利用背景噪声层析成像方法反演新疆天山及邻区S波速度结构

利用新疆地震台网52个固定台站和天山地区新布设的11个流动台为期1年的观测数据,采用背景噪声层析成像方法获得了天山及邻区(41°～48°N,79°～91°E) 10～50s的瑞利面波相速度分布图像,使用基于贝叶斯的马尔科夫链蒙特卡洛(MCMC)方法反演得到研究区地壳上地幔S波速度结构。研究结果表明,准噶尔盆地沉积盖层南深北浅,最厚处可达15km。在天山造山带北部和南部的盆山交界附近,地壳内部存在明显的向造山带方向倾斜的低速区,结合前人相关研究结果,推测塔里木盆地和准噶尔盆地向天山造山带的俯冲主要发生在中国境内天山造山带中部,东西部只存在较弱的单向俯冲。天山造山带下地壳存在明显的低速异常,反映出介质具有较低的力学强度,在挤压环境下更容易发生变形和隆升,下地壳低速异常可能与存在古板块缝合带、天山南北两侧的大陆块体双向俯冲以及挤压变形等密切相关。     

新疆天山中段地壳和上地幔顶部P波速度结构研究

天山造山带一直以来是研究盆山耦合作用的理想场所,深入理解这一地区的壳幔结构对认识天山造山带深部动力学过程具有重要意义.本研究基于2009—2020年新疆区域数字地震台网固定台站、震后架设应急流动台站以及部分宽频带流动地震台站记录到的M_S≥1.5地震到时资料,采用双差地震层析成像方法反演获得了新疆天山中段精细的地壳和上地幔顶部三维P波速度结构和地震震源参数.结果显示：新疆天山中段具有复杂的深浅构造关系,地壳浅部及上地壳P波速度结构与地表地质构造密切相关,高速异常区对应于天山造山带,低速异常区对应于沉积盆地.研究区中东段中地壳和下地壳存在较大范围低速区,与两侧准噶尔盆地和塔里木盆地上地壳和中地壳低速区相连,且准噶尔盆地和塔里木盆地下地壳及上地幔顶部双向均向新疆天山中段下方倾斜.结合前人诸多研究成果推测,在南北向构造挤压作用下,塔里木盆地与准噶尔盆地双向向天山造山带壳幔岩石圈发生“层间插入与俯冲削减”.重定位后地震分布显示,地震震源深度优势范围为0～25 km,主要沿断裂带、盆山结合部以及不同块体接触部位分布,且与壳内低速体有较好的相关性.这些结果可能为研究新疆天山中段...     

天山造山带地区瑞利面波相速度与方位各向异性

天山造山带作为世界上陆内最大的造山带之一,现今地震活动频繁,造山运动强烈,是开展陆内造山和内陆地震活动研究的天然试验场.本文利用整个天山造山带地区国内及国际台网的108个地震台站连续三年的背景噪声资料,提取了8~50 s周期的瑞利面波相速度频散曲线,并构建了整个天山造山带地区的二维瑞利面波相速度与方位各向异性分布图像.结果表明：浅部结构与地表的地质构造单元具有较大的相关性.低波速异常主要分布于沉积层厚度较大的盆地地区,而高波速异常主要分布于构造活动比较活跃的山脉地区.东天山地区中下地壳存在比较弱的低波速异常,而塔里木盆地和准噶尔盆地汇聚边缘的上地幔区域则表现为明显的高波速异常,各向异性快波方向呈现近NS向的特征,暗示着塔里木盆地和准噶尔盆地的岩石圈已经俯冲至东天山的下方.中天山地区的中下地壳至上地幔区域均呈现为明显的低波速异常,且各向异性快波方向变化比较复杂,表明中天山地区的整个岩石圈结构已经弱化,热物质上涌可能对介质的方位各向异性有一定的影响.西天山及帕米尔高原的上地幔区域存在低波速异常,各向异性表现为NW-SE方向,可能与欧亚板块的大陆岩石圈南向俯冲有关.塔里木盆地内部存在相对弱的低波速异常,推测塔里木盆地可能已经受到上涌的地幔热物质的侵蚀和破坏.     

