scholarly journals Tomographic Image of Shear Wave Structure of NE India Based on Analysis of Rayleigh Wave Data

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amit Kumar ◽  
Naresh Kumar ◽  
Sagarika Mukhopadhyay ◽  
Simon L. Klemperer
Keyword(s):  
Thick Layer ◽  
Indian Plate ◽  
Moho Depth ◽  
Bengal Basin ◽  
Eurasian Plate ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Southern Tibet ◽  
Crust And Upper Mantle ◽  
Waveform Data ◽  
Ne India

The major scientific purpose of this work is to evaluate the geodynamic processes involved in the development of tectonic features of NE India and its surroundings. In this work, we have obtained tomographic images of the crust and uppermost mantle using inversion of Rayleigh waveform data to augment information about the subsurface gleaned by previous works. The images obtained reveal a very complicated tectonic regime. The Bengal Basin comprises a thick layer of sediments with the thickness increasing from west to east and a sudden steepening of the basement on the eastern side of the Eocene Hinge zone. The nature of the crust below the Bengal Basin varies from oceanic in the south to continental in the north. Indo-Gangetic and Brahmaputra River Valleys comprise ∼5–6-km-thick sediments. Crustal thickness in the higher Himalayas and southern Tibet is ∼70 km but varies between ∼30 and ∼40 km in the remaining part. Several patches of low-velocity medium present in the mid-to-lower crust of southern Tibet along and across the major rifts indicate the presence of either partially molten materials or aqueous fluid. Moho depth decreases drastically from west to east across the Yadong-Gulu rift indicating the complex effect of underthrusting of the Indian plate below the Eurasian plate. Crust and upper mantle below the Shillong Massif and Mikir Hills are at a shallow level. This observation indicates that tectonic forces contribute to the uprising of the Massif.

scholarly journals Ambient seismic noise tomography of Canada and adjacent regions: Part I. Crustal structures

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Kao ◽  
Y Behr ◽  
C Currie ◽  
R Hyndman ◽  
John Townend ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ambient Noise ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Sedimentary Basins ◽  
Shear Velocity ◽  
Canadian Shield ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Crust And Upper Mantle ◽  
Waveform Data ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
Crustal Structures

This paper presents the first continental-scale study of the crust and upper mantle shear velocity (Vs) structure of Canada and adjacent regions using ambient noise tomography. Continuous waveform data recorded between 2003 and 2009 with 788 broadband seismograph stations in Canada and adjacent regions were used in the analysis. The higher primary frequency band of the ambient noise provides better resolution of crustal structures than previous tomographic models based on earthquake waveforms. Prominent low velocity anomalies are observed at shallow depths (<20 km) beneath the Gulf of St. Lawrence in east Canada, the sedimentary basins of west Canada, and the Cordillera. In contrast, the Canadian Shield exhibits high crustal velocities. We characterize the crust-mantle transition in terms of not only its depth and velocity but also its sharpness, defined by its thickness and the amount of velocity increase. Considerable variations in the physical properties of the crust-mantle transition are observed across Canada. Positive correlations between the crustal thickness, Moho velocity, and the thickness of the transition are evident throughout most of the craton except near Hudson Bay where the uppermost mantle Vs is relatively low. Prominent vertical Vs gradients are observed in the midcrust beneath the Cordillera and beneath most of the Canadian Shield. The midcrust velocity contrast beneath the Cordillera may correspond to a detachment zone associated with high temperatures immediately beneath, whereas the large midcrust velocity gradient beneath the Canadian Shield probably represents an ancient rheological boundary between the upper and lower crust. Key Points Unprecedented large-scale and homogeneous analysis Considerable crustal variations across Canada Prominent mid-crust velocity gradients beneath Cordillera and Canadian Shield ©2013. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

scholarly journals Ambient seismic noise tomography of Canada and adjacent regions: Part I. Crustal structures

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Kao ◽  
Y Behr ◽  
C Currie ◽  
R Hyndman ◽  
John Townend ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ambient Noise ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Sedimentary Basins ◽  
Shear Velocity ◽  
Canadian Shield ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Crust And Upper Mantle ◽  
Waveform Data ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
Crustal Structures

