3-D Crustal Shear Wave Velocity Tomography Using Seismic Ambient Noise Data in Southeast Tibet, Close to Namcha Barwa Mountain

Southeastern Tibet, a segment of the eastern Himalayan Syntaxis, is a significantly deformed area resulting from multistage subduction and the ongoing collision of the Indian and Asian tectonic plates. The region has a clockwise material movement around the indenting corner of the Indian plate, evident on the surface as strike-slip faults aligned with the Himalayan Arc. Numerous scientific studies have focused on the east-west extension and tectonic history of southeastern Tibet; however, the scientific enquiries regarding the depth constraints of the crustal flow process—specifically, whether it is confined to the middle crust or extends to the lower crust beneath southeastern Tibet—remain unresolved. This study employs ambient noise tomography to  examine a 3-D high-resolution crustal velocity model for the region, which is crucial for unravelling the mechanisms that regulate crustal deformation and evolution in active orogenic systems. To do this, we examined ambient noise data from 48 seismic stations of the XE network, operational from 2003 to 2004. We obtained Rayleigh wave phase velocities ranging from 4 to 60 seconds and subsequently inverted them to develop a 3-D shear wave velocity model of the region extending to depths of 50 km. Our results reveal persistent low shear wave velocity zones at depths of 15–25 km (within the mid-crust), notably observed between the Indus Tsangpo suture and the Bangong-Nujiang Suture. We contend that the detected low-velocity zones are only linked to mid-crustal channel flow, a mechanism presumably essential for comprehending crustal deformation. Our findings provide significant constraints on the depth localisation of crustal channel flow and the interaction of tectonic forces in southern Tibet, enhancing the overall comprehension of Eastern Syntaxial tectonics.