天山造山带岩石圈密度与磁性结构研究及其动力学分析

库尔勒—吉木萨尔剖面横跨塔里木盆地北缘、天山造山带和准噶尔盆地南缘.沿剖面完成了重磁联合反演,获得了岩石圈二维密度结构与二维磁性结构.结果发现,塔里木盆地与准噶尔盆地向天山造山带对冲.在地壳范围内,塔里木盆地北缘与准噶尔盆地南缘的平均密度较高,天山造山带的地壳平均密度较低.天山造山带具有较高的磁化强度,尤其表现在准噶尔盆地南缘至天山造山带中部的整个地壳范围内,预示着天山南北可能具有不同的构造演化历史、构造运动方式以及构造运动强度.在塔里木盆地与天山造山带以及准噶尔盆地与天山造山带的接触部位的上地幔顶部分别发现了低密度体,推测在塔里木盆地由南而北向天山造山带“层间插入与俯冲消减”,以及准噶尔盆地由北而南向天山造山带俯冲的过程中塔里木盆地北缘和准噶尔盆地南缘下地壳物质被带进天山造山带上地幔顶部.库尔勒—吉木萨尔剖面岩石圈二维密度结构与磁性结构为天山造山带的构造分段提供了岩石圈尺度的依据.     

库尔勒-吉木萨尔剖面Q值结构及其动力学意义

介绍了二维横向非均匀介质Q值结构反演方法, 利用横跨天山造山带的库尔勒-吉木萨尔剖面人工地震宽角反射/折射资料实现了二维Q值结构反演, 获得了库尔勒-吉木萨尔剖面岩石圈二维Q值结构. 结果表明, 库尔勒-吉木萨尔剖面的岩石圈二维Q值结构具纵向分层、横向分区的特点. 纵向上可分为上、中、下地壳, Q值分布有规律地递增; 横向上, 剖面大体可分为塔里木盆地北缘、天山造山带和准噶尔盆地南缘. 在塔里木盆地北缘, Q值由南向北逐渐增加, 意味着塔里木盆地在向天山造山带的深部俯冲; 天山造山带内部Q值在库米什附近发生跳跃, 形成台阶状系统差异; 准噶尔盆地南缘的Q值分布给出了准噶尔盆地向博格达山下俯冲的图像. 库尔勒-吉木萨尔剖面所揭示的塔里木盆地与准噶尔盆地向天山造山带的对冲与沙雅-布尔津剖面所揭示的塔里木盆地向天山造山带"层间插入与俯冲消减"、准噶尔盆地与天山造山带主要以走滑接触形成明显的差异, 为东西天山的分段提供了岩石圈尺度的动力学依据.     

天山造山带深部探测及地球动力学研究进展

为了研究天山造山带的地球动力学,自1970年代以来,国内外在天山造山带开展了大量的深部探测工作,并取得了丰富的成果,本文对这些工作和成果进行了梳理和综述.已有研究结果表明:天山造山带的地壳厚度较大,但并无明显山根;地壳结构具有垂向分层和横向分块特征;壳幔界面不清晰,莫霍面在盆山接合部下方发生错断;壳内普遍发育低速异常体,地壳泊松比较高,暗示了地壳力学上的弱化作用;上地幔也存在波速异常体,低速异常可能与地幔热物质上涌有关,高速体可能是古老板块的岩石圈拆离碎片;莫霍面错断、Q值结构和波速异常特征可以用天山南北侧稳定地质块体往天山造山带之下俯冲来解释,这也得到高分辨率层析成像结果的支持;剪切波分裂结果暗示有相当厚的上地幔卷入了造山过程.上述资料表明天山造山带的变形和隆升是其南北侧稳定地质块体的构造挤压与壳—幔复杂耦合作用的共同结果.     

