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Magnitude and symmetry of seismic anisotropy in mica‐ and amphibole‐bearing metamorphic rocks and implications for tectonic interpretation of seismic data from the southeast Tibetan Plateau
Author(s) -
Ji Shaocheng,
Shao Tongbin,
Michibayashi Katsuyoshi,
Oya Shoma,
Satsukawa Takako,
Wang Qian,
Zhao Weihua,
Salisbury Matthew H.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: solid earth
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.983
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 2169-9356
pISSN - 2169-9313
DOI - 10.1002/2015jb012209
Subject(s) - schist , geology , amphibole , metamorphic rock , mica , crenulation , gneiss , geochemistry , seismology , quartz , shear zone , tectonics , paleontology
We calibrated the magnitude and symmetry of seismic anisotropy for 132 mica‐ or amphibole‐bearing metamorphic rocks to constrain their departures from transverse isotropy (TI) which is usually assumed in the interpretation of seismic data. The average bulk V p anisotropy at 600 MPa for the chlorite schists, mica schists, phyllites, sillimanite‐mica schists, and amphibole schists examined is 12.0%, 12.8%, 12.8%, 17.0%, and 12.9%, respectively. Most of the schists show V p anisotropy in the foliation plane which averages 2.4% for phyllites, 3.3% for mica schists, 4.1% for chlorite schists, 6.8% for sillimanite‐mica schists, and 5.2% for amphibole schists. This departure from TI is due to the presence of amphibole, sillimanite, and quartz. Amphibole and sillimanite develop strong crystallographic preferred orientations with the fast c axes parallel to the lineation, forming orthorhombic anisotropy with V p ( X ) > V p ( Y ) > V p ( Z ). Effects of quartz are complicated, depending on its volume fraction and prevailing slip system. Most of the mica‐ or amphibole‐bearing schists and mylonites are approximately transversely isotropic in terms of S wave velocities and splitting although their P wave properties may display orthorhombic symmetry. The results provide insight for the interpretation of seismic data from the southeast Tibetan Plateau. The N‐S to NW‐SE polarized crustal anisotropy in the Sibumasu and Indochina blocks is caused by subvertically foliated mica‐ and amphibole‐bearing rocks deformed by predominantly compressional folding and subordinate strike‐slip shear. These blocks have been rotated clockwise 70–90° around the east Himalayan Syntaxis, without finite eastward or southeastward extrusion, in responding to progressive indentation of India into Asia.