Abstract
In this paper, we present a procedure based on Parker’s three-dimensional direct gravity inversion to determine the sedimentary basement depth rapidly and objectively. In the foregoing procedure, the Bouguer gravity anomaly is continued downward near the seabed before inversion, and the mean depth of the basement is constrained by the power density spectrum of the gravity anomaly. The bulk density of sediment and basalt rocks are also constrained by the logging data obtained from Expedition 349 Scientists (Expedition 349 Scientists, in: International Ocean Discovery Program Preliminary Report, 349, (2014). doi:10.14379/iodp.pr.349.2014). The sedimentary basement depth of the Southwest Sub-basin (SWSB) of the East Vietnam Sea (South China Sea) derived from the inversion of the downward continued Bouguer anomalies has more detail and accuracy than the sediment basement depth inverted from Bouguer anomaly at the sea level. The calculated basement depth and the sedimentary thickness in the SWSB vary from 4.0 to 6.5 km and from 0.5 to 2.0 km, respectively. The crustal thickness beneath the SWSB ranges from 4.0 to 7.5 km. Our model is consistent with sedimentary basin structure where spreading ridge valley is presented as the deepest points in the sedimentary basement and the terrain along the two banks of the valley is elevated. In addition, the SWSB is divided into four structure domains that are useful for the geodynamic and tectonic implications of the SWSB and surrounding area.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barckhausen U, Roeser HA (2004) Seafloor spreading anomalies in the South China Sea revisited. In: Clift P, Wang P, Kuhnt W, Hayes D (eds) Continent-ocean interactions with East Asian marginal seas, vol 140. American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC, pp –125
Barckhausen U, Engels M, Franke D, Ladage S, Pubellier M (2014) Evolution of the South China Sea: revised ages for breakup and seafloor spreading. Mar Pet Geol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2014.02.022
Blakely RJ (1995) Potential theory in gravity and magnetic application. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, p 414
Braitenberg C, Wienecke S, Wang Y (2006) Basement structure from satellite-derived gravity field: South China Sea ridge. J Geophys Res 111:B05407. https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JB003938
Briais A, Patriat P, Tapponnier P (1993) Updated interpretation of magnetic anomalies an seafloor spreading stages in the South China Sea: implications for the tertiary tectonics of Southeast Asia. J Geophys Res 98(B4):6299–6328
Chamot-Rooke N, Gaulier JM, Jestin F (1997) Constraints on Moho depth and crustal thickness in the Liguro-Provencial basin from a 3D gravity inversion: geodynamic implications. Rev Inst Fr Petr 46(6):557_583
Emmanuel GS, Sandwell DT, Smith WH (2014) Retracking CryoSat-2, Envisat and Jason-1 radar altimetry waveforms for improved gravity field recovery. Geophys J Int 196(3):1402–1422. https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggt469
Expedition 349 Scientists (2014) South China Sea tectonics: Opening of the South China Sea and its implications for southeast Asian tectonics, climates, and deep mantle processes since the late Mesozoic. International Ocean Discovery Program Preliminary Report, 349. https://doi.org/10.14379/iodp.pr.349.2014
Fedi M, Florio G (2002) A stable downward continuation by using the ISVD method. Geophys J Int 151(1):146–156
Fu L-L, Cazenave A (eds) (1999) Satellite altimetry and earth sciences, In: A handbook of techniques and applications, vol 69, 1st edn. Academic Press, New York, p 463
Fu L-L, Cazenave A (eds) (2001) Satellite altimetry and earth sciences. A handbook of techniques and applications. International Geophysics Series, vol 69. Academic Press, New York, p 459. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0074-6142(01)80158-3(01)80158-3
Hall R (2002) Cenozoic geological and plate tectonic evolution of SE Asia and the SW Pacific: computed-based reconstructions, model and animations. J Asian Earth Sci 20:353–431
Huchon P, Nguyen TNH, Chamot-Rooke N (1998) Finite extension across the South Vietnam basins from 3D gravimetric modelling: relation to South China Sea kinematics. Mar Petrol Geol 15:619–634. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0264-8172(98)00031-2
Huchon P, Nguyen TNH, Chamot-Rooke N (2001) Propagation of continental break-up in the southwestern South China Sea. Geol Soc Lond Spec Publ 187:31–35
Li L, Clift P, Nguyen HT (2013) The sedimentary, magmatic and tectonic evolution of the southwestern South China Sea revealed by seismic stratigraphic analysis. Mar Geophys Res 34:341–365
Li CF, Xu X, Lin J, Sun Z, Zhu J, Yao YJ, Zhao XX, Liu QS, Kulhanek DK, Wang J, Song TR, Zhao JF, Qiu N, Guan Y, Zhou Z, Williams T, Bao R, Briais A, Brown E, Chen Y, Clift P, Colwell F, Dadd K, Ding W, Almeida I, Huang X, Hyun S, Jiang T, Koppers A, Li Q, Liu C, Liu Z, Nagai R, Peleo-Alampay A, Su X, Tejada M, Trinh H, Yeh Y, Zhang C, Zhang F, Zhang G (2014) Ages and magnetic structures of the South China Sea constrained by deep tow magnetic surveys and IODP Expeition 349. Geochem Geophys Geosyst 15:4958–4983. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014gc005567
