Systematic variations in seismic velocity and reflection in the crust of Cathaysia: New constraints on intraplate orogeny in the South China continent

Abstract

The South China continent has a Mesozoic intraplate orogeny in its interior and an oceanward younging in postorogenic magmatic activity. In order to determine the constraints afforded by deep structure on the formation of these characteristics, we reevaluate the distribution of crustal velocities and wide-angle seismic reflections in a 400km-long wide-angle seismic profile between Lianxian, near Hunan Province, and Gangkou Island, near Guangzhou City, South China. The results demonstrate that to the east of the Chenzhou-Linwu Fault (CLF) (the southern segment of the Jiangshan–Shaoxing Fault), the thickness and average P-wave velocity both of the sedimentary layer and the crystalline basement display abrupt lateral variations, in contrast to layering to the west of the fault. This suggests that the deformation is well developed in the whole of the crust beneath the Cathaysia block, in agreement with seismic evidence on the eastwards migration of the orogeny and the development of a vast magmatic province. Further evidence of this phenomenon is provided in the systematic increases in seismic reflection strength from the Moho eastwards away from the boundary of the CLF, as revealed by multi-filtered (with band-pass frequency range of 1–4, 1–8, 1–12 and 1–16Hz) wide-angle seismic images through pre-stack migration in the depth domain, and in the P-wave velocity model obtained by travel time fitting. The CLF itself penetrates with a dip angle of about 22° to the bottom of the middle part of the crust, and then penetrates with a dip angle of less than 17° in the lower crust. The systematic variation in seismic velocity, reflection strength and discrepancy of extensional factors between the crust and the lithosphere, are interpreted to be the seismic signature of the magmatic activity in the interest area, most likely caused by the intrusion of magma into the deep crust by lithospheric extension or mantle extrusion.