2025/01/30 by WU Jin-hui, Yibo Wang, Lijuan He +4 · 1 voice
Earth and Planetary Sciences · #earthquake and tectonic studies #High-pressure geophysics and materials #Geological and Geochemical Analysis
paper · pdf · doi:10.2113/2024/lithosphere_2024_133
openalex publication_date 2025/01/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Abstract Research into the thermo-rheological structure of the lithosphere not only offers substantial constraints on the lithospheric thickness, geophysical characteristics, and tectonic evolution but also provides crucial insights into the causes of earthquakes and tectonic deformation. The southern section of the Tan-Lu Fault Zone, serving as an ancient plate boundary, divides the South China Block in the Lower Yangtze region and the North China Craton in the northern Anhui region. Studies on heat flow across the fault zone reveal significant lateral differences in thermal states on either side of the fault. However, the distribution pattern of heat flow lacks supportive evidence from thermal structure and rheological studies. In this research, we conducted detailed simulations of the thermo-rheological structure using two-dimensional seismic profiles that traverse the southern section of the Tan-Lu Fault Zone. The results indicate no significant anomalies in surface heat flow perpendicular to the fault zone. However, deep temperature anomalies are present. Additionally, the lithospheric rheological strength increases gradually from east to west, transitioning from the “jelly sandwich” model in the east to the “crème brûlée” model in the west, likely due to the dual control of lithospheric thermal structure and crustal compositional differences.