Intraplate earthquakes and their link with mantle dynamics: Insights from P-wave teleseismic tomography along the northern part of the North-South Tectonic Zone in China

Abstract

The North-South Tectonic Zone (NSTZ) running across the Chinese continent is an important earthquake-prone zone. Around one third of the strong earthquakes (> 7.0) of China in the past occurred in this region. Receiver function study has imaged vertical convection in the mantle beneath the northern part of the NSTZ (NNSTZ), which might be related to stress accumulation and release as well as related earthquakes. Here we perform a P-wave teleseismic tomographic analysis of this region. Our results reveal prominent low-velocity and high-velocity perturbations in the upper mantle beneath this region, which we correlate with mantle upwelling, possibly resulting from lower crustal and (or) lithospheric delamination. Our results also reveal significant contrast in the velocity perturbation of the lithosphere along the two sides of this tectonic zone, suggesting possible material exchange between the eastern and western domains and lithosphere-scale control on the generation of earthquakes.