1. Complex N–S variations in Moho depth and Vp/Vs ratio beneath the western Tibetan Plateau as revealed by receiver function analysis.
- Author
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Murodov, Davlatkhudzha, Zhao, Junmeng, Xu, Qiang, Liu, Hongbing, and Pei, Shunping
- Subjects
MOHOROVICIC discontinuity ,BODY waves (Seismic waves) ,LITHOSPHERE ,SEISMOLOGY - Abstract
We present herein detailed images of the Moho depth and V
p / Vs ratio along ANTILOPE-1 profile beneath the western Tibetan Plateau derived from receiver function analysis. Along the ANTILOPE-1 profile, a rapidly northward-dipping Moho extends from ∼50 km below the Himalaya to ∼80 km across the Indus–Yarlung suture, shallowing to ∼66 km under the central Lhasa terrane. The Moho depth shows a dramatic increase from ∼66 km north of the Bangong–Nujiang suture to ∼93 km beneath central Qiangtang terrane where it reaches the maximum depth observed along this profile before steeply rising to ∼73 km. We interpret both the 15 and 20 km offsets of Moho depth occurring beneath the central Lhasa and central Qiangtang terranes as being related to the northern frontiers of the decoupled underthrusting Indian lower crust and lithospheric mantle, respectively. The Moho remains at a depth of ∼70 km with a slight undulation beneath the northern Qiangtang and Songpan–Ganzi terranes, and then abruptly shallows to ∼45 km near the Altyn Tagh Fault. The ∼25 km Moho offset observed at the conjunction of the Tarim Basin and the Altyn Tagh mountain range suggests that the crustal shortening is achieved by pure shear thickening without much underthrusting. The average crustal Vp / Vs ratio changes from 1.66 to 1.80 beneath the Himalaya, the Lhasa terrane and the Tarim Basin indicating a felsic-to-intermediate composition. However, higher Vp / Vs ratios between 1.76 and 1.83 (except for a few outlying low values) are found beneath the Qiangtang and Songpan–Ganzi terranes, which could be attributed to the joint effects of the more mafic composition and partial melt within the crust. The Moho depth and Vp /Vs ratio exhibit complex N–S variations along this profile, which can be attributed to the joint effects of Indian lower crust underthrusting, the low-velocity zone of the mid-upper crust, crustal shortening and thickening, and other involved dynamic mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2018
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