P-wave velocities of the upper mantle of the Tethysalpine geosynclines

Authors

  • V.V. Gordienko Subbotin Institute of Geophysics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ukraine
  • I.V. Gordienko Subbotin Institute of Geophysics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ukraine
  • L.Ya. Gordienko Subbotin Institute of Geophysics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ukraine

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24028/gzh.0203-3100.v42i6.2020.222295

Keywords:

Tethys, upper mantle, P-wave velocity

Abstract

The aim of the work is to calculate the velocity distribution of the longitudinal seismic waves (VP) in the upper mantle at depths from the discontinuity M to 400 km. The object is the territory of Tethys — the belt of alpine geosynclines crossing all of Eurasia from Gibraltar to the Indonesian archipelago.

The model of the first approximation is constructed according to previous studies and our results on island arcs. It was possible to choose the velocity distribution in the upper mantle of Tethys, according to which the travel time close to the observed one was calculated. The degree of coordination is quite sufficient for the recognition of the used distribution of velocity as real. The data on approximately 18,000 earthquakes, the waves from which reached 27 seismic stations, are used. The location of the epicenters of earthquakes and stations ensured the passage of seismic rays precisely along the upper mantle of different Tethys regions. On the island of Sumatra a comparison was made of the constructed travel times with those obtained earlier in the study of the upper mantle of island arcs and coastal ridges of the Pacific Ring. Harmonization of the travel times is considered satisfactory. The VP distribution obtained in this way is compared with the calculated from the ideas of the advective-polymorphic hypothesis. The velocity model of the upper mantle of the Precambrian platform outside the zones of modern activation is complemented by the influence of the anomalous temperatures of both signs in the subsoil of the geosyncline. The result is somewhat different from the calculated earlier for the upper mantle island arc. There are two main reasons for this difference: probability of a somewhat higher radiogenic heat generation in the rocks of the upper mantle of the arc and somewhat smaller typical crustal thickness under the arc. The discrepancies between the models are small, averaging about 0.03 km/s. They do not exceed associated only with the errors of calculations. A noticeable excess of the magnitude of the discrepancies is detected only at a depth of 400 km, where the uncertainty of the calculation results is maximum.

The discrepancy between the experimental and calculated velocity distributions in the upper mantle of Tethys is 0.05 km/s. They can be considered coincident.

References

Ganser, A. (1967). Geology Himalayas. Moscow: Mir, 349 p. (in Russian).

Geyko, V.S., Tsvetkova, T.A., Livanova, L.P., & Sannikova, N.P. (1993). The velocities of P waves in the upper mantle of the Black Sea basin and the structures of the south of Ukraine according to earthquake data. In Geodyna-mics and deep structure of seismogenic zones of Ukraine (pp. 31-59). Kiev: Naukova Dumka (in Russian).

Geyko, V.C., Tsvetkova, T.A., Sannikova, N.P., Livanova, L.P., Geyko, K.V. (1998). Regional 3D P velocity structure of the northwestern Eurasia’s mantle. Geofizicheskiy zhurnal, 20(3), 67-91 (in Russian).

Gintov, O.B., Yegorova, T.P., Tsvetkova, T.A., Bugaenko, I.V., & Murovskaya, A.V. (2014). Geodynamic features of joint zone of the Eurasian plate and the Alpine-Himalayan belt within the limits of Ukraine and adjacent areas. Geofizicheskiy zhurnal, 36(5), 26-63. https://doi.org/10.24028/gzh.0203-3100.v36i5.2014.111 568 (in Russian).

Gontovaya, L.I., & Gordienko, V.V. (2006). Deep processes and geophysical models of the mantle of East Kamchatka and Kronotsky Bay. Geologiya i poleznyye iskopayemyye Mirovogo okeana, (2), 107-121 (in Russian).

Gordienko, V.V. (2014). About РТ conditions in magma chambers in the Earth’s mantle. Geofizicheskiy zhurnal, 36(6), 28-57. https://doi.org/10.24028/gzh.0203-3100.v36i6.2014.111022 (in Russian).

Gordienko, V.V. (2017). Thermal processes, geo-dynamics, deposits. 283 p. Retrieved from https://ivangord2000.wixsite.com/tectonos (in Russian).

Gordienko, V.V. (2018). The depth of the roof of the transition zone between the upper and lower mantle of the Earth. Dopovidi NAN Ukrayiny, (4), 60-65 (in Russian).

Gordienko, V.V., & Gordienko, L.Ya. (2012). On the speed of propagation of longitudinal seismic waves in the subcrustal mantle of the Carpathian region. Dopovidi NAN Ukrayiny, (3), 95-100 (in Russian).

Gordienko, V.V., & Gordienko, L.Ya. (2018). Velocity model of the Ukrainian subcrustal mantle. Geofizicheskiy zhurnal, 40(6), 29-50. https://doi.org/10.24028/gzh.0203-3100.v40i6.2018.151004 (in Russian).

