Journal of Tropical Oceanography ›› 2020, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (1): 106-119.doi: 10.11978/2019020CSTR: 32234.14.2019020

• Marine Geophysics • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Constrains of sliding wave phases on the low-velocity layer in the Pearl River Estuary

YANG Bifeng1,2, XIONG Cheng1, CAO Jinghe1, SUN Jinlong1(), WAN Kuiyuan1, XIA Shaohong1   

  1. 1. CAS Key Laboratory of Ocean and Marginal Sea Geology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Guangzhou 510301, China
    2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Received:2019-03-01 Revised:2019-04-09 Online:2020-01-20 Published:2020-01-09
  • Contact: Jinlong SUN E-mail:sunjl@scsio.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(41576046);National Natural Science Foundation of China(41506046)

Abstract:

Exploring the structure and tectonic characteristics of the low-velocity layer (LVL) in a transition zone of the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) area has significant geological and geophysical implications for understanding the mechanism of intraplate earthquakes, seismogenic structure and crustal structure in this area. In this study, we use the data from 19 seismic stations (include 14 onshore seismic stations and five ocean bottom seismometers) along the L2-ME profile of the 2015 onshore-offshore deep seismic experiment in the PRE area to image structure features of the LVL. On the basis of the conventional seismic phase, a large number of sliding wave seismic phases are added to calculate the structural model. With the increase of Ph seismic phases, the ray coverage density within the range of 10-20 km was significantly increased, and a more accurate P-wave velocity structure model of the LVL and its above crustal structure along the L2-ME profile were obtained. The result shows the LVL is clearly imaged in the crust within the depth range of 13-18 km under the profile. The velocity in the LVL is roughly stable in the range of 5.7-6.0 km·s-1 and has an obvious low-velocity anomaly feature of 0.5 km·s-1 difference compared with its top layer and of 0.4 km·s-1 difference compared with its bottom layer. Its thickness decreases from 3.5 km on the land side to 1 km on the sea side, showing a trend of gradual thinning toward the sea side. The bottom boundary of the LVL has similar fluctuation characteristics to the Moho.

Key words: the Pearl River Estuary, sliding wave, low-velocity layer, crustal structure

CLC Number: 

  • P738.4