Crustal structure of Khorasan, NE Iran, using Rayleigh wave tomography

Abstract

The tomography results reveal not only distinct velocity structures in different tectonic zones but can also provide valuable insights into the geological features of the area. This study presents the results of 2D Rayleigh wave tomographic maps obtained in NE Iran. For this purpose, we used the recorded waveforms of more than 500 earthquakes with M > 4 that occurred between January 2000 and October 2020 at 165 stations. The calculated tomographic maps cover a period range of 3 to 36 s, providing the 3D V_S model to analyze crustal structure at depths ranging from 2 to 30 km. At shorter periods, the tomographic maps are primarily influenced by sediment thickness, with the presence of thick sediment layers (~ 10 km) responsible for the observed low V_S anomalies (< 3.1 km/s) in the study area. At longer periods, the tomographic maps highlight the structural characteristics of the middle-lower crustal layers and, somewhere, the depth variations of the Moho discontinuity. The V_S model also confirms the correlation between tectonic fractures and known faults in the study area as boundaries of seismotectonic provinces. Moreover, a distinct area was observed beneath the Binalud foreland, which we interpreted as a suture zone, as suggested by previous studies. The reliability of the resolved anomalies was supported through a series of tests, including checkerboard and earthquake location uncertainties. These tests demonstrated the robustness of the results and provided confidence in the accuracy of the findings.