3–D Tomographic Images and Deep Ore-Control in Northern Margin of the North China Plate

Abstract: 3–D velocity images of the crust beneath the northern margin of the North China Plate have been constructed using P-wave travel time residuals of the latest earthquakes, with the data supplied by Chinese seismic networks.
The seismic image results indicate that there is a lateral heterogeneity in the crust beneath the northern part of the North China block. The velocity images of the upper crust show features closely related to the tectonic features on the surface. It can be seen from these velocity images of the vertical sections, and from the horizontal slice images at depths of 11 and 16 km that there exist East-West and North-East structures. The images indicate that the juncture zone of basin–and–range terrain is between the blue-colored high–velocity block corresponding to the Yanshan mountain range that developed during the Yanshan period in northwest Beijing and the green low-velocity area corresponding to the North China basin in southeast Beijing (Fig. 5). The juncture zone between high-velocity and low–velocity, and EW and NE fault zones have significant ore-control effects. From the chart of epicenters in the northern region of North China, we find that the epicenters of earthquakes are almost entirely distributed within the NE strip. Almost all major earthquakes took place in the transition strip between the high and low-velocity zones in the crust. The distribution of epicenters also reflects the strikes of known NE–faults. From the image sections along the latitude, we find that in the area between 114.0 E –118.0 E , there is a blue high-velocity block standing upright from the Moho to the upper crust (Fig. 6), from which can be deduced that some materials such as magma moved upward from the upper mantle during the history of its geological development.