Crustal structure across the northwestern margin of South China Sea: Evidence for magma-poor rifting from a wide-angle seismic profile

Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition)

Volumn 86, Issue 4, 2012, Pages 854-866

  Ding, Weiwei ^a   Schnabel, Michael ^b   Franke, Dieter ^b   Ruan, Aiguo ^a   Wu, Zhenli ^a  

^a Ministry of Natural Resources of the People's Republic of China   (China)

^b FEDERAL INSTITUTE FOR GEOSCIENCES AND NATURAL RESOURCES BGR   (Germany)

Author keywords

Lower crust flow; Magma poor rifting; P wave; South China Sea; Velocity model

Indexed keywords

CONTINENTAL SLOPE; CRUSTAL STRUCTURE; MAGMA; P-WAVE; RIFTING; SEISMOGRAPH; VELOCITY PROFILE;

PACIFIC OCEAN; SOUTH CHINA SEA;

EID: 84867345926     PISSN: 10009515     EISSN: 17556724     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-6724.2012.00711.x     Document Type: Article

References (50)

1. Barckhausen, U., and Roeser, H.A., 2004. Seafloor spreading anomalies in South China Sea revisited, In: Clift, P. (eds), Continent-Ocean Interactions Within East Asian Marginal Seas, Washington, D.C.: Geophys. Monogr. Ser., 149: 121-125.
2. Braitenberg, C, Wienecke, S., and Wang, Y., 2006. Basement structures from satellite-derived gravity field: South China Sea ridge. Journal of Geophysical Research, 111: 1-15.
3. Briais, A., Patriat, T., and Tapponnier, P., 1993. Updated interpretation of magnetic anomalies and seafloor spreading stages in the South China Sea: Implications for the tertiary tectonics of Southeast Asia, Journal of Geophysical Research, 98: 6299-6328.
4. Cande, S.C., and Kent, D.V., 1995. Revised calibration of the geomagnetic polarity timescale for the Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic, Journal of Geophysical Research, 100: 6093-6095.
5. Chen, Y, Niu, F., Liu, R, Huang, Z., Tkal, H., Sun, L., and Chan, W., 2010. Crustal structure beneath China from receiver function analysis. Journal of Geophysical Research, 115, B03307, doi:10.1029/2009JB006386.
6. Clift, P.D., and Lin, J., 2001. Preferential mantle lithospheric extension under the South China margin. Mar. Petrol. Geol., 18,929-945.
7. Clift, P.D., Lin, J., and ODP Leg 184 Scientific Party, 2001. Patterns of extension and magmatism along the continent-ocean boundary, South China margin. In: Wilson, RC.L. (ed.), Non-volcanic rifting of continental margins: A comparison of evidence from land and sea. Geological Society of London, Special Publications, 187: 489-510.
8. Eldholm, O., Skogseid, J., Planke, S., and Gladczenko, T.P., 1995. Volcanic margin concepts, in Rifted ocean-continent boundaries. Kluwer, Dordrecht, 1-16.
9. Franke, D., Barckhausen, U., Baristeas, N., Engels, M., Ladage, S., Lutz, R., Montano, J., Pellejera, N., Ramos, E.G., and Schnabel, M., 2011. The continent-ocean transition at the southestern margin of the South China Sea. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 28: 1187-1204.
10. Funck, T., Hopper, J.R., Larsen, H.C., Louden, K.E., Tucholke, B. E., and Holbrook, W.S., 2003. Crustal structure of the ocean -continent transition at Flemish Cap: Seismic refraction results, J. Geophys. Res., 108: 2531-2550.
11. Hamilton, W., 1979. Tectonics of the Indonesian region, U.S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap., 1078: 345.
12. Hayes, D.E., and Nissen, S.S., 2005. The South China sea margins: Implications for rifting contrasts. E.P.S.L., 237: 601-616.
13. Hsu, S.K., Yeh, Y.C., Doo, W.B., and Tsai, CH., 2004. New bathymetry and magnetic lineations identifications in the northernmost South China Sea and their tectonic implications, Mar. Geophys. Res., 25: 29-44.