Li CF, Li JB, Ding WW, Franke D, Yao Y, Shi H, Pang X, Cao Y, Lin J, Kulhanek DK, Williams T, Bao R, Briais A, Brown E, Chen Y, Clift P, Colwell S, Dadd K, Almeida I, Huang X, Hyun S, Jiang T, Koppers A, Li Q, Liu C, Liu Q, Liu Z, Nagai RH, Peleo-Alampay A, Su X, Tejada M, Trhnh H, Yeh Y, Zhang C, Zhang F, Zhang G (2015) Seismic stratigraphy of the central South China Sea basin and implications for neotectonics. J Geophys Res (Solid Earth) 120:1377–1399. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014jb011686
Nettleton LL (1942) Gravity and magnetic calculation. Geophyics 7:293–310
Nissen SS, Hayes DE (1995) Gravity, heat flow, and seismic constraints on the processes of crustal extension: North margin of the South China Sea. J Geophy Res 100:22447–22483
Nguyen Trung N, Lee SM, Que BC (2004) Satellite gravity anomalies and their correlation with the major tectonic features in the South China Sea. Gondwana Res 7:407–424. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1342-937X(05)70793-0
Nguyen Trung N, Nguyen Huong TT (2013) Topography of the crust-mantle boundary beneath the east sea from 3D gravity inversed interpretation. Acta Geophys 61(2):357–384. https://doi.org/10.2478/s11600-012-0078-9
Parker RL (1972) The rapid calculation of potential anomalies. Geophys J R Astron Soc 31:447–455
Parker RL (1977) Understanding inverse theory. Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci 5:35–64
Philip K, Frederick JV (1996) Globle tectonics, 2nd ed. The Univercity Press Cambridge, Blackwell Science Ltd., Cambridge, Hoboken, p 333
Pichot T, Delescluse M, Chamot-Rooke N, Pubellier M, Qiu Y, Meresse F, Sun G, Savva D, Wong KP, Watremez L (2014) Deep crustal structure of the conjugate margins of the SW South China Sea from wide-angle refraction seismic data. Mar Pet Geol 58B:627–643
Sandwell DT, Smith WHF (2009) Global marine gravity from retracked Geosat and ERS1 altimetry: ridge segmentation versus spreading rate. J Geophys Res 114:B01411. https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JB006008
Sandwell DT, Garcia E, Soofi K, Wessel P, Smith WHF (2013) Towards 1 mGal global marine gravity from CryoSat-2, Envisat, and Jason-1. Lead Edge 32(8):892–899. https://doi.org/10.1190/tle32080892.1
Sandwell DT, Müller RD, Smith WF, Garcia E, Francis R (2014) New global marine gravity model from CryoSat-2 and Jason-1 reveals buried tectonic structure. Science 346:65. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1258213
Sansó F, Capponi M, Sampietro D (2018) Up and down through the gravity field. In: Freeden W, Rummel R (eds) Handbuch der Geodäsie. Springer reference Naturwissenschaften. Springer Spektrum, Berlin. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-46900-2_93-1
Smith WHF, Sandwell DT (1997) Global seafloor topography from satellite altimetry and ship depth soundings. Science 277:1957–1962
Spector A, Granti FS (1970) Statistic model for interpreting aeromagnetic data. Geophys Prospect 20:633–649
Tapponnier P, Peltzer G, Armijo R (1986) On the mechanics of the collision between India and Asia. Geol Soc Spec Pub 19:115–157
Taylor B, Hayes DE (1983) Origin and history of the South China Sea Basin. In: Hayes DE (ed) The tectonic and geologic evolution of southeast asian seas and islands (Pt. 2), Geophysical Monographs Series, vol. 27. AGU, Washington, D.C., pp 23–56
Tikhonov AN, Arsenin VI, John F (1977) Solutions of ill-posed problems, vol 14. Winston, Washington, DC
Tran KV, Nguyen TN (2020) A novel method for computing the vertical gradients of the potential field: application to downward continuation. Geophys J Int 220:1316–1329. https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggz524
Yan QS, Shi XF, Castillo P (2014) The late Mesozoic-Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the South China Sea: a petrologic perspective. J Asian Earth Sci 85:178–201
Yu ZT, Li J, Ding W, Zhang J, Ruan A, Niu X (2016) Crustal structure of the Southwest Subbasin, South China Sea, from wide-angle seismic tomography and seismic reflection imaging. Mar Geophys Res. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11001-016-9284-1
Zhang J, Li JB, Ruan AG, Wu ZL, Yu ZT, Niu XW, Ding WW (2016) The velocity structure of a fossil spreading center in the Southwest Sub-basin, South China Sea. Geol J. https://doi.org/10.1002/gj.2778
Acknowledgements
This research is funded by the State Project KC.09.33/16–20 and VAST Project DLTE00.06/19–20. The authors thank honestly the funding organizations.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nguyen, T.N., Van Kha, T., Van Nam, B. et al. Sedimentary basement structure of the Southwest Sub-basin of the East Vietnam Sea by 3D direct gravity inversion. Mar Geophys Res 41, 7 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11001-020-09406-w
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11001-020-09406-w