This paper presents the first continental-scale study of the crust and upper mantle shear velocity (Vs) structure of Canada and adjacent regions using ambient noise tomography. Continuous waveform data recorded between 2003 and 2009 with 788 broadband seismograph stations in Canada and adjacent regions were used in the analysis. The higher primary frequency band of the ambient noise provides better resolution of crustal structures than previous tomographic models based on earthquake waveforms. Prominent low velocity anomalies are observed at shallow depths (<20 km) beneath the Gulf of St. Lawrence in east Canada, the sedimentary basins of west Canada, and the Cordillera. In contrast, the Canadian Shield exhibits high crustal velocities. We characterize the crust-mantle transition in terms of not only its depth and velocity but also its sharpness, defined by its thickness and the amount of velocity increase. Considerable variations in the physical properties of the crust-mantle transition are observed across Canada. Positive correlations between the crustal thickness, Moho velocity, and the thickness of the transition are evident throughout most of the craton except near Hudson Bay where the uppermost mantle Vs is relatively low. Prominent vertical Vs gradients are observed in the midcrust beneath the Cordillera and beneath most of the Canadian Shield. The midcrust velocity contrast beneath the Cordillera may correspond to a detachment zone associated with high temperatures immediately beneath, whereas the large midcrust velocity gradient beneath the Canadian Shield probably represents an ancient rheological boundary between the upper and lower crust. Key Points Unprecedented large-scale and homogeneous analysis Considerable crustal variations across Canada Prominent mid-crust velocity gradients beneath Cordillera and Canadian Shield ©2013. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved.

Delineation of lithosphere structure and characterization of the Moho geometry under the Himalaya–Karakoram–Tibet collision zone using surface-wave tomography

2019 ◽  
Vol 481 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naresh Kumar ◽  
A. Aoudia ◽  
M. Guidarelli ◽  
Vivek G. Babu ◽  
Devajit Hazarika ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tarim Basin ◽  
Indian Plate ◽  
Moho Depth ◽  
S Wave ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Period Range ◽  
Velocity Models ◽  
Collision Zone ◽  
The Himalaya ◽  
Group Velocities

AbstractGroup velocities for a period range of 6–60 s for the fundamental mode of the Rayleigh wave passing across the Himalaya–Karakoram–Tibet orogen are used to delineate the structure of the upper lithosphere using the data from 35 broadband seismic stations. 2D tomography velocity maps of group velocities were obtained at grids of 1° separation. Redefined local dispersion curves are inverted non-linearly to obtain 1D velocity models and to construct a 3D image of the S-wave structure down to a depth of 90 km.The Moho discontinuity is correlated with c. 4.0 km s−1 S-wave velocity. The results depict a NE-dipping trend of the Moho depth from c. 40 km beneath the frontal part of the Himalaya to up to c. 70–80 km beneath the collision zone before shallowing substantially to c. 40 km beneath the Tarim Basin. The study also reveals thick deposits of sediments in the Indo-Gangetic plains and the Tarim Basin. A broad low-velocity zone at mid-crustal depth in the western Tibetan Plateau, the Karakoram region and the surface-collision part of the India–Eurasia tectonic plates is interpreted as the effect of partial melting and/or the presence of aqueous fluid. The high velocities in the southern deeper part indicate that the lower crust and uppermost mantle of the Indian Plate are dense and cold.

scholarly journals Lithospheric dynamics in the vicinity of the Tengchong volcanic field (southeastern margin of Tibet): an investigation using P receiver functions

2020 ◽  
Vol 224 (2) ◽  
pp. 1326-1343
Author(s):  
Hengchu Peng ◽  
José Badal ◽  
Jiafu Hu ◽  
Haiyan Yang ◽  
Benyu Liu
Keyword(s):  
Upper Mantle ◽  
Lower Crust ◽  
Volcanic Field ◽  
Receiver Functions ◽  
Indian Plate ◽  
Fast Wave ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Crust And Upper Mantle ◽  
Velocity Anomaly ◽  
Lateral Extrusion

SUMMARY Tengchong volcanic field (TVF) in the northern Indochina block lies in a critical area for understanding complex regional dynamics associated with continent–continent convergence between the Indian and Eurasian plates, including northeastward compression generated by subduction of the Indian Plate beneath the Burma Arc, and southeastward lateral extrusion of the crust from below central Tibet. We gathered 3408 pairs of P receiver functions with different frequencies and calculated the splitting parameters of the Moho-converted Pms phase. An anisotropic H-κ stacking algorithm was used to determine crustal thickness and Vp/Vs ratios. We also inverted for the detailed S-velocity structure of the crust and upper mantle using a two-step inversion technique. Finally, we mapped the topography of the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary. Results show fast-wave polarization directions with a dominant NE–SW orientation and delay times varying between 0.19 and 1.22 s, with a mean of 0.48 ± 0.07 s. The crustal Vp/Vs ratio varies from 1.68 to 1.90 and shows a maximum value below the central part of the TVF, where there is relatively thin crust (∼35–39 km) and a pronounced low-velocity anomaly in the middle–lower crust. The depth of the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary ranges from 53 to 85 km: it is relatively deep (∼70–85 km) in the vicinity of the TVF and relatively shallow in the south of the study area. In the absence of low shear wave velocity in the upper mantle below the TVF, we propose that the low-velocity anomaly in the lower crust beneath the TVF derives from the upper mantle below the neighbouring Baoshan block.