14. Huang Chunju, Zhou Di, Chen Changming, Sun Zhen and Hao Hujun, 2005. Deep crustal structure of Baiyun Sag, northern South China Sea revealed from deep seismic reflection profile. Chinese Science Bulletin, 50(11): 1131-1138.
15. Korenaga, J., and Kelemen, P.B., 1998. Melting migration through the oceanic lower crust: a constraint from melt percolation modeling with finite solid diffusion. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 156(1-2): 1-11.
16. Korenaga, J., Holbrook, W.S., Kent, G.M., Kelemen, P.B., Derrick, R.S., Larsen, H.C, Hopper, J.R., and Dahl-Jensen, T., 2000. Crustal structure of the southeast Greenland margin from joint refraction and reflection seismic tomography. J. Geophys. Res., 105,21591-21614.
17. Lavier, L.L., and Manatschal, G, 2006. A mechanism to thin the continental lithosphere at magma - poor margins, Nature, 440: 324-328.
18. Li Jiaobiao, 2005. Evolution of China's Marginal Seas and its effect of natural resources. Ocean Press, Beijing, 228-240 (in Chinese).
19. Li Pinglu and Liang Huixian, 1994. Cenozoic magmatism in the Pearl River Mouth Basin and its relationship to the basin evolution and petroleum accumulation. Guangdong Geology, 9 (2): 23-34 (in Chinese with English abstract).
20. Li Ping and Liang Huixian, 1999. Origin and tectonic setting of the Yanshanian igneous rocks in the Pearl River Mouth Basin. Guangdong Geology, 14(1): 1-10 (in Chinese).
21. Li, P., and Rao, C, 1994. Tectonic characteristics and evolution history of the Pearl river Mouth basin. Tectonophysics, 235: 13-25.
22. Lu Bingquan and Xu Guoqiang, 2002. Sea floor spreading recorded by drowning events of Cenozoic carbonate platforms in the South China Sea, Chinese Journal of Geology, 37(4): 405-414 (in Chinese with English abstract)
23. Luedmann, T., and Wong, H.K., 1999. Neotectonic regime on the passive continental margin of the northern South China Sea. Tectonophysics, 311(1-4): 113-138.
24. Manatschal, G., and Bernoulli, D., 1999. Architecture and tectonic evolution of nonvolcanic margins: Present - day Galicia and ancient Adria, Tectonics, 18: 1099-1119.
25. Mcintosh, K.D., Nakamura, Y., Wang, T.K., Shih, R.C., Chen, A. T., and Liu, C.S., 2005. Crustal-scale seismic profiles across Taiwan and the western Philippine Sea. Tectonophysics, 401: 23-54.
26. McKenzie, D.P., 1978. Some remarks on the development of sedimentary basins. E.P.S.L., 40: 25-32.
27. Menzies, M.A., Klemperer, S.L., Ebinger, C.J., and Baker, J., 2002. Characteristics of volcanic rifted margins, In: Menzies, M.A., Klemperer, S.L., Ebinger, C.J., and Baker, J. (eds), Volcanic Rifted Margins, Geological Society of America Special Paper Boulder, Colorado. 1-14
28. Moser, T.J., 1991. Shortest path calculation of seismic rays. Geophysics, 56: 59-67.
29. Moser, T.J., Nolet, G., and Snieder, R, 1992. Ray bending revisited. Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 82: 259-288.
30. Nakamura, Y., Mcintosh, K, and Chen, A.T., 1998. Preliminary results of a large offset seismic survey west of Hengchun Peninsula, Southern Taiwan. Terr. Atmo. Ocea., 9: 395-408.
31. Nissen, S.S., Hayes, D.E., Buhl. P., Diebold, J., Yao, B.C., Zeng, W.J., and Chen, Y.Q., 1995. Deep penetration seismic soundings across the northern margin of the South China Sea. J. Geophys. Res., 100: 22407-22433.
32. Qiu, X.L., Ye, S.Y., Wu, S.M., Shi, X.B., Zhou, D., Xia, K.Y., and Flueh, E.R., 2001. Crustal structure across the Xisha Trough, northwestern South China Sea. Tectonophysics, 341: 179-193.
33. Reston, T.J., 2007. Extension discrepancy at North Atlantic nonvolcanic rifted margins: depth-dependent stretching or unrecognized faulting? Geology, 35: 367-370.
34. Schlueter, H.U., Hinz, K., and Block, M., 1996. Tectono-stratigraphic terranes and detachment faulting of the South China Sea and Sulu Sea, Mar. Geol, 130: 39-51.
