Seismic anisotropy beneath the Chinese Mainland: Constraints from shear wave splitting analyses

We use earthquakes recorded by the China National Seismic Network from 2015 to 2019 and measure shear wave splitting parameters of SKS to study the anisotropic characteristics beneath the mainland of China. In general, the fast directions change from nearly E-W in western China (northwest China and...

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Main Authors: Lingxia Gao, Daoyuan Sun
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co. Ltd. 2021-10-01
Series:Earthquake Research Advances
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772467021000348
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author Lingxia Gao
Daoyuan Sun
author_facet Lingxia Gao
Daoyuan Sun
author_sort Lingxia Gao
collection DOAJ
description We use earthquakes recorded by the China National Seismic Network from 2015 to 2019 and measure shear wave splitting parameters of SKS to study the anisotropic characteristics beneath the mainland of China. In general, the fast directions change from nearly E-W in western China (northwest China and Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau) to nearly N–S in central China (Ordos and Sichuan-Yunnan), and then turn to approximately E-W in eastern China (North and South China). The delay times of slow wave in eastern China are about 1.0–1.7 ​s, larger than those in central and western China (about 0.6–1.0 ​s). In addition, the fast directions in eastern China are highly consistent with the plate motion direction and horizontal GPS velocities with respect to Eurasia, indicating that the observed anisotropy is mainly from the asthenosphere which is strongly coupled to the overlying lithosphere. However, the fast directions in western China are mostly in accord with the strike of the surface structures (such as faults), possibly due to the directional arrangement of crystal lattices caused by shear deformation under tectonic activities.
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spelling doaj.art-c9ce78e369474f9589169dcf1eedcb6a2023-02-03T05:01:43ZengKeAi Communications Co. Ltd.Earthquake Research Advances2772-46702021-10-0114100034Seismic anisotropy beneath the Chinese Mainland: Constraints from shear wave splitting analysesLingxia Gao0Daoyuan Sun1Laboratory of Seismology and Physics of Earth's Interior, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, China; National Geophysics Observatory at Mengcheng, Anhui, 233500, China; Corresponding author. Laboratory of Seismology and Physics of Earth's Interior, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, China.Laboratory of Seismology and Physics of Earth's Interior, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, China; National Geophysics Observatory at Mengcheng, Anhui, 233500, ChinaWe use earthquakes recorded by the China National Seismic Network from 2015 to 2019 and measure shear wave splitting parameters of SKS to study the anisotropic characteristics beneath the mainland of China. In general, the fast directions change from nearly E-W in western China (northwest China and Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau) to nearly N–S in central China (Ordos and Sichuan-Yunnan), and then turn to approximately E-W in eastern China (North and South China). The delay times of slow wave in eastern China are about 1.0–1.7 ​s, larger than those in central and western China (about 0.6–1.0 ​s). In addition, the fast directions in eastern China are highly consistent with the plate motion direction and horizontal GPS velocities with respect to Eurasia, indicating that the observed anisotropy is mainly from the asthenosphere which is strongly coupled to the overlying lithosphere. However, the fast directions in western China are mostly in accord with the strike of the surface structures (such as faults), possibly due to the directional arrangement of crystal lattices caused by shear deformation under tectonic activities.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772467021000348Shear wave splittingAnisotropySKS phase
spellingShingle Lingxia Gao
Daoyuan Sun
Seismic anisotropy beneath the Chinese Mainland: Constraints from shear wave splitting analyses
Earthquake Research Advances
Shear wave splitting
Anisotropy
SKS phase
title Seismic anisotropy beneath the Chinese Mainland: Constraints from shear wave splitting analyses
title_full Seismic anisotropy beneath the Chinese Mainland: Constraints from shear wave splitting analyses
title_fullStr Seismic anisotropy beneath the Chinese Mainland: Constraints from shear wave splitting analyses
title_full_unstemmed Seismic anisotropy beneath the Chinese Mainland: Constraints from shear wave splitting analyses
title_short Seismic anisotropy beneath the Chinese Mainland: Constraints from shear wave splitting analyses
title_sort seismic anisotropy beneath the chinese mainland constraints from shear wave splitting analyses
topic Shear wave splitting
Anisotropy
SKS phase
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772467021000348
work_keys_str_mv AT lingxiagao seismicanisotropybeneaththechinesemainlandconstraintsfromshearwavesplittinganalyses
AT daoyuansun seismicanisotropybeneaththechinesemainlandconstraintsfromshearwavesplittinganalyses