Patterns of rapid and extremely rapid (avalanche) sedimentation: implications for marine oil and gas generation

According to recent data from seas and oceans, marine sediments have extremely uneven thicknesses varying from tens of meters to 15–20 km. Sedimentary material is localized mainly at three global levels: river–sea boundary (zero level, continental base of erosion), continental rise (3–5 km), and trenches (6–11 km). As a result of extremely rapid (“avalanche”) deposition in trenches, large amounts of organic matter accumulate in bottom sediments, thus providing their high petroleum reservoir potential. Sediments in areas of rapid sedimentation have a particular rheology, which causes them to move downslope hundreds of kilometers on the sea floor. Continental rise is a global area where gravitites accelerate, with their potential energy due to a depth difference of 3 to 5 km. Global-scale drift of sedimentary masses driven by eustatic sea level change produces very large deposition zones rich in oil and gas at the continental rise (global piedmont), i.e., at the second level. Predicted oil and gas fields of this kind have been discovered recently at sea depths over 3.5 km, which lie in stock for future development through the 21st century.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987112000849

New methods are presented for processing and interpretation of shallow marine differential magnetic data,including constructing maps of offshore total magnetic anomalies with an extremely high resolution of up to 1-2 nT,mapping weak anomalies of 5-10 nT caused by mineralization effects at the contacts of hydrocarbons with host rocks,estimating depths to upper and lower boundaries of anomalous magnetic sources,and estimating thickness of magnetic layers and boundaries of tectonic blocks. Horizontal dimensions of tectonic blocks in the so-called "seismic gap" region in the central Kuril Arc vary from 10 to 100 km,with typical dimensions of 25-30 km.The area of the "seismic gap" is a zone of intense tectonic activity and recent volcanism.Deep sources causing magnetic anomalies in the area are similar to the "magnetic belt" near Hokkaido. In the southern and central parts of Barents Sea,tectonic blocks with widths of 30-100 km,and upper and lower boundaries of magnetic layers ranging from depths of 10 to 5 km and 18 to 30 km are calculated.Models of the magnetic layer underlying the Mezen Basin in an inland part of the White Sea-Barents Sea paleorift indicate depths to the lower boundary of the layer of 12-30 km.Weak local magnetic anomalies of 2-5 nT in the northern and central Caspian Sea were identified using the new methods,and drilling confirms that the anomalies are related to concentrations of hydrocarbon.Two layers causing magnetic anomalies are identified in the northern Caspian Sea from magnetic anomaly spectra.The upper layer lies immediately beneath the sea bottom and the lower layer occurs at depths between 30-40 m and 150-200 m.     

济阳坳陷中浅层气溶脱机制及成藏规律

济阳坳陷中的石油伴生气是中浅层气藏的主要来源,生物气和油藏中原油降解形成的甲烷气也可以提供部分气源.中浅层气藏形成的关键在于溶解气的脱气及其进一步封存,影响脱气的主要因素是压力、温度和油气性质,其中压力是主导因素.在济阳坳陷,中浅层气藏分布在500～2 000 m间.地下温压场对该区中浅层天然气藏的形成和分布起控制作用,只有当地层饱和压力差低于3 Mpa时,才会形成气顶或气层,济阳坳陷脱气点的对应深度是1 500～2 000 m.中浅层气藏在济阳坳陷中的分布主要与断层有关,断层是天然气垂向运移的主要通道,运移过程中的分异是中浅层气藏形成的重要机制.     

Lithospheric control on late Cenozoic magmatism at the boundary of the Tuva-Mongolian Massif,Khubsugul area,northern Mongolia

Late Cenozoic lavas from the western wall of the Khubsugul rift trough were erupted within the Tuva-Mongolian Massif with a pre-Vendian basement, and the lavas in the eastern wall of the trough were erupted within Early Caledonian terranes. The composition of the lavas was determined to vary across the strike of the boundary of the Tuva-Mongolian Massif. The western wall of the trough is dominated by hawaiites and contains subordinate volumes of basanites and much lower amounts of olivine tholeiites and basaltic trachyandesites. The eastern wall contains, in addition to hawaiites, widespread olivine tholeiites and basaltic andesites with subordinate amounts of basaltic trachyandesites. The boundary zone contains practically all rock types (except basaltic andesites) in roughly equal proportions. The trace-element simulations of the partial melting processes demonstrates that the basaltic magmas were produced mainly by 0.5–5% partial melting of garnet lherzolite, with the probable mixing with partial melts derived from spinel lherzolite. The main factor controlling the compositional variations of the lavas was likely the variable depths of their derivation due to variations in the lithosphere thickness at the boundary of the Tuva-Mongolian Massif. Based on the assumption that the source of the magmas was relatively homogeneous and on the results of simulations with the use of experimental data on peridotite melting, we concluded that the asthenospheric sources of the basaltic magmas occurred at depths of 75 ± 10 km (24.6 ± 3.2 kbar) beneath the Tuva-Mongolian Massif and at 60 ± 12 km (20.1 ± 3.8 kbar) beneath the Early Caledonian terranes.     