35. Sewell, R.J., and Campell, S.D.G., 1997. Geochemistry of coeval Mesozoic plutonic and volcanic suites in Hong Kong. Journal of Geological Society, London, 154: 1053-1066.
36. Sun, Z., Zhong, Z., Keep, M., Zhou, D., Cai, D., Li, X., Wu, S., and Jiang, J., 2009. 3D analogue modeling of the South China Sea: A discussion on breakup pattern. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 34: 544-556.
37. Taylor, B., and Hayes, D.E., 1980. The tectonic evolution of the South China Basin, In: Hayes, D.E. (ed.), The Tectonic and Geologic Evolution of Southeast Asian Seas and Islands, Part 1. Am. Geophys. Union Geophys. Monogr., AGU, Washington, D. C, 23: 89-104.
38. Taylor, B., and Hayes, D.E., 1983. Origin and history of the South China Sea basin, In: Hayes, D.E. (ed.), The Tectonic and Geologic Evolution of the Southeast Asian Seas and Islands: Part 2, Washington, D.C.: Am. Geophys. Union Geophys. Monogr., AGU, 27: 23-56.
39. Toomey, D.R., and Foulger, G.R., 1989. Tomographic Inversion of Local Earthquake Data From the Hengill-Grensdalur Central Volcano Complex, Iceland. J. Geophys. Res. 94:17497-17510.
40. Wang, P., Prell, W.L., Blum, P., Arnold, E.M., Buehring, C.J., Chen, M.P., Clemens, S.C., Clift, P.D., Colin, C.J.G., Farrel, J. W., Higginson, M.J., Zhimin, J., Kuhnt, W., Laj, C.E., Larer-Leredde, C, Leventhal, J.S., Li, A., Li, Q., Lin, J., Mclntyre, K., Miranda, C.R., Nathan, S.A., Shyu, J.T., Solheid, P.A., Su, X., Tamburini, F., Trentesaux, A., and Wang, L., 2000. Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Initial Reports, 184. College Station, TX: Ocean Drilling Program.
41. Wang, T.K., Chen, M.K., Lee, C.S., and Xia, K., 2006. Seismic imaging of the transitional crust across the northeastern margin of the South China Sea. Tectonophysics, 412: 237-254.
42. Wang Tianfeng and Zhu Hong. 2011. Chinese continental blocks in global paleocontinental reconstruction during Paleozoic and Mesoic. Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition), 85(3): 581-597.
43. White, R. S., and McKenzie, D.P., 1989. Magmatism at rift zones: The generation of volcanic continental margins and flood basalts. J. Geophys. Res., 94: 7685-7729.
44. Wu Zhenli, Li Jiaobiao, Ruan Aiguo, Lou Hai, Ding Weiwei, Niu, Xiongwei and Li Xibin, 2012. Crustal structure of the northwestern sub-basin, South China Sea: Results from a wide-angle seismic experiment. Sci. China. Earth. Sci., 55(1), 159-172.
45. Yan, P., Zhou, D., and Liu, Z.S., 2001. A crustal structure profile across the northern continental margin of the South China Sea. Tectonophysics, 338(1): 1-21.
46. Yan, P., Deng, H., Liu, H.L., Zhang, Z.R., and Jiang, Y.K., 2006. The temporal and spatial distribution of volcanism in the South China Sea region. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 27: 647-659.
47. Yao, B.C., Zeng, W.J., Hayes, D.E., and Spangler, S., 1994. The Geological Memoir of South China Sea Survey Jointly by China and U.S.A. The Press of China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 1-203 (in Chinese).
48. Yeh, Y.C., Sibuet, J.C., Hsu, S.K., and Liu, C.S., 2010. Tectonic evolution of the Northeastern South China Sea from seismic interpretation. J. Geophys. Res., 115, B06103, doi: 10.1029/2009JB006354.
49. Zhao, M.H., Qiu, X.L., Xia, S.H., Xu, H.L., Wang, P., Wang, T. K., Lee, C.S., and Xia, K.Y., 2010. Seismic structure in the northeastern South China Sea: S-wave velocity and Vp/Vs ratios derived from three-component OBS data. Tectonophysics, 480: 183-197.
50. Zhou, D., Ru, K., and Chen, H.Z., 1995. Kinematics of Cenozoic extension on the South China Sea continental margin and its implications for the tectonic evolution of the region. Tectonophysics, 251: 161-177.