[1] The Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) is an ultraslow spreading end-member of mid-ocean ridge system. We use air gun shooting data recorded by ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) and multibeam bathymetry to obtain a detailed three-dimensional (3-D) P wave tomographic model centered at 49 39 0 E near the active hydrothermal ''Dragon Flag'' vent. Results are presented in the form of a 3-D seismic traveltime inversion over the center and both ends of a ridge segment. We show that the crustal thickness, defined as the depth to the 7 km/s isovelocity contour, decreases systematically from the center ($7.0-8.0 km) toward the segment ends ($3.0-4.0 km). This variation is dominantly controlled by thickness changes in the lower crustal layer. We interpret this variation as due to focusing of the magmatic activity at the segment center. The across-axis velocity model documents a strong asymmetrical structure involving oceanic detachment faulting. A locally corrugated oceanic core complex (Dragon Flag OCC) on the southern ridge flank is characterized by high shallow crustal velocities and a strong vertical velocity gradient. We infer that this OCC may be predominantly made of gabbros. We suggest that detachment faulting is a prominent process of slow spreading oceanic crust accretion even in magmatically robust ridge sections. Hydrothermal activity at the Dragon Flag vents is located next to the detachment fault termination. We infer that the detachment fault system provides a pathway for hydrothermal convection.

The Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) is characterized by an ultraslow spreading rate, thin crust, and extensive outcrops of serpentinized peridotite. Previous studies have used geochemical and geophysical data to suggest the presence of a thicker crust at the central and shallowest portions of the SWIR, from the Prince Edward (35 30 0 E) to the Gallieni (52 20 0 E) fracture zones. Here we present a new analysis of wide-angle seismic data along the ridge 49 17 0 E-50 49 0 E. Our main conclusions are as follows: (1) we find an oceanic layer 2 of roughly constant thickness and steep velocity gradient, underlain by a layer 3 with variable thickness and low velocity gradient; (2) the crustal thickness varies from 5 km beneath nontransform discontinuities (NTDs) up to 10 km beneath a segment center; (3) the melt supply is focused in segment centers despite a small NTD between adjacent segments; (4) the presence of a normal upper mantle velocity indicates that no serpentinization occurs beneath this thick crust. Our observation of thick crust at an ultraslow spreading ridge adds further complexity to relationships between crustal thickness and spreading rate, and supports previous suggestions that the extent of mantle melting is not a simple function of spreading rate, and that mantle temperature or chemistry (or both) must vary significantly along axis.

The oceanic crust is formed by a combination of magmatic and tectonic processes at mid-ocean spreading centers. Under ultraslow spreading environment, however, observations of thin crust and mantle-derived peridotites on the seafloor suggest that a large portion of crust is formed mainly by tectonic processes, with little or absence of magmatism. Using three-dimensional seismic tomography at an ultraslow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge segment containing a central volcano at 50°28′E, here we report the presence of an extremely magmatic accretion of the oceanic crust. Our results reveal a low-velocity anomaly (À0.6 km/s) in the lower crust beneath the central volcano, suggesting the presence of partial melt, which is accompanied by an unusually thick crust (~9.5 km). We also observe a strong along-axis variation in crustal thickness from 9.5 to 4 km within 30-50 km distance, requiring a highly focused melt delivery from the mantle. We conclude that the extremely magmatic accretion is due to localized melt flow toward the central volcano, which was enhanced by the significant along-axis variation in lithosphere thickness at the ultraslow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge.

The crustal structure of the northwestern sub-basin area of the South China Sea was modeled by inverting a wide-angle seismic survey line across the entire region and on both sides of its bounding continental margins. The survey line extended over 484 km. A total of 14 Ocean Bottom Seismometers (OBS) were deployed at intervals of 30 km to record air-gun array sources with a combined volume of 5160 in 3 . The crustal velocity structure of the northwestern sub-basin area was acquired through the integration of multi-channel seismic data. OBS data were processed and modeled initially using ray tracing inversion techniques. Results indicate that crustal thickness under the continental slope decreases from 21 to 11 km, crustal thickness of the northwestern sub-basin is 7.7 km, and the depth to the Moho ascends from 21 km under the upper continental slope to 11 km under the middle basin. The crust of the northwestern sub-basin is similar to that of the eastern sub-basin in its oceanic crustal structure. This structure has a thicker layer 1 (sedimentary layer) and a thinner layer 2. These characteristics are especially clear in the eastern sub-basin, which differs somewhat from typical oceanic crust. The tectonic geometry and velocity structure of the northwestern sub-basin and its margins comprise a symmetrical conjugate and indicate a pure shear mode with regard to the continental margin rifting mechanism. We did not find clear seismic signals from high velocity layers under the lower crust of the continental margin in the northern part of the northwestern sub-basin, which provides new evidence for the idea that the western part of the northern continental margin of the South China Sea constitutes non-volcanic crust. Because the seafloor spreading period of the northwestern sub-basin was short, layer 2 might have experienced asymmetrical basalt magma flows, which may have blurred the magnetic anomaly lineations of the northwestern sub-basin.wide-angle seismic, crustal structure, South China Sea, tectonic evolution Citation:Wu Z L, Li J B, Ruan A G, et al. Crustal structure of the northwestern sub-basin, South China Sea: Results from a wide-angle seismic experiment.

