Crustal structure variation along 30°N in the eastern Tibetan Plateau and its tectonic implications

Abstract

We determined crustal structure along the latitude 30°N through the eastern Tibetan Plateau using a teleseismic receiver function analysis. The data came mostly from seismic stations deployed in eastern Tibet and western Sichuan region from 2004 to 2006. Crustal thickness and Vp/Vs ratio at each station were estimated by the H– k stacking method. On the profile, the mean crustal thickness and Vp/Vs ratio were found to be 62.3 km and 1.74 in the Lhasa block, 71.2 km and 1.79 near the Bangong–Nujiang suture, 66.3 km and 1.80 in the Qiangtang block, 59.8 km and 1.81 in the Songpan–Garze block, and 42.9 km and 1.76 in the Yangtze block, respectively. The estimated crustal thicknesses are consistent with predictions based on the topography and the Airy isostasy, except near the Bangong–Nujiang suture and in the Qiangtang block where the crust is 5–10 km thicker than predicted, indicating that the crust may be denser, possibly due to mafic underplating. We also inverted receiver functions for crustal velocity structure along the profile, which reveals a low S-wave velocity zone in the lower crust beneath the eastern Tibetan Plateau, although the extent of the low-velocity zone varies considerably. The low-velocity zone, together with previous results, suggests limited partial melting and localized crustal flow in the lower crust of the eastern Tibetan Plateau.