基于背景噪声和地震面波联合反演华北克拉通中部岩石圈结构

基于ChinArray三期项目布设于华北克拉通中部的流动台阵观测数据,利用背景噪声互相关和地震面波层析成像获取了研究区内6—140 s周期的瑞雷面波频散,使用蒙特卡罗非线性反演方法获得了华北克拉通中部岩石圈的高分辨率三维S波速度结构。结果显示华北克拉通不同地块的岩石圈速度结构存在显著的横向差异:其中鄂尔多斯盆地腹地整体表现为高速特征,延伸至200 km以下,但其东南缘存在小范围的低速异常;东部的华北盆地整体表现为低速特征,具有较薄的地壳和岩石圈厚度;中部造山带南北两端以及南北重力梯度线下方存在相连接的低速区域,在深处延伸至华北盆地下方;在下地壳和上地幔顶部,大同火山群区域的低速体逐渐向西偏移至鄂尔多斯盆地东北角下方;而在上地幔中,该区域的低速异常随深度增加而逐渐减弱,低速体延伸至东南方向的华北盆地下方。基于本研究获得的S波速度模型,我们认为:鄂尔多斯盆地腹地保持了克拉通特性,但其东南缘存在局部的岩石圈改造作用;华北盆地发生了强烈的岩石圈破坏减薄和地壳伸展变形;中部造山带南北端以及南北重力梯度线下方的岩石圈发生了局部的改造减薄,其机制可能都来源于华北盆地下方地幔热物质的上涌;大同火山群下方上涌的热物质从鄂尔多斯盆地东北角下方侵入下地壳,在地壳内上升过程中受到上地壳的阻挡,向东流动至大同火山群下方,形成了大同火山群的岩浆活动,其深部来源可能与西向俯冲的太平洋停滞板块有关。      

新疆天山地区壳幔S波速度结构特征及变形分析

天山地区地质构造复杂,地震活动频繁,其壳幔变形和深部结构一直受到学者们的高度关注.然而,由于天山地区地震台站资料较少,致使壳幔变形研究结果与解释存在诸多争议.本研究利用在天山地区（40°N-46°N,78°E-92°E）新布设的11个流动宽频带地震台站和该地区39个固定台站的观测资料,采用接收函数与面波联合反演方法,获得了研究区地壳厚度及壳幔S波速度结构.反演结果显示天山地区（41.5°N-44°N,78°E-88°E）平均地壳厚度为56 km,塔里木盆地（40°N-41.5°N,79°E-90°E）、准噶尔盆地（44°N-46°N,82°E-90°E）和吐鲁番盆地（42°N-43°N,88°E-90°E）具有较厚的沉积层,地壳平均厚度为43 km、53 km和46 km,整体表现为天山厚、盆地相对较薄的特征;在研究区南天山的最高峰（42°N,80.5°E）及北天山的最高峰（43.5°N,86°E）附近,中下地壳存在较厚的低速层,我们认为在强烈挤压作用下低速、低强度的中下地壳强烈变形可能是导致该区域快速隆升的主要原因.在研究区中部,位于塔里木盆地与准噶尔盆地之间的天山地区,中下地壳及上地幔均存在低速层,且盆地莫霍面向天山倾斜明显.结合前人的研究成果推测,在南北向构造挤压应力作用下,塔里木盆地与准噶尔盆地发生了向天山造山带方向的双向壳幔层间插入俯冲.在研究区东部,塔里木盆地东北缘与天山东部接触带的地壳内没有明显的低速层,推测应处在早期挤压变形状态,该区域的壳幔边界为缓变的速度梯度带,可能与上地幔热物质侵入或渗透有关.     

