ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Earth Sci.
Sec. Solid Earth Geophysics
Crustal deformation in the Cathaysia Block, South China: Insights from receiver function analysis
Provisionally accepted
- 1Institute of Disaster Prevention, Sanhe, China
- 2Geophysical Exploration Center of China Earthquake Administration, Zhengzhou, China
- 3Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, China
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The Cathaysia Block, a pivotal tectonic unit in South China, possesses a complex crustal architecture shaped by multi-phase tectonic evolution. This study integrates harmonic analysis of crustal anisotropy with an advanced H-κ-c stacking method applied to teleseismic receiver functions from 185 stations, to investigate crustal thickness (H), Vp/Vs ratio (κ), and anisotropic characteristics. The results reveal significant spatial heterogeneity: crustal thickness ranges from 24.5 to 36.6 km, while Vp/Vs ratios (1.65–1.84) indicate a compositional transition from felsic-dominated inland regions to mafic-enriched coastal zones. Crustal anisotropy, quantified by fast polarization directions (FPDs) and delay times (0.06–0.46 s), exhibits systematic spatial variations. In eastern Cathaysia, FPDs systematically rotate from NW-SE in the north to NNW-SSE in the south, aligning with the subduction trajectory of the Paleo-Pacific Plate. This pattern, along with crustal thinning, reflects extension induced by slab rollback, associated with mantle upwelling and underplating. Conversely, in western Cathaysia, E-W trending FPDs primarily reflect NW-SE compressive stresses imparted by Paleo-Pacific Plate subduction. Post-rollback thermal relaxation and widespread granitic emplacement subsequently enhanced crustal strength, promoting brittle fracture over ductile flow during regional extension. Collectively, this study elucidates the interplay between Paleo-Pacific Plate dynamics, crustal deformation mechanisms (brittle vs. ductile), and compositional evolution in shaping the tectonic architecture of the Cathaysia Block.
Keywords: South China Block, Cathaysia block, receiver functions, Crustalanisotropy, H-k-c stacking method
Received: 30 Sep 2025; Accepted: 03 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Tan, Duan, Wei, Tan and Zhao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yonghong Duan, yhduan123@126.com
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