scholarly journals Earthquake location in tectonic structures of the Alpine Chain: the case of the Constance Lake (Central Europe) seismic sequence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca D’Ajello Caracciolo ◽  
Rodolfo Console
Keyword(s):  
Central Europe ◽  
Velocity Model ◽  
Moho Depth ◽  
Seismic Sequence ◽  
Tectonic Structures ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Waveform Data ◽  
Seismic Stations ◽  
Velocity Models ◽  
Master Event

AbstractA set of four magnitude Ml ≥ 3.0 earthquakes including the magnitude Ml = 3.7 mainshock of the seismic sequence hitting the Lake Constance, Southern Germany, area in July–August 2019 was studied by means of bulletin and waveform data collected from 86 seismic stations of the Central Europe-Alpine region. The first single-event locations obtained using a uniform 1-D velocity model, and both fixed and free depths, showed residuals of the order of up ± 2.0 s, systematically affecting stations located in different areas of the study region. Namely, German stations to the northeast of the epicenters and French stations to the west exhibit negative residuals, while Italian stations located to the southeast are characterized by similarly large positive residuals. As a consequence, the epicentral coordinates were affected by a significant bias of the order of 4–5 km to the NNE. The locations were repeated applying a method that uses different velocity models for three groups of stations situated in different geological environments, obtaining more accurate locations. Moreover, the application of two methods of relative locations and joint hypocentral determination, without improving the absolute location of the master event, has shown that the sources of the four considered events are separated by distances of the order of one km both in horizontal coordinates and in depths. A particular attention has been paid to the geographical positions of the seismic stations used in the locations and their relationship with the known crustal features, such as the Moho depth and velocity anomalies in the studied region. Significant correlations between the observed travel time residuals and the crustal structure were obtained.

scholarly journals No mafic layer in 80 km thick Tibetan crust

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaochun Wang ◽  
Hans Thybo ◽  
Irina M. Artemieva
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Data ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Indian Plate ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Crustal Earthquakes ◽  
Tectonic Processes ◽  
P Wave Velocity ◽  
Juvenile Crust ◽  
Mafic Lower Crust ◽  
Thick Crust

AbstractAll models of the magmatic and plate tectonic processes that create continental crust predict the presence of a mafic lower crust. Earlier proposed crustal doubling in Tibet and the Himalayas by underthrusting of the Indian plate requires the presence of a mafic layer with high seismic P-wave velocity (Vp > 7.0 km/s) above the Moho. Our new seismic data demonstrates that some of the thickest crust on Earth in the middle Lhasa Terrane has exceptionally low velocity (Vp < 6.7 km/s) throughout the whole 80 km thick crust. Observed deep crustal earthquakes throughout the crustal column and thick lithosphere from seismic tomography imply low temperature crust. Therefore, the whole crust must consist of felsic rocks as any mafic layer would have high velocity unless the temperature of the crust were high. Our results form basis for alternative models for the formation of extremely thick juvenile crust with predominantly felsic composition in continental collision zones.

Structure beneath Queen Charlotte Sound from seismic-refraction and gravity interpretations

1992 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1509-1529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianson Yuan ◽  
G. D. Spence ◽  
R. D. Hyndman
Keyword(s):  
Crustal Structure ◽  
Velocity Structure ◽  
Sedimentary Basin ◽  
Single Channel ◽  
Velocity Variation ◽  
Moho Depth ◽  
High Porosity ◽  
Upper Crust ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Data Set

A combined multichannel seismic reflection and refraction survey was carried out in July 1988 to study the Tertiary sedimentary basin architecture and formation and to define the crustal structure and associated plate interactions in the Queen Charlotte Islands region. Simultaneously with the collection of the multichannel reflection data, refractions and wide-angle reflections from the airgun array shots were recorded on single-channel seismographs distributed on land around Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound. For this paper a subset of the resulting data set was chosen to study the crustal structure in Queen Charlotte Sound and the nearby subduction zone.Two-dimensional ray tracing and synthetic seismogram modelling produced a velocity structure model in Queen Charlotte Sound. On a margin-parallel line, Moho depth was modelled at 27 km off southern Moresby Island but only 23 km north of Vancouver Island. Excluding the approximately 5 km of the Tertiary sediments, the crust in the latter area is only about 18 km thick, suggesting substantial crustal thinning in Queen Charlotte Sound. Such thinning of the crust supports an extensional mechanism for the origin of the sedimentary basin. Deep crustal layers with velocities of more than 7 km/s were interpreted in the southern portion of Queen Charlotte Sound and beneath the continental margin. They could represent high-velocity material emplaced in the crust from earlier subduction episodes or mafic intrusion associated with the Tertiary volcanics.Seismic velocities of both sediment and upper crust layers are lower in the southern part of Queen Charlotte Sound than in the region near Moresby Island. Well velocity logs indicate a similar velocity variation. Gravity modelling along the survey line parallel to the margin provides additional constraints on the structure. The data require lower densities in the sediment and upper crust of southern Queen Charlotte Sound. The low-velocity, low-density sediments in the south correspond to high-porosity marine sediments found in wells in that region and contrast with lower porosity nonmarine sediments in wells farther north.