Hydrogeological conditions of the Pre-Yenisei petroleum subprovince

The study presents results of a hydrogeological and hydrogeological research conducted on the Mesozoic–Cenozoic sedimentary cover and Precambrian–Paleozoic platform deposits of the Pre-Yenisei petroleum subprovince. The hydrogeological structure of the study area is found to be of a transition type from the West Siberian to Tunguska artesian basins, with its own set of pertinent parameters, such as groundwater depths, rock permeabilities, water chemistry and gas compositions, gas saturation, vertical zoning, etc. The upper part of the sedimentary section is known to be flushed with the infiltration waters to depths of 2–2.5 km. The deeper intervals contain the older sedimentary waters with the moderate metamorphic grade. The results of the study provide implications for the petroleum potential of the area of interest.     

Geological structure,history of development,and oil and gas bearing properties of the Dongying Depression (Basin of Bohai Bay)

The basin of Bohai Bay is formed by numerous large and small blocks of the earth’s crust submerged to different depths along large faults. Depressions occur along submerged limbs of the largest blocks, which are depocenters of sediment accumulation, mainly for deep water sediments. Eighty depressions are located in this territory, which measures 200000 km², and the Dongying Depression is one of the largest among them. During the Cenozoic age, the amplitude of submersion within the limits of this depression reached 6–9 km. Numerous deposits of oil and gas have been found in the sediments formed during this period, which are mainly gritstones, sandstones, clays, and pyroshales.     

Structure of the sedimentary cover of the Pugachevo mud volcano area in Sakhalin: Evidence from geophysical modeling

The geological-geophysical data on the Pugachevo mud volcano group located in the zone of the submeridional Central Sakhalin Fault (CSF) are analyzed. The results of the density and geothermal modeling along two orthogonal profiles passing through the central part of the Pugachevo area are examined. It is found that the Late Cretaceous sequence of this fault-related area contains a subvertical narrow anomalous deconsolidation cone-shaped zone widening from 1 km on the surface to 4 km at its base (at the depths more than 6 km). The density of the deconsolidation blocks is 2.20–2.22 g/cm³, whereas that of the adjacent blocks reaches around 2.4–2.5 g/cm³. The largest deconsolidation block is located in the Lower Cretaceous Ai Formation, where a vast reservoir zone with mainly hydrocarbon gas (HC) is inferred at depths of more than 4400 m with temperatures of more than 140°C. The modeling results showed that the main reservoir of gases periodically ejected from the Pugachevo mud volcano is localized in the Ai Formation sequence in the tectonically weakened zone of the CSF at depths of 4.5–5.6 km. The overlying sequences contain smaller intermediate reservoirs. The Pugachevo area is promising for economic hydrocarbon reservoirs.     

东台坳陷现今地温场特征与油藏分布关系

东台坳陷为中国东部苏北盆地油气资源最丰富的地区。为了加深对东台坳陷地温场和油藏关系的理解,根据符合地温场研究要求的54口井连续测温资料和243口井试油温度数据,获得了深度1000～3500m地温、E2s-K2t各层位界面地温和各层地温梯度。地温场分布以凹陷或次凹成独立单元,地温随深度加深而线性增高,地温异常不明显。地温梯度总体呈现"浅层低、深层高"的特点,E2s-E2d地温梯度总体在22～30℃/km之间,E1f-K2t在28～38℃/km之间,平均约为30℃/km。不同深度的地温和地温梯度分布模式相似,正向构造单元高,负向构造单元低;而不同层位的地温分布规律则相反,即凹陷内温度高,凸起和隆起上的温度低。基底构造形态、沉积盖层厚度、深大断裂、地下水、地层放射性生热等因素决定了该坳陷总体为温盆特征。大部分地区目前还处在油气液态窗内,绝大多数油藏分布高于60℃的油气勘探开发黄金区域。     

