Expansion of the South China Sea basin: Constraints from magnetic anomaly stripes, sea floor topography, satellite gravity and submarine geothermics
The widely distributed E–W-trending magnetic anomaly stripes in the central basin and the N–E-trending magnetic anomaly stripes in the southwest sub-basin provide the most important evidence for Neogene expansion of the South China Sea. The expansion mechanism remains, however, controversial because...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2017-01-01
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| Series: | Geoscience Frontiers |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987116000050 |
| _version_ | 1797756926492147712 |
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| author | Xuezhong Yu Chunji Xue Haigang Shi Weiping Zhu Yinghui Liu Hang Yin |
| author_facet | Xuezhong Yu Chunji Xue Haigang Shi Weiping Zhu Yinghui Liu Hang Yin |
| author_sort | Xuezhong Yu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The widely distributed E–W-trending magnetic anomaly stripes in the central basin and the N–E-trending magnetic anomaly stripes in the southwest sub-basin provide the most important evidence for Neogene expansion of the South China Sea. The expansion mechanism remains, however, controversial because of the lack of direct drilling data, non-systematic marine magnetic survey data, and irregular magnetic anomaly stripes with two obvious directions. For example, researchers have inferred different ages and episodes of expansion for the central basin and southwest sub-basin. Major controversy centers on the order of basinal expansion and the mechanism of expansion for the entire South China Sea basin. This study attempts to constrain these problems from a comprehensive analysis of the seafloor topography, magnetic anomaly stripes, regional aeromagnetic data, satellite gravity, and submarine geothermics. The mapped seafloor terrain shows that the central basin is a north-south rectangle that is relatively shallow with many seamounts, whereas the southwest sub-basin is wide in northeast, gradually narrows to the southwest, and is relatively deeper with fewer seamounts. Many magnetic anomaly stripes are present in the central basin with variable dimensions and directions that are dominantly EW-trending, followed by the NE-, NW- and NS-trending. Conversely such stripes are few in the southwest sub-basin and mainly NE-trending. Regional magnetic data suggest that the NW-trending Ailaoshan-Red River fault extends into the South China Sea, links with the central fault zone in the South China Sea, which extends further southward to Reed Tablemount. Satellite gravity data show that both the central basin and southwest sub-basin are composed of oceanic crust. The Changlong seamount is particularly visible in the southwest sub-basin and extends eastward to the Zhenbei seamount. Also a low gravity anomaly zone coincides with the central fault zone in the sub-basin. The submarine geothermic distribution demonstrates that the southwest sub-basin has a higher geothermal value than the central basin, and that the central fault zone is defined by a low thermal anomaly. This study suggests that NW–SE expansion of the southwest subbasin is later than the N–S expansion of the central basin with the sub-basin extending into the central basin and with both expansions ending at the same time. The expansion of southwestern sub-basin, similar to the Japanese Sea, is likely caused by left-lateral strike slip on the central fault zone in the South China Sea, which may have significance for finding oil and gas in this region. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T18:08:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a193ef0629ab4d53833b84ede98a98dd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1674-9871 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T18:08:35Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-a193ef0629ab4d53833b84ede98a98dd2023-08-02T09:23:49ZengElsevierGeoscience Frontiers1674-98712017-01-018115116210.1016/j.gsf.2015.12.008Expansion of the South China Sea basin: Constraints from magnetic anomaly stripes, sea floor topography, satellite gravity and submarine geothermicsXuezhong Yu0Chunji Xue1Haigang Shi2Weiping Zhu3Yinghui Liu4Hang Yin5State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, School of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, School of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, School of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, ChinaAirborne Survey and Remote Sensing Center of Nuclear Industry, Shijiazhuang 050002, ChinaChina Aero Geophysical Survey and Remote Sensing Center for Land and Resources, Beijing 100083, ChinaChina Aero Geophysical Survey and Remote Sensing Center for Land and Resources, Beijing 100083, ChinaThe widely distributed E–W-trending magnetic anomaly stripes in the central basin and the N–E-trending magnetic anomaly stripes in the southwest sub-basin provide the most important evidence for Neogene expansion of the South China Sea. The expansion mechanism remains, however, controversial because of the lack of direct drilling data, non-systematic marine magnetic survey data, and irregular magnetic anomaly stripes with two obvious directions. For example, researchers have inferred different ages and episodes of expansion for the central basin and southwest sub-basin. Major controversy centers on the order of basinal expansion and the mechanism of expansion for the entire South China Sea basin. This study attempts to constrain these problems from a comprehensive analysis of the seafloor topography, magnetic anomaly stripes, regional aeromagnetic data, satellite gravity, and submarine geothermics. The mapped seafloor terrain shows that the central basin is a north-south rectangle that is relatively shallow with many seamounts, whereas the southwest sub-basin is wide in northeast, gradually narrows to the southwest, and is relatively deeper with fewer seamounts. Many magnetic anomaly stripes are present in the central basin with variable dimensions and directions that are dominantly EW-trending, followed by the NE-, NW- and NS-trending. Conversely such stripes are few in the southwest sub-basin and mainly NE-trending. Regional magnetic data suggest that the NW-trending Ailaoshan-Red River fault extends into the South China Sea, links with the central fault zone in the South China Sea, which extends further southward to Reed Tablemount. Satellite gravity data show that both the central basin and southwest sub-basin are composed of oceanic crust. The Changlong seamount is particularly visible in the southwest sub-basin and extends eastward to the Zhenbei seamount. Also a low gravity anomaly zone coincides with the central fault zone in the sub-basin. The submarine geothermic distribution demonstrates that the southwest sub-basin has a higher geothermal value than the central basin, and that the central fault zone is defined by a low thermal anomaly. This study suggests that NW–SE expansion of the southwest subbasin is later than the N–S expansion of the central basin with the sub-basin extending into the central basin and with both expansions ending at the same time. The expansion of southwestern sub-basin, similar to the Japanese Sea, is likely caused by left-lateral strike slip on the central fault zone in the South China Sea, which may have significance for finding oil and gas in this region.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987116000050Ages of spreadingExpansion modeExpansion mechanismSouth China Sea |
| spellingShingle | Xuezhong Yu Chunji Xue Haigang Shi Weiping Zhu Yinghui Liu Hang Yin Expansion of the South China Sea basin: Constraints from magnetic anomaly stripes, sea floor topography, satellite gravity and submarine geothermics Geoscience Frontiers Ages of spreading Expansion mode Expansion mechanism South China Sea |
| title | Expansion of the South China Sea basin: Constraints from magnetic anomaly stripes, sea floor topography, satellite gravity and submarine geothermics |
| title_full | Expansion of the South China Sea basin: Constraints from magnetic anomaly stripes, sea floor topography, satellite gravity and submarine geothermics |
| title_fullStr | Expansion of the South China Sea basin: Constraints from magnetic anomaly stripes, sea floor topography, satellite gravity and submarine geothermics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Expansion of the South China Sea basin: Constraints from magnetic anomaly stripes, sea floor topography, satellite gravity and submarine geothermics |
| title_short | Expansion of the South China Sea basin: Constraints from magnetic anomaly stripes, sea floor topography, satellite gravity and submarine geothermics |
| title_sort | expansion of the south china sea basin constraints from magnetic anomaly stripes sea floor topography satellite gravity and submarine geothermics |
| topic | Ages of spreading Expansion mode Expansion mechanism South China Sea |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987116000050 |
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