Discontinuous low-velocity zones in southern Tibet question the viability of the channel flow model

2011 ◽  
Vol 353 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
György Hetényi ◽  
Jérôme Vergne ◽  
Laurent Bollinger ◽  
Rodolphe Cattin
Keyword(s):  
Channel Flow ◽  
Flow Model ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Southern Tibet

Reflections from discontinuities beneath antarctica

1971 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 1441-1451
Author(s):  
R. D. Adams
Keyword(s):  
North American ◽  
Upper Mantle ◽  
Deep Structure ◽  
Low Velocity ◽  
Crust And Upper Mantle ◽  
Nuclear Explosions ◽  
Novaya Zemlya ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Velocity Channel ◽  
Upper Boundary

abstract Early reflections of the phase P′P′ recorded at North American seismograph stations from nuclear explosions in Novaya Zemlya are used to examine the crust and upper mantle beneath a region of eastern Antarctica. Many reflections are observed from depths less than 120 km, indicating considerable inhomogeneity at these depths in the Earth. No regular horizons were found throughout the area, but some correlation was observed among reflections at closely-spaced stations, and, at many stations, reflections were observed from depths of between 60 and 80 km, corresponding to a likely upper boundary of the low-velocity channel. Deeper reflections were found at depths of near 420 and 650 km. The latter boundary was particularly well-observed and appears to be sharply defined at a depth that is constant to within a few kilometers. The boundary at 420 km is not so well defined by reflections of P′P′, but reflects well longer-period PP waves, arriving at wider angles of incidence. This boundary appears to be at least as pronounced, but not so sharp as that near 650 km. The deep structure beneath Antarctica presents no obvious difference from that beneath other continental areas.

Structural initiation along the frontal fold-thrust system in the western Indo-Burman Range: Implications for the tectonostratigraphic evolution of the Hatia Trough (Bengal Basin)

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-25
Author(s):  
Rashed Abdullah ◽  
Md. Shahadat Hossain ◽  
Md. Soyeb Aktar ◽  
Md. Soyeb Aktar ◽  
Mohammad Moinul Hossain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Strike Slip ◽  
Indian Plate ◽  
Bengal Basin ◽  
Structural Development ◽  
Fold Belt ◽  
Seismic Reflection Data ◽  
Reflection Data ◽  
Thrust System ◽  
Subduction System

The Bengal Basin accommodates an extremely thick Cenozoic sedimentary succession that derived from the uplifted Himalayan and Indo-Burman Orogenic Belts in response to the subduction of the Indian Plate beneath the Eurasian and Burmese plates. The Hatia Trough is a proven petroleum province that occupies much of the southern Bengal Basin. However, the style of deformation, kinematics, and possible timing of structural initiation in the Hatia Trough and the relationship of this deformation to the frontal fold-thrust system in the outer wedge (namely, the Chittagong Tripura Fold Belt) of the Indo-Burman subduction system to the east are largely unknown. Therefore, we carried out a structural interpretation across the eastern Hatia Trough and western Chittagong Tripura Fold Belt based on 2D seismic reflection data. Our result suggests that the syn-kinematic packages correspond to the Pliocene Tipam Group and Pleistocene Dupitila Formation. This implies that the structural development in the western Chittagong Tripura Fold Belt took place from the Pliocene. In the Hatia Trough, the timing of structural activation is slightly later (since the Plio-Pleistocene). In general, fold intensity and structural complexity gradually increase towards the east. The presence of reverse faults with minor strike-slip motion along the frontal thrust system in the outer wedge is also consistent with the regional transpressional structures of the Indo-Burman subduction system. However, to the west, there is no evidence for strike-slip deformation in the Hatia Trough. The restored sections show that the amount of E-W shortening in the Hatia Trough is very low (maximum 1.2%). In contrast, to the east, the amount of shortening is high (maximum 13.5%) in the western margin of the Chittagong Tripura Fold Belt. In both the areas, the key trapping mechanism includes anticlinal traps, although, stratigraphic and combinational traps are possible, but it requires further evaluation.

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