Petrological-geophysical models of the internal structure of the lithospheric mantle of the Siberian Craton

Based on the simultaneous inversion of unique ultralong-range seismic profiles Craton, Kimberlite, Meteorite, and Rift, sourced by peaceful nuclear and chemical explosions, and petrological and geochemical data on the composition of xenoliths of garnet peridotite and fertile primitive mantle material, the first reconstruction was obtained for the thermal state and density of the lithospheric mantle of the Siberian craton at depths of 100–300 km accounting for the effects of phase transformation, anharmonicity, and anelasticity. The upper mantle beneath Siberia is characterized by significant variations in seismic velocities, relief of seismic boundaries, degree of layering, and distribution of temperature and density. The mapping of the present-day lateral and vertical variations in the thermal state of the mantle showed that temperatures in the central part of the craton at depths of 100–200 km are somewhat lower than those at the periphery and 300–400°C lower than the mean temperature of tectonically younger mantle surrounding the craton. The temperature profiles derived from the seismic models lie between the 32.5 and 35 mW/m² conductive geotherms, and the mantle heat flow was estimated as 11–17 mW/m². The depth of the base of the cratonic thermal lithosphere (thermal boundary layer) is close to the 1450 ± 100°C isotherm at 300 ± 30 km, which is consistent with published heat flow, thermobarometry, and seismic tomography data. It was shown that the density distribution in the Siberian cratonic mantle cannot be described by a single homogeneous composition, either depleted or enriched. In addition to thermal anomalies, the mantle density heterogeneities must be related to variations in chemical composition with depth. This implies significant fertilization at depths greater than 180–200 km and is compatible with the existence of chemical stratification in the lithospheric mantle of the craton. In the asthenosphere-lithosphere transition zone, the craton root material is not very different in chemical composition, thermal regime, and density from the underlying asthenosphere. It was shown that minor variations in the chemical composition of the cratonic mantle and position of chemical (petrological) boundaries and the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary cannot be reliably determined from the interpretation of seismic velocity models only.     

Upper mantle roots of Siberian craton basement structures along the Rift DSS profile

We investigate the upper mantle velocity structure through processing first arrival data from peaceful nuclear explosions. The reported 2D model has been obtained by ray tracing for a spherical Earth, unlike the classical plane-approximation approach with subsequent spherical symmetry corrections, which is not always applicable to a laterally heterogeneous subsurface. The upper mantle velocity highs and lows imaged to 200–220 km depths show obvious correlation with major structures of the craton basement. Namely, low-velocity zones are observed beneath basins, the largest (to 8.0–8.1 km/s) under the Vendian–Early Cambrian Sayan–Yenisei syneclise. A discontinuous high-velocity layer (8.6–8.7 km/s) at depths between 150 and 240 km is underlain by a zone of lower velocity (8.50–8.55 km/s) down to the 410 km discontinuity, where the velocity at the top of the transition zone is 9.4–9.5 km/s.     

Variation in the geochemistry of mantle sources for tholeiitic and calc-alkaline mafic magmas,Western Sunda volcanic arc,Indonesia

Quaternary lavas of the normal island-arc basalt—andesite—dacite association in the islands of Java and Bali range from those belonging to tholeiitic series over Benioff-zone depths of ～ 150 km to high-K calc-alkaline series over Benioff-zone depths of 250 km. More abundant and diverse calc-alkaline lavas are found over intermediate Benioff-zone depths. On average, basaltic lavas become slightly more alkaline (largely due to increased K contents) with increasing depth to the Benioff zone. Levels of incompatible minor and trace elements (K, Rb, Cs, Ba, Nb, U, Th, light REE) show a corresponding increase of almost an order of magnitude.Low average Mg-numbers (～ 0.52) and Ni and Cr abundances (15–25 and 35–60 ppm, respectively) of basaltic lavas suggest that few lavas representing primary mantle-derived magma compositions are present. Calculated primary basaltic magma compositions for most tholeiitic and calc-alkaline volcanic centres are olivine tholeiites with 15–30% ol. The single high-K calc-alkaline centre considered yielded transitional alkali olivine basalt—basanite primary magma compositions. These calculated magma compositions suggest that the percentage of mantle melting decreases with increasing depth to the Benioff zone (from >25 to <10%), while the corresponding depth of magma separation increases from ～ 30 to 60 km.Calculation of REE patterns for basaltic magmas on the basis of peridotitic mantle sources with spinel lherzolite, amphibole lherzolite or garnet lherzolite mineralogy, and model REE levels of twice chondritic abundances, indicates that change in the conditions of magma genesis alone cannot explain the observed change in light-REE abundances of basaltic lavas with increasing depth to the Benioff zone. Complementary calculations of the REE levels of mantle sources required to yield the average tholeiitic, calc-alkaline and high-K calc-alkaline basaltic magma indicate that light-REE abundances must increase from 2–3 to 7–8 times chondrites with increasing depth to the Benioff zone. The percentages of mantle melting favoured on REE evidence are lower than those indicated by major-element considerations.The observed variation in incompatible element geochemistry of mantle magma sources is thought to be related directly or indirectly to dehydration and partial-melting processes affecting subducted oceanic crust. The possible nature of this relationship is discussed.     

