide-angle reflection/refraction profile. The results indicate significant differences between the lithospheric structure east and west of the Taihang Mountains, which is a gravity-gradient zone as well as a zone of abrupt change in lithospheric thickness and a separation zone of different rock components. East of the Taihang Mountains, the Mesozoic and Cenozoic lithospheric structure of the North China Craton has undergone strong reformation and destruction, resulting in the lithosphere thickness decreasing to 70–80 km. The North China Basin has a very thick Cenozoic sedimentary cover and the deepest point of crystalline basement is about 7.0 km, with the crustal thickness decreasing to about 31.0 km. The crystalline basement of the Luxi uplift zone is relatively shallow with a depth of 1.0–2.0 km and crustal thickness of 33.0–35.0 km. The Subei Basin has a thicker Cenozoic sedimentary cover and the bottom of its crystalline basement is at about 5.0–6.0 km with a crustal thickness of 31.0–32.0 km. The Tanlu fault is a deep fracture which cuts the lithosphere with a significant velocity structure difference on either side of the fault. The Tanlu fault plays an important role in the lithospheric destruction in the eastern part of the North China Craton. West of the Taihang Mountains, the crustal thickness increases significantly. The crust thickness beneath the Shanxi fault depression zone is about 46 km, and there is a low-velocity structure with a velocity of less than 6.1 km s?? in the upper part of the middle crust. Combined with other geophysical study results, our data shows that the lithospheric destruction at the Shaanxi-Shanxi fault depression zone and the Yinchuan-Hetao rift surrounding the Ordos block is non-uniform. The lithosphere thickness is about 80–90 km in the Datong-Baotou area, 75–137 km at the Dingxiang-Shenmu region, and about 80–120 km in the Anyang-Yichuan area. The non-uniform lithospheric destruction may be related to the ancient tectonic zone surrounding the Ordos block. This zone experienced multi-period tectonic events in the long-term process of its tectonic evolution and was repeatedly transformed and weakened. The weakening level is related to the interactions with the Ordos block. The continental collision between the Cenozoic India and Eurasia plates and N-E thrusting by the Qinghai Tibet Plateau block is causing further reformation and reduction of the lithosphere.     

Electrical Structure of the Crust Beneath the Ordos Block

The Ordos block is a stable tectonic unit since the Cenozoic. Whether low-resistivity layers exist in the middle and lower crust of this kind block is an open question. This work attempts to reveal the entire crustal structure of the block based on interpretation of magnetotelluric data collected along the profile across this region. The result shows that a layered structure characterizes the crust of the Ordos block, with a low-resistivity layer at depth of about 20km, presumably associated with fluids there. In contrast, in the areas of active tectonics on the east and west of the block, there are no such layered electric structures in the crust, and the low-resistivity zones may be related to the decollement zones (or ductile shear zones) in the crust. The difference in electric structure of crust between the Ordos Block and neighboring areas is of significance to analyze the movement and deformation of varied blocks in the continent.     

Mapping crustal S—wave velocity structure with SV—component receiver function method

In this article,we analyze the characters of SV-component receiver function of teleseismic body waves and its advantages in mapping the S-wave velocity structure of crust in detail.Similar to radial receiver function,SV-component receiver function can be obtained by directly deconvolving the P-component from the SV-component of teleseismic recordings.Our analyses indicate that the change of amplitude of SV-component receiver function against the change of epicentral distance is less than that of radial receiver function.Moreover,the waveform of SV-component receiver function is simpler than the radial receiver function and gives prominence to the PS converted phases that are the most sensitive to the shear wave velocity structure in the inversion.The synthetic tests show that the convergence of SV-component receiver function inversion is faster than tnat of the radial receiver function inversion.As an example,we investigate the S-wave velocity structure beneath HIA sta-tion by using the SV-component receiver function inversion method.