An overview of the earth crust under China

Abstract

We assess the results of a number of deep seismic soundings performed in China over the last few decades, and study the variations in crustal structure in 18 tectonic units comprised of three platforms and 15 fold systems. Thickness data on 344 Mesozoic–Cenozoic sedimentary basins, as well as data on Moho depth are collected in order to discuss the relationship between the thickness of the basins and the average thickness of the consolidated crust in each tectonic unit. The degree of mirror-image symmetry between Mesozoic–Cenozoic sedimentary basins and the uplifting topmost parts of the mantle is herein analyzed using deep geophysical data on sedimentary basins. By applying standard methods of least-squares analysis to both datasets, we have obtained both the average thickness of the consolidated crust and the mirror-image symmetry factor for every platform and tectonic fold system, thereby allowing us to explore the correlation between the depths of the bottom of the sedimentary basins and the top of the uplifting mantle. The thickness of the consolidated crust in China is found to be between 20 and 63 km, following a pattern of gradual thickening from east to west. Expressed in terms of spatial seismicity and the concentration of seismic energy, and according to the sharing-out of earthquake hypocenters in the top 80 km of the earth, the rheology of the area does not appear to suit the widely accepted “jelly–sandwich” model for the continents, which does not seem to be entirely valid in China. The findings on the mirror-image symmetry factor show that this parameter varies mainly in the range − 0.5 to − 1.8 compared with each other tectonic unit. Most of the tectonic systems in China appear to be isostatically compensated. Tibet is an exception, in that the symmetry factor is positive for the Gangdise–Nyainqentanglha (1.0) and Himalayan (0.1) fold systems, implying that these tectonic zones are far from being in the isostatic equilibrium of the other regions. We have also analyzed the zoning characteristics through the logarithmic relationship ln R = ln ( h/| a|), using the average thickness of the consolidated crust and the absolute value of the symmetry factor. The key finding is that regardless of geographical location, all the values of R = h/| a| for those sedimentary basins in which oil/gas reservoirs have to date been found, fall into the narrow range of values between 19.38 and 37.40. There is some appeal in a possible relationship involving the ratio of crustal thickness to symmetry factor, more so when the results obtained appear to suggest a prognostic tool for exploratory practice in relation to oil/gas reservoirs.