Beneath ultraslow‐spreading ridges, the oceanic lithosphere remains poorly understood. Using recordings from a temporary array of ocean bottom seismometers, we here report an ~17‐days‐long microearthquake study on two segments (27 and 28) of the ultraslow‐spreading Southwest Indian Ridge (49.2° to 50.8°E). A total of 214 locatable microearthquakes are recorded; seismic activity appears to be concentrated within the west median valley at Segment 28 and adjacent nontransform discontinuities. Earthquakes reach a maximum depth of ~20 km beneath the seafloor, and they mainly occur in the mantle, implying a cold and thick brittle lithosphere. The relatively uniform brittle/ductile boundary beneath Segment 28 suggests that there is no focused melting in this region. The majority of earthquakes is located below the Moho interface, and a 5‐km‐thick aseismic zone is present beneath Segment 28 and adjacent nontransform discontinuities. At the Dragon Flag hydrothermal vent field along Segment 28, the presence of a detachment fault has been inferred from geomorphic features and seismic tomography. Our seismicity data show that this detachment fault deeply penetrates into the mantle with a steeply dipping (~65°) interface, and it appears to rotate to a lower angle in the upper crust, with ~55° of rollover. There is a virtual seismic gap beneath magmatic Segment 27, which may be connected to the presence of an axial magma chamber beneath the spreading center and focused melting; in this scenario, the increased magma supply produces a broad, elevated temperature environment, which suppresses earthquake generation.

We present the first three‐dimensional P wave radial anisotropy tomography of the Hokkaido subduction zone, as well as P wave azimuthal anisotropy and S wave tomography, which are determined by inverting 298,430 P wave and 233,934 S wave arrival times from 14,245 local earthquakes recorded by 344 seismic stations. Our results reveal significant velocity heterogeneity, seismic anisotropy, and upwelling flows beneath the study region. In the mantle wedge, prominent low‐velocity (low‐V) anomalies exhibit trench‐normal fast‐velocity directions (FVDs) and a negative radial anisotropy (i.e., vertical velocity > horizontal velocity), which may reflect upwelling mantle flows. Fan‐shaped FVDs are found at depths of 65–90 km, and a detailed 3‐D mantle flow pattern is revealed, which may be caused by a combination of oblique subduction of the Pacific plate and collision of the Kuril arc with the Honshu arc beneath southern Hokkaido. The radial anisotropy changes at ~100 km depth, which may reflect variations in temperature and fluid conditions there. The subducting Pacific slab exhibits a positive radial anisotropy (i.e., horizontal velocity > vertical velocity), which may reflect the original fossil anisotropy when the Pacific plate formed at the mid‐ocean ridge.

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We present results from an ocean bottom seismometer experiment surveying the fossil spreading centre in the Southwest Sub‐basin of the South China Sea. The detailed velocity model shows that oceanic layer 2 exhibits across‐axis variations in thickness and velocity, whereas oceanic layer 3 displays a variation in crustal thickness. A low‐angle (24°) SE‐dipping oceanic detachment fault is proposed to explain the anomalous structure on the NW side of the spreading centre, which exhibits uplifting of the upper mantle beneath a thinned oceanic crust. The inferred oceanic detachment fault was at its initial stage, localized within the basaltic crust and did not exhume lower crust. We suggest that the low‐velocity (7.6–7.9 km/s) body located within the upper mantle beneath the footwall of the detachment fault is caused by both mantle serpentinization and partial melting. The difference in crustal thickness in the Southwest Sub‐basin indicates that the magma supply varied in time and space during or even after the seafloor spreading. Compared with other fossil spreading ridges, the fossil spreading centre of the northeast Southwest Sub‐basin studied here represents a third type of fossil spreading ridge, characterized by a reduced melt supply at the waning stage of spreading and a strong post‐spreading magmatism. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.