大别造山带地壳结构反演及其动力学意义

大别造山带是全球最大的碰撞造山带之一,三叠纪时期,扬子板块深俯冲至地幔的200km处,经历了超高压变质作用。白垩纪早期,该造山带发生了强烈的伸展和垮塌,以及大规模的后造山地幔源岩浆侵入和火山活动。本研究收集了大别造山带及其邻区(29°~34°N、114°~119°E)的震相资料,采用双差层析成像技术,对大别造山带地壳结构进行反演,研究地壳结构与后造山地幔源岩浆侵入和火山活动之间的关系。结果显示,大别造山带中上地壳存在低速结构,该低速结构可能是熔融的幔源侵入物质,由于俯冲板片断裂,或下地壳/岩石圈发生拆沉,导致软流圈物质上涌至地壳底部、侵入地壳中,形成大别造山带地壳中的低速结构;同时,合肥盆地显示为低速区,可能是受浅部沉积层影响。研究中横切大别山的4条剖面显示,该地区下方存在北向倾斜高速结构,该高速结构可能是襄樊-广济断层,或者是扬子板块向华北板块下方俯冲的遗迹。     

库尔勒-吉木萨尔剖面Q值结构及其动力学意义

介绍了二维横向非均匀介质Q值结构反演方法, 利用横跨天山造山带的库尔勒-吉木萨尔剖面人工地震宽角反射/折射资料实现了二维Q值结构反演, 获得了库尔 勒-吉木萨尔剖面岩石圈二维Q值结构. 结果表明, 库尔勒-吉木萨尔剖面的岩石圈二维Q值结构具纵向分层、横向分区的特点. 纵向上可分为上、中、下地壳, Q值分布有规律地递增; 横向上, 剖面大体可分为塔里木盆地北缘、天山造山带和准噶尔盆地南缘. 在塔里木盆地北缘, Q值由南向北逐渐增加, 意味着塔里木盆地在向天山造山带的深部俯冲; 天山造山带内部Q值在库米什附近发生跳跃, 形成台阶状系统差异; 准噶尔盆地南缘的Q值分布给出了准噶尔盆地向博格达山下俯冲的图像. 库尔勒-吉木萨尔剖面所揭示的塔里木盆地与准噶尔盆地向天山造山带的对冲与沙雅-布尔津剖面所揭示的塔里木盆地向天山造山带“层间插入与俯冲消减”、准噶尔盆地与天山造山带主要以走滑接触形成明显的差异, 为东西天山的分段提供了岩石圈尺度的动力学依据.     

JOINT INVERSION OF SURFACE WAVE DISPERSION AND RECEIVER FUNCTIONS FOR CRUSTAL AND UPPERMOST MANTLE STRUCTURE BENEATH CHINESE TIENSHAN AND ITS ADJACENT AREAS

The Tienshan orogenic belt is one of the most active intracontinental orogenic belts in the world. Studying the deep crust-mantle structure in this area is of great significance for understanding the deep dynamics of the Tienshan orogen. The distribution of fixed seismic stations in the Tianshan orogenic belt is sparse. The low resolution of the existing tomographic results in the Tienshan orogenic belt has affected the in-depth understanding of the deep dynamics of the Tienshan orogenic belt. In this paper, the observation data of 52 mobile seismic stations in the Xinjiang Seismic Network and the 11 new seismic stations in the Tienshan area for one-year observations are used. The seismic ambient noise tomography method is used to obtain the Rayleigh surface wave velocity distribution image in the range of 10~50s beneath the Chinese Tienshan and its adjacent areas (41°~48° N, 79°~91° E). The joint inversion of surface wave and receiver function reveals the S-wave velocity structure of the crust and uppermost mantle and the crustal thickness below the station beneath the Chinese Tienshan area(41°~46° N, 79°~91° E). The use of observation data from mobile stations and new fixed seismic stations has improved the resolution of surface wave phase velocity imaging and S-wave velocity structure models in the study area.
The results show that there are many obvious low-velocity layers in the crust near the basin-bearing zone in the northern Tienshan Mountains and the southern Tienshan Mountains. There are significant differences in the structural characteristics and distribution range of the low-velocity zone in the northern margin and the southern margin. Combining previous research results on artificial seismic profiles, receiver function profiles, teleseismic tomography, and continental subduction simulation experiments, it is speculated that the subduction of the Tarim Basin and the Junggar Basin to the Tienshan orogenic belt mainly occurs in the middle of the Chinese Tienshan orogenic belt, and the subduction of the southern margin of the Tienshan Mountains is larger than that of the northern margin, and the subduction of the eastern crust is not obvious or in the early subduction stage. There are many low-velocity layers in the inner crust of the Tienshan orogenic belt, and most of them correspond to the strong uplifting areas that are currently occurring. The thickness of the crust below the Tienshan orogenic belt is between 55km and 63km. The thickness of the crust(about 63km)is the largest near the BLT seismic station in the Bazhou region of Xinjiang. The average crustal thickness of the Tarim Basin is about 45km, and that of the Junggar Basin is 47km. The S-wave velocity structure obtained in this study can provide a new deep basis for the study of the segmentation of the Tienshan orogenic belt and the difference of the basin-mountain coupling type.     