油气田勘查中的核探测技术和异常解释方法

介绍了油气田勘查中应用核探测技术和异常解释模式所取得的一些成果。实践表明核探测技术能快速解决油气田边界位置的确定、解释并计算油气田的埋藏深度。利用大庆油田油气化探(含放射性)资料,解释并计算了油气田的埋藏深度。经对已知油气藏35口油气化探井(其中12口为含放射性井)的检验,预测埋深与实际埋深相对误差为≥30%的井有6口,其中2口为含放射性井,为总井数的17 14%(其中含放射性井占总含放射性井的16 67%);相对误差<30%的井有29口,其中10口井为含放射性井,为总井数的82 86%(其中含放射性井占总含放射性井的83 33%)。充分证明了所建立的确定油气藏空间位置数学模型的可行性、有效性和实用性。放射性测量所用的仪器具有灵敏度高、轻便、易携带和操作简单等特点,它的异常解释处理也较为简单,效果也较好。因此,在油气田地质勘查中,它有很大的发展潜力,值得进一步开展试验、探索和研究。     

江苏黄桥无机油气的地球化学演化模式与富集规律

江苏黄桥CO2气田中的CO2,历来被认为是幔源CO2。但最近的研究结果表明,这种CO2并非幔源CO2。而是幔源CH4上升至地表（－3000m-0m)被氧化的结果。黄桥CO2气田犹如一床棉被覆盖在无机油气上方,形成气被,其下就是储量巨大的凝析油和CH4气田。黄桥地区无机油气藏的找矿方向在其CO2气田的下面深部,勘探重点放在地下5000－10000m之间的构造富集的有利部位,研究提出了一种在未知区既较为经济,又能较大提高钻井成功率的无机油气藏立体勘查模型。     

Results of lithospheric studies from long-range profiles in Siberia

Several long-range seismic profiles, obtained during the last ten years in Siberia, show the complicated lithospheric structure of the Siberian platforms. The three component observations, conducted at distances up to 3000 km, made it possible to obtain information on P- and S-velocities in the crust, on P-velocity and Q-factor for the upper mantle, and on the seismic boundaries responsible for reflected, refracted and converted waves down to a depth of 400–700 km.The crustal models are typical of old platforms of Eurasia: the average thickness of 40 km, three layers with P-velocities 6.2, 6.5, 7.0 km/s and thicknesses of 10–15 km are distinguished. The depth to the M discontinuity varies from 45–50 km beneath the old Tunguss depression, to 35–40 km beneath the younger Vilyui basin. The most complicated Moho structure is observed in the boundary between the West Siberian and the Siberian platforms.A strong inhomogeneity of P-velocity models was revealed for the upper mantle. The horizontal inhomogeneities are more larger in the uppermost mantle to depths of 80–100 km, where P-velocities vary from 8.0–8.2 km/s beneath the young West Siberian plate to 8.4–8.6 km/s beneath some blocks of the Siberian craton. The fine vertical inhomogeneity was studied with reflections correlated after computer processing of seismograms. They outlined several low-velocity layers 20–50 km thick. The layers were characterized by low Q as well.Intensive waves were recorded from the transition zone between the upper and lower mantle. The top of the zone is nearly horizontal in the area; its depth is 400 ± 25 km. The bottom of the zone lies at about 700 km.     

