Search

Barkam-Luqu-Gulang deep seismic sounding profile runs from north of Sichuan Province to south of Gansu Province. It is located at the northeastern edge of Tibetan Plateau and crosses eastern A’nyemaqen suture zone. The upper crust structures around eastern A’nyemaqen suture zone and its adjacent area are reconstructed based on the arrival times of refracted Pg and Sg waves by using finite difference method, ray tracing inversion, time-term method and travel-time curve analysis. The results show that the depth variation of basement along profile is very strong as indicated by Pg and Sg waves. The basement rose in Zoige basin and depressed in eastern A’nyemaqen suture zone, and it gradually rose again northward and then depressed. The results also indicate that eastern A’nyemaqen suture zone behaves as inhomogeneous low velocity structures in the upper crust and is inclined toward the south. Hoh Sai Hu-Maqen fault, Wudu-Diebu fault and Zhouqu-Liangdang fault are characterized by low velocity distributions with various scales. The distinct variation in basement depth occurred near Hoh Sai Hu-Maqen fault and Zhouqu-Liangdang fault, which are main tectonic boundaries of A’nyemaqen suture zone. Wudu-Diebu fault, located at the depth variation zone of the basement, possibly has the same deep tectonic background with Zhouqu-Liangdang fault. The strongly depressed basement characterized by low velocity distribution and lateral inhomogeneity in A’nyemaqen suture zone implies crushed zone features under pinching action.

In this paper, the abnormal characteristics of the crustal structures in the seismic active region, Yanqing-Huailai and Zhangbei-Shangyi, are obtained by means of comprehensively interpreting and studying the data of deep seismic sounding profiles passing through the northwestern part of Zhangjiakou-Bohai seismic zone. The results show that the fluctuation of crystalline basement in the study region is obvious and that there exist considerable differences in depth in different geological units. The locally abrupt variation of crystalline basement depths may be regarded as a mark of existence of crystalline basement faults. These crystalline basement faults and deep crustal faults provide a pass for the magma upwelling, resulting in the strong inhomogeneity of crustal structures. These phenomena of the complex seismic reflected waves and locally discontinuous reflection zones with different energy indicate that the intensive squeeze and deformation of crust took place, which have led to the complex crustal structures and offered the dynamic source for the earthquake occurrence in this region. The low velocity bodies in different depths of crust and the local interface C1 in Zhangbei-Shangyi region may result from repeated magmatic activities. The certain stress accumulation in the brittle upper crust can cause the occurrence of earthquake under the action of local tectonic activity.

2-D crustal structure and velocity ratio are obtained by processing S-wave data from two wide-angle reflection/refraction profiles in and around Jiashi in northeastern Pamir, with the result of P-wave data taken into consideration. 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 Tianshan 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 structural background for the occurrence of strong earthquakes. The alternate variation of vp/vS near the block boundaries and the complicated configuration of the interfaces in the upper and middle part of the upper crust form a particular 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.

Observational data from some of the 10-odd deep seismic sounding profiles in Bohai Bay and its adjacent areas were processed with the methods of two-dimensional ray tracing, travel-time fitting and synthetic seismogram. The crust and upper-mantle velocity structure model in this area was built. The results show that the crust and upper mantle structures present obvious lateral and vertical inhomogeneity. The upper mantle uplifts near Yongqing of northeast Jizhong depression, in Bohai Bay of Huanghua depression and near Kenli of Jiyang depression, where crustal depths are about 31 km, 28 km and 29 km, respectively. According to the dynamic and kinetic characteristics of seismic waves as well as the seismic interfaces and velocity contour undulation in the 2-D velocity structure model, three deep crustal fault zones are inferred in the area. Low velocity (5.90–6.10 km/s) layers (bodies) exist on one or two sides of these deep crustal fault zones.

The magma system of Changbaishan-Tianchi Volcanic region is studied with three-dimensional deep seismic sounding (DSS) technique. The results show that the magma system of Changbaishan-Tianchi volcanic region, mainly characterized by low velocity of P wave, can be divided into three parts in terms of depth. At the depth range of 9–15 km, the distribution of the magma system is characterized by extensiveness, large scale and near-SN orientation. This layer is the major place for magma storage. From the depth of 15 km down to the lower crust, it is characterized by small lateral scale, which indicates the “trace” of magma intrusion from the upper mantle into the crust and also implies that the magma system most probably extends to the upper mantle, or even deeper. (less than 8–9 km deep), the range of magma distribution is even smaller, centering on an SN-oriented area just north of the Tianchi crater. If low velocity of P wave is related to the magma system, it then reflects that the magma here is still in a state of relatively high temperature. In this sense, the magma system of Changbaishan-Tianchi volcanic region is at least not “remains”, in other words, it is in an “active” state.

Another comparative interpretation was conducted with respect to the data from 5 DSS profiles in the central and southern parts of Shanxi, leading to the conclusion that in Linxian, Linfen and Xingtai earthquake regions, through which the five profiles pass, there exist anomalous crust-mantle structure and abyssal crustal faults extending to Moho, all being regarded as the deep indications for earthquake occurrence.

In order to investigate the interrelations of crust and upper mantle tectonics and its velocity distribution as well as seismicity in the Yanhuai basin and its surrounding area, a nearly EW-trending Beijing-Huailai-Fengzhen wide angle reflection/refraction profile, which obliquely passes through seismic zone of Zhangjiakou-Bohai Sea and coincides with a deep reflection profile in the Yanhuai basin, was completed recently. The results show: The crust presents layered structures and its thickness gradually increases from 35.0 km in Shunyi to 42.0 km in the west end of the profile; the interior crustal interfaces appear approximately horizontal or slowly sloping down from east to west; In the Yanhuai basin, the crust presents the characteristics of higher velocities alternating with the lower ones and the low velocity bodies obviously exist in the lower part of upper crust. Moreover, there are two deep crustal fault zones which stretch to the Moho-discontinuity, are closely related with the seismicity in the Yanhuai area.