Crust-mantle transitional zone of Tianshan orogenic belt and Junggar Basin and its geodynamic implication

The traveling time of the reflection waves of each shot point from the crust-mantle transitional zone has been obtained by data processing using wavelet transform to the waves reflected from the crust-mantle transitional zone. The crust-mantle transitional zone of the Xayar-Burjing geoscience transect can be divided into three sections: the northern margin of the Tarim Basin, the Tianshan orogenic belt and Junggar Basin. The crust-mantle transitional zone is composed mainly of first-order discontinuity in the Tarim Basin and the Junggar Basin, but in the Tianshan orogenic belt, it is composed of 7–8 thin layers which are 2-3 km in thickness and high and low alternatively in velocity, with a total thickness of about 20km. The discovery of the crust-mantle transitional zone of the Tianshan orogenic belt and Junggar Basin and their differences in tectonic features provide evidence for the creation of the geodynamic model “lithospheric subduction with intrusion layers in crust” for the Tianshan orogenic belt.     

FOCAL MECHANISM SOLUTION AND TECTONIC STRESS FIELD CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MIDDLE TIANSHAN MOUNTAINS,XINJIANG

The middle part of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang is located in the north-central part of the Tianshan orogenic belt, between the rigid Tarim Basin and Junggar Basin. It is one of the regions with frequent deformation and strong earthquake activities. In this paper, 492 M_S>2.5 earthquake events recorded by Xinjiang seismograph network from 2009 to 2018 were collected. The M_S3.5 earthquake was taken as the boundary, the focal mechanism solutions of the earthquake events in this region were calculated by CAP method and FOCEMEC method respectively. At the same time the focal mechanism solutions of GCMT recorded historical earthquake events in this region were also collected. According to the global stress map classification standard, the moderate-strong earthquakes in the region are mainly dominated by thrust with a certain slip component, which are distributed near the combined belts of the Tarim Basin, Junggar Basin, Turpan Basin and Yili Basin with Tianshan Mountains. The thrust component decreases from south to north, while the strike-slip component increases. The spatial distribution characteristics of the tectonic stress field in the middle section of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang are obtained by using the damped regional-scale stress field inversion method. The maximum principal compressive stress in axis the study area rotated in a fan shape from west to east, the NW direction in the western section gradually shifted to NE direction, its elevation angle is nearly horizontal, in the state of near horizontal compression. The minimum principal compressive stress axis is nearly EW, and the elevation angle is nearly vertical. Influenced by large fault zones such as Kashi River, Bolhinur, Nalati, Fukang, the southern margin of the Junggar and the north Beiluntai, the local regional stress field presents complex diversity. Under the influence of the northward extrusion of Pamir and Tarim blocks, the whole Tianshan is shortened by compression, but its shortening rate decreases from south to north and from west to east, the stress shape factor increases gradually from west to east, the intermediate principal compressive stress axis exhibits a change in compression to extension. There are some differences in the characteristics of tectonic stress field between the north and south of Tianshan Mountains. The regional maximum principal compressive stress axis is 15° north by east on the south side, while it is nearly NS on the north side. The deformation of the Tianshan Mountains and the two basins on both sides is obviously larger than that in the inside of the mountain. Changes in the crustal shortening rate caused by the rotation of the rigid Tarim block and Junggar block to the relatively soft Tianshan block, as well as the uplifts of Borokonu and Bogda Mountains, the comprehensive influence of the material westward expansion constitute the stress field distribution characteristics of the north and south sides of the middle section of Tianshan Mountains. The recent two M_S6.6 earthquakes in the region caused the regional stress field to rotate counterclockwise. The post-earthquake stress field and the main source focal mechanism solution tend to be consistent. The seismic activity in the study area is week in the south and strong in the north. The focal depth is about 20km. Most strike-slip earthquakes occur near the junction belt of the Tianshan and Junggar Basin.     

