Crustal structure of China and surrounding regions from P wave traveltime tomography

A three-dimensional (3-D) P wave velocity model is developed for the crust and uppermost mantle of China and the surrounding area by applying the tomography method of Zhao et al. using 500,000 high-quality P wave first arrivals extracted from the Annual Bulletin of Chinese Earthquakes (ABCE). This tomographic method can accommodate velocity discontinuities such as the Moho in addition to smooth velocity variations. The spatial resolution is 1 degrees x 1 degrees in the horizontal direction and 10 km in depth. The velocity images of the upper crust correspond well with the surface geologic features such as basins and the Tibetan Plateau. High-velocity anomalies are found in the lower crust beneath the Precambrian regions (Tarim Basin, Ordos Basin, Sichuan Basin, and western half of Songliao Basin). The highest-velocity anomaly is beneath the Sichuan Basin. High- and low-velocity anomalies imaged beneath the Bohai Gulf are associated with the presence of a major Cenozoic rift system. In the lower crust beneath the South China Block, P wave velocities are lower in the north than in the south. The Indochina Block shows low velocities both in the crust and in the uppermost mantle due to volcanism. The Pn velocities in the Tibet area are higher than those in other areas largely due to thicker crust. Tomographic model significantly reduces the traveltime residuals. Tests conducted by relocating large explosions and earthquakes validate the 3-D velocity model.