The Amurian Plate motion and current plate kinematics in eastern Asia

Abstract

We use Global Positioning System (GPS) velocity data to model eastern Asian plate kinematics. Out of 15 stations in Korea, Russia, China, and Japan studied here, three sites considered to be on the stable interior of the hypothetical Amurian Plate showed eastward velocities as fast as ∼9–10 mm/yr with respect to the Eurasian Plate. They were stationary relative to each other to within 1 mm/yr, and these velocity vectors together with those of a few additional sites were used to accurately determine the instantaneous angular velocity (Euler) vector of the Amurian Plate. The predicted movement between the Amurian and the North American Plates is consistent with slip vectors along the eastern margin of the Japan Sea and Sakhalin, which reduces the necessity to postulate the existence of the Okhotsk Plate. The Euler vector of the Amurian Plate predicts left‐lateral movement along its boundary with the south China block, consistent with neotectonic estimates of the displacement at the Qinling fault, possibly the southern boundary of the Amurian Plate. The Amurian Plate offers a platform for models of interseismic strain buildup in southwest Japan by the Philippine Sea Plate subduction at the Nankai Trough. Slip vectors along the Baikal rift, the boundary between the Amurian and the Eurasian Plates, are largely inconsistent with the GPS‐based Euler vector, suggesting an intrinsic difficulty in using earthquake slip vectors in continental rift zones for such studies.

Tectonic Process of the Sedimentary Basin Formation and Evolution in the Late Cenozoic Arc-Arc Collision Zone, Central Japan

“…Based on the sedimentary basin evolution discussed in this paper and in accordance to the results of GPS geodesy and related studies [3][4][5]76], the hypothesis of tectonic belt along the eastern margin of Amur Plate [70] is promising for the origin of strain concentration belt running oblique through the zone. This hypothesis includes an eastward motion of the Amur plate with convergence along the east Japan margin and transpression along the west Japan margin as well as its collision in central Japan [1,2,71].…”

“…From this point of view to the plate tectonic condition around Japan, the central Japan acts as a multiple junction area unique in the earth, where four pieces of plates, such as the Amur, the Okhotsk, the Philippine Sea, and the Pacific plates, gather and converge together in and around the Japanese archipelagoes ( Figure 1). Although the GPS geodetic observations confirmed the presence of the micro-plates [3][4][5], the structural features of the incipient boundary between the Okhotsk and Amur Plates seemed still immature but recognized as strain accumulated zone along the eastern margin of Japan Sea [6][7][8][9][10][11].…”

Extracting Vertical Displacement Rates in Shanghai (China) with Multi-Platform SAR Images

“…It should be realized that the validity of the simple conversion from the LOS to vertical displacement at a ground target can be guaranteed if and only if no horizontal motion takes place. Previous studies indicate that the study area is actually affected by the horizontal crustal movements due to the specific geological settings [26,27]. According to the global positing system (GPS) measurements derived from the China Crustal Movement Observation Network, the mean velocity of horizontal motion in the coastal region of Eastern China is about 20 mm/year towards southeast, and the uneven horizontal motions can be observed in the region [26].…”

“…Previous studies indicate that the study area is actually affected by the horizontal crustal movements due to the specific geological settings [26,27]. According to the global positing system (GPS) measurements derived from the China Crustal Movement Observation Network, the mean velocity of horizontal motion in the coastal region of Eastern China is about 20 mm/year towards southeast, and the uneven horizontal motions can be observed in the region [26]. Moreover, the GPS results derived at the ITRF2000 reference station SHAO (see Figure 2) in Shanghai indicate that its eastward and northward velocity is 32 and 16 mm/year, respectively.…”

Large-Scale Present-Day Plate Boundary Deformations in the Eastern Hemisphere Determined from VLBI Data: Implications for Plate Tectonics and Indian Ocean Growth

“…Kreemer et al, 2000). GPS results suggest that the South China block (as well as the North China block) is decoupled from Eurasia and moves Eastward with a velocity of 4-13 mm/yr (Heki et al, 1999;Shen et al, 2000;Chen et al, 2000). This deforming zone, representing the Western boundary of the South China block, can be therefore thought as the most responsible region where the observed divergence between the two VLBI sites on the Eurasian plate is accommodated.…”