Structural Characteristics of the Basement beneath Qiangtang Basin in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Results of Interaction Interpretation from Seismic Reflection/Refraction Data

The studies on configuration, character/property of the basement of Qiangtang basin is helpful for evaluating petroleum and nature gas resources as well as understanding the basin evolvement. Recently a moderate to high-grade metamorphic gneiss rock was found underlying beneath very low metamorphic Ordovician strata in Mayer Kangri to the north of the central uplift. That fact actually proved existence of the crystalline basement just the distribution and structures of pre-Paleozoic crystalline basement still remain puzzle. In recent years a number of active sources deep seismic profiling, to aim at lithospheric structure of northern Tibet and petroleum resources of the Qiangtang basin, had been conducted that make it possible to image the structure of the basement of the Qiangtang. Near vertical reflection profiles, included those acquired previously and those during 2004 to 2008, have been utilized in this study. By through the interaction process and interpretation between the reflection profiles and the wide-angle profile, a model with the detailed structure and velocity distribution from surface to the depth of 20 km of Qiangtang basin has been imaged. Based on the results and discussions of this study, the preliminary conclusions are as follows: (1) The velocity structure section (approximate to 20 km) that is interactively constrained by the refraction and reflection seismic data reveals that the sedimentary stratum gently lie until 10 km in the south Qiangtang basin. (2) The basement consists of fold basement (the upper) and crystalline basement (the lower). The fold basement buried at the average depth of 6 km with a velocity of 5.25.8 km/s. The shallowest appear at range of the central uplift. The crystalline basement is underlying beneath the fold basement at the average depth of 10 km with a velocity of 5.96.0 km/s except near Bangong-Nujiang suture. (3) The high-velocity body at the depth range of 36 km of the central uplift is considered as a fragment of the crystalline basement that perhaps was raised by Thermal or deformation. (4) The lower-consolidated fold basement show more affinity of Yangtze block but the crystalline basement seems more approximate to Lhasa terrene in geophysical nature. We have attempted to improve the resolution and reliability by interaction of the active seismic data and prove it effective to image complex basement structure. It will be a potential to process the piggy-back acquisition data and has wide prospects.