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The Fujian-Taiwan Strait-Taiwan area has undergone multiple periods of alternate compressional and extensional tectonic events, forming a complex geological structure. The underground structure and deformation characteristics, reflected by three-dimensional velocity structure and anisotropy, are the basis for analyzing the influences of different geological processes. In this study, utilizing 2 years of continuous waveform data from more than 100 permanent stations in Fujian and Taiwan, we extracted Rayleigh and Love wave dispersion data based on the cross-correlation of vertical and tangential components. A direct inversion method was employed to obtain the 3-D shear wave velocity and radial anisotropy structure of the crust. Vertical and horizontal polarized shear wave velocity structures were also inverted separately, and then used to calculate another radially anisotropic velocity model for comparison. The results show that the middle and lower crust of Fujian and the Taiwan Strait are dominated by positive radial anisotropy attributed to the near-horizontal alignment of minerals caused by extension. Although in an extension environment, most of the shallow crust exhibits weak anisotropy due to the vertical cutting of fractures and fissures, except for the strait area covered by horizontal sedimentary layers leading to strong positive radial anisotropy. In addition to the influence of faults and other shallow structures, the stress distribution caused by metamorphism also plays an important role; thus, the upper crust of the marine metamorphic belt shows negative radial anisotropy. Different from the strong positive anisotropy in other parts of the lower crust, relatively weak anisotropy appears beneath the Penghu area, which is related to two-stage Cenozoic extension. • A direct inversion method was adopted to obtain the crustal radial anisotropy beneath Fujian and the Taiwan Strait. • Most of the study region is dominated by positive radial anisotropy due to Mesozoic to Cenozoic extension. • The marine metamorphic belt shows negative anisotropy and may be affected by Mesozoic metamorphism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pingtan Island is located on the southeastern coast of China between the Changle-Zhao'an and Binhai fault zones. We use P- and S-wave traveltime data from marine large-volume airgun sources for 3-D velocity structure inversion, and the spatial resolution is high at depths of 1–3 km. The isotropic inversion results show that the velocity in the island is higher in the midwestern area, which consists of sedimentary plains. The velocity is lower in the southern and eastern areas, which consist of eroded hills. Then we perform azimuthally anisotropic inversion using the obtained isotropic model as the initial model. The fast directions in the island are predominantly NE-SW and NNE-SSW, consistent with the main fault structures along the southeastern coast of China. The magnitude of anisotropy gradually decreases from south to north, consistent with the decreasing intensity of fault activity from south to north. On the southeastern coast of China, the fast direction in the upper crust is nearly orthogonal to that in the upper mantle from previous studies, which is nearly parallel to the absolute plate motion in the lower crust and upper mantle. The faults along the Fujian coastal area and Taiwan formed at different time period. But the fast directions in these two areas are similar. Therefore, the fast direction is mainly dominated by the trends of faults and fractures in the upper crust. And it is dominated by aligned olivine crystals induced by plate motion in the lower crust and upper mantle. Unlabelled Image • The shallow crustal velocity structure on Pingtan Island in southeastern China corresponds well with the landforms. • The fast direction is dominated by the trends of faults and fractures at shallow depths. • The fast directions in the upper crust and upper mantle are nearly orthogonal on the southeastern coast of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]