Mesozoic-Cenozoic Tectonics of the Yellow Sea and Oil-Gas Exploration

The purpose of the present study was to study the tectonics of the Yellow Sea. Although oil- gas exploration has been undertaken for more than 30 years in the southern Yellow Sea, the exploration progress has achieved little. There are three tectonic periods with near N–S trending shortening and compression (260–200 Ma, 135–52 Ma and 23–0.78 Ma) and three tectonic periods with near E–W trending shortening and compression (200–135 Ma, 52–23 Ma and 0.78 Ma) at the Yellow Sea and adjacent areas during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. The Indosinian tectonic period is the collision period between the Sino-Korean and Yangtze Plates, which formed the basic tectonic framework for the Yellow Sea area. There were strong intraplate deformations during the Yanshanian (200–135 Ma) and Sichuanian (135–52 Ma) periods with different tectonic models, which are also the main formation periods for endogenic metallic mineral deposits around the Yellow Sea. The three tectonic periods during the Cenozoic affect important influences for forming oil-gas reservoirs. The Eocene–Oligocene (52–23 Ma) is the main forming period for oil-gas sources. The Miocene–Early Pleistocene (23–0.78 Ma) was a period of favorable passage for oil-gas migration along NNE trending faults. Since the Middle Pleistocene (0.78 Ma) the NNE trending faults are closed and make good conditions for the reservation of oil-gas. The authors suggest that we pay more attention to the oil-gas exploration at the intersections between the NNE trending existing faults and Paleogene– Neogene systems in the southern Yellow Sea area.     

Mass anomalies and the structure of the earth

Details of the Earth's geoid and gravity fields are summarized and examined. A set of 9274 centerpoints of 5 ° cubes (referred to as bloblets) represents subducted slab locations. This set, developed from reconstructed plate history, was provided by the first author of Lithgow-Berttelloni et. al. [1998] and is the best available estimate of locations of subduction material in the Earth's mantle. Two global mass solutions offered here utilize 1) only those bloblets in the outer 800 km, and 2) only those bloblets in the outer 1400 km. Since each bloblet location represents the center of a 5-degree cube [a larger volume than appropriate for a fragment of subducted lithosphere] it was necessary in the 800 km depth limit model to reduce their density to 0.004 grams/cc, and by increasing bloblet density six times at 797.5 km depth to simulate the piling up of slab material beneath the 670 km boundary. The 1400 km depth limit model [commensurate with evidence of slab penetration into the lower mantle from seismic tomography] required estimating densities for the bloblets at nine different mantle depths. An additional four point-masses at 3000 km depth (to simulate CMB topography, unrelated to dynamic topography) completes the mass models. Both these models show reasonable agreement to patterns and magnitudes for degrees 2–10, 3–10, 4–10, 2–3, 3, and 2 geoid fields with both geometric and hydrostatic flattening. These models support an assessment that topography at the core mantle boundary (CMB) may be produced by processes within the core rather than from within the mantle. Possible causes for the CMB topography are discussed.     

塔中北斜坡碳酸盐岩岩溶储层油气差异富集特征

塔中北斜坡下奥陶统岩溶储层基本为低孔低渗储层,主要的储集空间为溶蚀孔、洞和断裂活动产生的裂缝。储层呈现“横向连片,纵向分层”特点,优质储层主要呈层状叠合分布在不整合面下0~200m范围内的垂直渗流带和水平潜流带。岩溶储层具有大面积、多储集段含油气的特点,平面上整体表现为“西油东气,内油外气”的分布特征。鹰山组直接盖层良3—5段致密灰岩平面上具有“东厚西薄,北厚南薄”的分布特点,剖面上呈现“块状分布,横向相连,纵向叠置”的展布特征。鹰山组内部多套高阻层相互叠置,与下伏含油气层构成良好的配置关系,形成一套或多套储盖组合,控制油气的分层聚集。塔中北斜坡发育着一系列NE向左行走滑断裂,以之为边界,可以分为若干个构造区块。区块内油气水正常分异,相对高的部位聚集油气、低部位出水。块体内部油气多富集在距主干走滑断裂0.5~4.0km范围内。      

Fluid inclusion evidence for deep burial of the Tertiary accretionary wedge of the Carpathians

