Abstract:
The Moho discontinuity, marking the boundary between the Earth’s crust and mantle, carries abundant information about the structure and evolution of the crust-mantle system. The “doublet Moho” phenomenon observed beneath the Tibetan Plateau complicates the investigation of Moho structure. The
H-κ scan of teleseismic receiver functions is a widely employed technique for determining Moho depth and crustal
vP/
vS ratios of horizontal layered crustal structure. The
H-κ scan to each receiver function for different depth of the Moho from synthetic model. And, the obtained values of
H and
κ is projected onto a planar map, that reveals that points corresponding to the same depth Moho interface align along a curve. Thus, the separated receiver functions easily is associated with distinct interface depths. Then, one can determine the dip direction of a tilted interface by analyzing the crustal thickness projection map. Subsequent processing can be targeted at each layer of receiver functions individually. Utilizing a large dataset of seismic recordings from LSA station (Chinese National Digital Seismic Network), we follow the above-mentions steps to separate the receiver functions of LSA and identify two key interfaces. Finally, employing the
H-κ-θ method independently for each interface, we derived the following characteristics of the two interfaces: (1) the crustal thickness beneath the Lhasa station is approximately 70 kilometers with an average
vP/
vS ratio of about 1.67, and the Moho interface dips at an angle of 24 degrees. (2) the subducting Indian Plate interface lies at a depth of about 106 kilometers, with a dipping at an angle of 40 degrees. Above this interface of 106 kilometers depth, the average
vP/
vS ratio within the mantle wedge between the two interfaces is approximately 1.69. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of this method in distinguishing receiver functions corresponding to different interfaces. By integrating this approach with other techniques, more accurate subsurface structures can be elucidated, providing valuable insights into the geologic configuration below the Tibetan Plateau. This work contributes to a better understanding of the complex tectonic processes occurring in this seismically active region.