焉耆盆地北缘和静逆断裂-褶皱带第四纪变形

焉耆盆地是塔里木盆地东北缘天山山间的重要坳陷区,盆地北缘发育的和静逆断裂-褶皱带是一条现今活动强烈的逆断裂-褶皱带,对其第四纪以来缩短量和隆升量的计算有利于分析该区域的构造活动情况,对缩短速率和隆升速率的估计可以与天山造山带其他区域的活动速率进行横向对比,从而反映出焉耆盆地在天山晚新生代构造变形的作用。在深部资料不足的情况下,对背斜形态完整、构造样式简单的和静逆断裂-褶皱带,利用地表可获得的地层和断层产状,通过恢复褶皱几何形态,计算褶皱的缩短量、隆升量和断层滑动量,得到逆断裂-褶皱带早更新世晚期(1.8Ma)、中更新世(780ka)和晚更新世中期(80ka)以来的缩短量分别为1.79km、0.88km和26m,初步估计的缩短速率分别为0.99mm/a、1.13mm/a和0.33mm/a。显示和静逆断裂-褶皱带自开始形成以来构造活动强度并不一致。与地壳形变观测结果对比,作为南天山东段最主要的坳陷区,焉耆盆地吸收了这一区域(86°～88°E)的大部分地壳缩短,且主要表现为盆地北缘新生逆断裂-褶皱带的强烈变形。     

Two-dimensional finite element modeling on the crustal shortening and the surface erosion-sedimentation process across northern piedmont of the Tianshan Mountains

The Tianshan Mountains,located in the northwestern China,are bounded by the Tarim Basin to south and the Junggar Basin to north.In the north piedmont of this mountain range,ongoing thrusting and folding forms a set of roughly parallel anticlines.Geological observations predicted that averaged over last~1 Ma time scale,the shortening rates of these anticlines are about2.1–5.5 mm/a;However by averaged over about 10±2 kyr,their shortening rates reduce to merely about 1.25±0.5 mm/a.The slow shortening of the anticlines in the last~10±2 kyr is coarsely concurrent in time with the last global deglaciation.Here,we use a two-dimensional finite element model to explore crustal deformation across north piedmont of the Tianshan Mountains under various erosion-sedimentation conditions that are assumed to represent the climate-controlled surface process.Numerical experiments show that with a relatively weak erosion-sedimentation strength,the crustal shortening is accommodated mainly by north piedmont of the Tianshan Mountains,similar to the high shortening rate of anticlines averaged over the last~1Ma.By increasing erosion-sedimentation strength,the resultant crustal shortening is transformed gradually toward the Tianshan Mountains,resulting in the shortening rate in its north piedmont being decelerated to what is observed as averaged over the last~10±2 kyr.This result suggests that erosion and sedimentation could play an important role mechanically on strain localization across an intra-continent active tectonic belt.Hence,if the climate change around the last global deglaciation could be simply representative to the enhancement of surface erosion and sedimentation across the pre-existed Tianshan Mountains and its foreland,our models indicate that the observed shortening-rate variations averaged over~1 Ma and~10±2kyr time scales around north piedmont of the Tianshan Mountains should be resulted from climate changes.     