Kunin, N.Ya. (1989). The structure of the lithosphere of continents and oceans. Moscow: Nedra, 288 p. (in Russian).

Nizkous, I.V., Kissling, E., Sanina, I.A., & Gontovaya, L.I. (2006). Velocity properties of the lithosphere of the ocean-continent transition zone in the Kamchatka region according to seismic tomography data. Fizika Zemli, (4), 18-29 (in Russian).

Khain, V.E. (1984). Regional Geotectonics. Alpine Mediterranean Belt. Moscow: Nedra, 344p. (in Russian).

Yanovskaya, T.B., Gobarenko, V.S., & Yegorova, T.P. (2016). The structure of the subcrustal lithosphere of the Black Sea basin according to seismological data. Fizika Zemli, (1), 15-30 (in Russian).

Alinaghi, A., Koulakov, I., & Thybo, H. (2007). Seismic tomographic imaging of P and S waves velocity perturbations in the upper mantle beneath Iran. Geophysical Journal International, 169(3), 1089-1102. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2007.03317.x.

Behm, M., Bruckl, E., & Mitterbauer, U. (2007). A New Seismic Model of the Eastern Alps and its Relevance for Geodesy and Geodynamics. Vermessung & Geoinformation, (2), 121-133.

Cimini, B., & De Gori, P. (1997). Upper mantle velocity structure beneath Italy from direct and secondary P wave teleseismic tomography. Annali di Geofisica, XL(1), 175-194. https://doi.org/10.4401/ag-3944.

Closs, H., Roder, D., Schmidt, K. (Eds.). (1978). Alps, Apennines, Hellenides. Stuttgart: Nдgele und Obermiller, 620 p.

Dec, M., Malinowski, M., & Perchuc, E. (2014). A new model of the upper mantle structure beneath the western rim of the East European Craton. Solid Earth, (5), 523-535. https://doi.org/10.5194/se-5-523-2014.

Gorbatov, A., Widiyantoro, S., Fukao, Y., & Gordeev, E. (2000). Signature of remnant slabs in the North Pacific from P wave tomography. Geophysical Journal International, 142(1), 27-36. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-246x.2000.00122.x.

Gordienko, L., & Gordienko, V. P wave velocities in the upper mantle beneath oceans. NCGT Journal, (3), 389-405.

Gordienko, V.V., & Pavlenkova, N.I. (1985). Combined geothermal-geophysical models of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle for the European continent. Journal of Geodynamics, 4(1-4), 75-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/0264-3707(85)90053-5.

International Seismological Centre. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.isc.ac.uk.

Jiang, G., Zhao, D., & Zhang, G. (2009). Seismic tomography of the Pacific slab edge under Kamchatka. Tectonophysics, 465(1-4), 190-203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2008.11.019.

Kissling, E., Ellsworth, W.L., Eberhart-Phillips, D., & Kradolfer, U. (1994). Initial reference models in local earthquake tomography. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 99(B10), 19635-19646. https://doi.org/10.1029/93JB03138.

Lippitsch, R. (2002). Lithosphere and upper mantle P wave velocity structure beneath the Alps by high-resolution teleseismic tomography. Doctorўs thesis. https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-a-004484684.

Lippitsch, R., Kissling, E., & Ansorge, J. (2007). Upper mantle structure beneath the Alpine orogen from high-resolution teleseismic tomography. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 108(B8), 2376. https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JB002016.

Mokhtari, M., Farahbod, A., Lindholm, C., Alahyarkhani, M., & Bungun, H. (2004). An Approach to a Comprehensive Moho Depth Map and Crust and Upper Mantle Velocity Model for Iran. Iranian International Journal of Sciences, 5(2), 223-244.

Northern Italy Earthquakes. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.virtualuppermantle.info/RU/2012-Northern-Italy-Earthquakes.htm.

Rodgers, A., Schwartz, S. (1996). Asian upper mantle P wave velocity structure from the analysis of broadband waveforms (pp. 677-683). Reports Institute of Tectonics, University of California.

Zaharia, B., Enescu, B., Radulian, M., & Popa M. (2009). Determination of the lithospheric structure from Carpathians Arc bend using local data. Romanian Reports in Physics, 61(4), 748-764.

Zhang, H., Zhao, J., & Xu, C. (2012). Crustal and upper mantle velocity structure beneath central Tibet by P wave teleseismic tomography. Geophysical Journal International, 190(3), 1325-1334. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246 X.2012.05582.x.

Published

2020-12-24

How to Cite

Gordienko, V., Gordienko, I., & Gordienko, L. (2020). P-wave velocities of the upper mantle of the Tethysalpine geosynclines. Geofizicheskiy Zhurnal, 42(6), 192–206. https://doi.org/10.24028/gzh.0203-3100.v42i6.2020.222295

Issue

Section

Articles