Hydrothermal quartz from mineralized joints of the Carpathian accretionary wedge contains immiscible aqueous, oil‐condensate, methane and carbon dioxide‐rich fluid inclusions. Distribution patterns of the inclusion trapping PT parameters point to a crack‐seal mechanism during upward and lateral migration of hot methane‐rich fluids from overpressured sediments at the base of the accretionary wedge. A simple equation is proposed to calculate depths from densities and trapping pressures of the buoyant inclusion fluids. In the Carpathian accretionary wedge, the paleofluid pressures of 52–306 MPa correspond to a 5‐ to 11‐km‐thick overburden. Prior to exhumation, thickness of the wedge must have attained 10–25 km, of which only c. 50% was preserved until recently. Anomalously high methane densities (up to 0.43 g cm^?3) recorded in the lowermost nappe sheets are provisionally interpreted as a result of supralithostatic overpressure due to thermal cracking of oil and kerogen to methane and pyrobitumen at temperatures above 200 °C.     

Configuration of subducting Philippine Sea plate and crustal structure in the central Japan region

A seismic experiment with six explosive sources and 391 seismic stations was conducted in August 2001 in the central Japan region. The crustal velocity structure for the central part of Japan and configuration of the subducting Philippine Sea plate were revealed. A large lateral variation of the thickness of the sedimentary layer was observed, and the P-wave velocity values below the sedimentary layer obtained were 5.3–5.8 km/s. P-wave velocity values for the lower part of upper crust and lower crust were estimated to be 6.0–6.4 and 6.6–6.8 km/s, respectively. The reflected wave from the upper boundary of the subducting Philippine Sea plate was observed on the record sections of several shots. The configuration of the subducting Philippine Sea slab was revealed for depths of 20–35 km. The dip angle of the Philippine Sea plate was estimated to be 26° for a depth range of about 20–26 km. Below this depth, the upper boundary of the subducting Philippine Sea plate is distorted over a depth range of 26–33 km. A large variation of the reflected-wave amplitude with depth along the subducting plate was observed. At a depth of about 20–26 km, the amplitude of the reflected wave is not large, and is explained by the reflected wave at the upper boundary of the subducting oceanic crust. However, the reflected wave from reflection points deeper than 26 km showed a large amplitude that cannot be explained by several reliable velocity models. Some unique seismic structures have to be considered to explain the observed data. Such unique structures will provide important information to know the mechanism of inter-plate earthquakes.     

Crustal structure under the Sydney Basin and Lachlan Fold Belt,determined from explosion seismic studies

The Lachlan Fold Belt has the velocity‐depth structure of continental crust, with a thickness exceeding 50 km under the region of highest topography in Australia, and in the range 41–44 km under the central Fold Belt and Sydney Basin. There is no evidence of high upper crustal velocities normally associated with marginal or back‐arc basin crustal rocks. The velocities in the lower crust are consistent with an overall increase in metamorphic grade and/or mafic mineral content with depth. Continuing tectonic development throughout the region and the negligible seismicity at depths greater than 30 km indicate that the lower crust is undergoing ductile deformation.

The upper crustal velocities below the Sydney Basin are in the range 5.75–5.9 km/s to about 8 km, increasing to 6.35–6.5 km/s at about 15–17 km depth, where there is a high‐velocity (7.0 km/s) zone for about 9 km evident in results from one direction. The lower crust is characterised by a velocity gradient from about 6.7 km/s at 25 km, to 7.7 km/s at 40–42 km, and a transition to an upper mantle velocity of 8.03–8.12 km/s at 41.5–43.5 km depth.

Across the central Lachlan Fold Belt, velocities generally increase from 5.6 km/s at the surface to 6.0 km/s at 14.5 km depth, with a higher‐velocity zone (5.95 km/s) in the depth range 2.5–7.0 km. In the lower crust, velocities increase from 6.3 km/s at 16 km depth to 7.2 km/s at 40 km depth, then increase to 7.95 km/s at 43 km. A steeper gradient is evident at 26.5–28 km depth, where the velocity is about 6.6—6.8 km/s. Under part of the area an upper mantle low‐velocity zone in the depth range 50–64 km is interpreted from strong events recorded at distances greater than 320 km.

There is no substantial difference in the Moho depth across the boundary between the Sydney Basin and the Lachlan Fold Belt, consistent with the Basin overlying part of the Fold Belt. Pre‐Ordovician rocks within the crust suggest fragmented continental‐type crust existed E of the Precambrian craton and that these contribute to the thick crustal section in SE Australia.