Deformation of the Crust and Upper Mantle beneath the North China Craton and Its Adjacent Areas Constrained by Rayleigh Wave Phase Velocity and Azimuthal Anisotropy

The North China Craton (NCC) has experienced strong tectonic deformation and lithospheric thinning since the Cenozoic. To better constrain the geodynamic processes and mechanisms of the lithospheric deformation, we used a linear damped least squares method to invert simultaneously Rayleigh wave phase velocity and azimuthal anisotropy at periods of 10–80 s with teleseismic data recorded by 388 permanent stations in the NCC and its adjacent areas. The results reveal that the anomalies of Rayleigh wave phase velocity and azimuthal anisotropy are in good agreement with the tectonic domains in the study area. Low-phase velocities appear in the rift grabens and sedimentary basins at short periods. A rotation pattern of the fast axis direction of the Rayleigh wave together with a distinct low-velocity anomaly occurs around the Datong volcano. A NW–SE trending azimuthal anisotropy and a low-velocity anomaly at periods of 60–80 s are observed subparallel to the Zhangbo fault zone. The whole lithosphere domain of the Ordos block shows a high-phase velocity and counterclockwise rotated fast axis. The northeastern margin of the Tibetan plateau is dominated by a low-velocity and coherent NW–SE fast axis direction. We infer that the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate and eastward material escape of the Tibetan plateau mainly contribute to the deformation of the crust and upper mantle in the NCC.

Results of studying the azimuthal anisotropy of the paleozoic basement with vsp technique at the Bystrovka vibroseismic test site

At the Bystrovka vibroseismic test site (Novosibirsk region) 3-component refracted waves profiling was performed at three intersecting lines. Shear waves analysis made possible to detect anisotropy of the Paleozoic basement occurring at depth of about 10 m and to suggest symmetry elements of this medium along with their orientation. Compressional waves data were used to construct depth sections estimating head waves velocities. These velocities demonstrate significant variation in lines of different orientation. The results obtained agree with previously performed VSP.

Characteristics of elastic wave dispersion and attenuation induced by microcracks in complex anisotropic media

The mechanism of dispersion and attenuation induced by fluid flow among pores and microcracks in rocks is an important research topic in geophysical domain. A generalised frequency-dependent fourth-rank tensor is proposed and derived herein by combining Sayers's discontinuity tensor formula and Gurevich's squirt flow model. Furthermore, a proposed method for establishing a cracked model with cracks embedded in a transversely isotropic (TI) background medium is developed. Based on the new formulation, we investigate the characteristics of dispersion, attenuation and azimuthal anisotropy of three commonly encountered vertical crack distributions, including aligned cracks, monoclinic cracks and cracks with partial random orientations. We validate the developed model by comparing its predictions with those of the classic anisotropic squirt flow model for an aligned crack. The numerical analyses indicate that the azimuth is independent of frequency when the maximum attenuation is observed for all three crack distributions. In a low-frequency range in the case of an anisotropic background, the attenuation of the qP-wave is inversely proportional to velocity, whereas the attenuation of the qSV-wave is proportional to velocity. In addition, the inherent anisotropy of the rock does not significantly affect the dispersion and attenuation owing to squirt flow. Finally, to investigate the applicability of the theory, we model laboratory data of a synthetic porous sandstone with aligned cracks. Overall, the models agree well with laboratory data. The complex characteristics determined through this study may be useful for the seismic characterisation of fractured reservoirs.

Velocity and azimuthal anisotropy structure underneath the Reelfoot Rift region from Rayleigh wave phase velocity dispersion curves

SUMMARY Phase velocity and azimuthal anisotropy maps for fundamental mode Rayleigh waves are determined for a portion of the central United States including the seismically active Reelfoot Rift (RFR) and the enigmatic Illinois Basin. Dense seismic array installations of the Northern Embayment Lithosphere Experiment, the EarthScope transportable array and the Ozarks Illinois Indiana Kentucky array allow a detailed investigation of phase velocity and anisotropy in a broad period range (20–100s).We obtain more than 12 000 well-constrained, unique two-station paths from teleseismic events. The two-station method is used to determine dispersion curves and these are inverted for isotropic phase velocity maps and azimuthal anisotropy maps for each period. The presence of fast phase velocities at lower crustal and uppermost mantle depths is found below the RFR, and Ste. Genevieve and Wabash Valley fault zones. At periods of 30s and higher, the RFR is underlain by slow phase velocities and is flanked to the NW and SE by regions of fast velocity. Fast phase velocities are present below the centre of the Illinois Basin in the period range 75–100s. Anisotropy fast axis orientations display complex patterns for each period and do not trend parallel to the direction of absolute plate motion. Anisotropy fast directions are consistently parallel to the trend of the RFR from 50s to higher periods, suggesting the presence of either frozen-in anisotropic fabric or fabric related to material transport from a recently discovered, pronounced low velocity zone below the Mississippi Embayment.