The anisotropic structure in the crust in the northern part of North China from ambient seismic noise tomography

Abstract

We have measured radial anisotropy in the crust beneath the northern part of North China by jointly inverting Rayleigh and Love wave phase velocities at periods less than 35 s from 14 months of ambient noise data recorded by 222 broad-band seismic stations. We also estimate the azimuthal anisotropy of phase velocity from Rayleighwave data. The fast direction of azimuthal anisotropy varies with periods, NE-SW orientation at short and intermediate periods (10-16 s) and NW-SE orientation at periods larger than 20 s. The NE-SW oriented fast direction of azimuthal anisotropy may be related to the fossilized structural fabrics due to the compression during the Indosinian orogeny from late Palaeozoic to middle Mesozoic. The NW-SE trend of anisotropic fabric in the lower crust and uppermost mantle is probably associated with the later lithospheric extension. The observed radial anisotropy also shows a two-layer feature, negative radial anisotropy (Vsh < Vsv) in the upper crust and positive (Vsh > Vsv) in the middle-lower crust. The compressional tectonics from late Palaeozoic to middle Mesozoic may cause crustal materials align vertically throughout the crust. This vertical fabric could make Vsh slower than Vsv. However, the lithospheric extension in the late Mesozoic to Cenozoic time could overprint the older fabric in the middle and lower crust by magma intrusion and underplating. Horizontal alignment of the material or intruded melt sills due to the extension probably produce the observed strong positive radial anisotropy in the middle and lower crust.