Shear wave velocity structure of the crust and upper mantle underneath the Tianshan orosenic belt

From April,2003 to September,2004,a passive broadband seismic array consisting of 60 stations was deployed over the Tianshan orogenic belt by State Key Laboratory of Earthquake Dynamics,Institute of Geology,China Earthquake Administration.Among them,51 stations make up an about 500-km-long profile across the Tianshan Mountains from Kuytun to Kuqa.The receiver function profile and S-wave velocity structure of the crust and upper mantle down to 100 km deep are obtained by using the receiver function method (Liu et al.1996,2000).The main results can be summarized as follows:(1) A clear mountain root does not exist beneath the Tianshan Mountains,and the crust-mantle boundaries underneath the stations mostly have transitional structures.This implies that the material differentiation between the crust and mantle is not yet accomplished and the orogenic process is still going on.(2)The crust beneath the Tianshan Mountains has laterally blocked structures in direction perpendicular to the mountain strike,and the crust-mantle boundary has a clear dislocation structure.Both of them correspond to each other.(3)The offsets of the Moho discontinuity are highly correlated to the tectonic borders on the surface and that corresponding to the frontal southern Tianshan fault reaches to 14 km.This manifests that large vertical divergent movement took place between different blocks.This supports the discontinuous model of the Tianshan orogeny,and the Tarim block subduction is restricted only to the southern side of the South Tianshan.(4)Inside the upper and middle crust of the Tianshan Mountains exist several low-velocity bodies correlated with high seismicity located on the mountain-basin jointures on both sides of the mountain and between different blocks,and the low-velocity bodies on the mountain-basin jointures are inclined obviously to the mountain.This implies that the low-velocity bodies may be correlated closely to the thrust and subduction of the basins on both sides of the mountain,the splicing of adjacent blocks and the fast uplift of the Tianshan Mountains.     

Shear wave velocity structure of the crust and upper mantle underneath the Tianshan orogenic belt

From April, 2003 to September, 2004, a passive broadband seismic array consisting of 60 stations was deployed over the Tianshan orogenic belt by State Key Laboratory of Earthquake Dynamics, Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration. Among them, 51 stations make up an about 500-km-long profile across the Tianshan Mountains from Kuytun to Kuqa. The receiver function profile and S-wave velocity structure of the crust and upper mantle down to 100 km deep are obtained by using the re-ceiver function method (Liu et al. 1996, 2000). The main results can be summarized as follows: (1) A clear mountain root does not exist beneath the Tianshan Mountains, and the crust-mantle boundaries underneath the stations mostly have transitional structures. This implies that the material differentia-tion between the crust and mantle is not yet accomplished and the orogenic process is still going on. (2) The crust beneath the Tianshan Mountains has laterally blocked structures in direction perpendicular to the mountain strike, and the crust-mantle boundary has a clear dislocation structure. Both of them correspond to each other. (3) The offsets of the Moho discontinuity are highly correlated to the tectonic borders on the surface and that corresponding to the frontal southern Tianshan fault reaches to 14 km. This manifests that large vertical divergent movement took place between different blocks. This sup-ports the discontinuous model of the Tianshan orogeny, and the Tarim block subduction is restricted only to the southern side of the South Tianshan. (4) Inside the upper and middle crust of the Tianshan Mountains exist several low-velocity bodies correlated with high seismicity located on the moun-tain-basin jointures on both sides of the mountain and between different blocks, and the low-velocity bodies on the mountain-basin jointures are inclined obviously to the mountain. This implies that the low-velocity bodies may be correlated closely to the thrust and subduction of the basins on both sides of the mountain, the splicing of adjacent blocks and the fast uplift of the Tianshan Mountains.