thecontinentmarginalcrustcharacteristicofnothernsouth（27页）.docVIP

PAGE PAGE 26 The crustal thinning of the northern continental margin in the South China Sea Ching-Hui Tsai1, Shu-Kun Hsu1, Yi-Ching Yeh1 Chao-Shing Lee2 1Institute of Geophysics, National Central University, No. 300, Jungda Rd, Jhongli City, Taoyuan, Taiwan 32054, R.O.C. 2Institute of Applied Geophysics, National Taiwan Ocean University, No. 2, Pei-Ning Rd, Keelung City, Taiwan 20224, R.O.C. Key words: continental margin, crustal structure, gravity modeling, thinning continental crust Abstract New magnetic evidence indicates that the oceanic crust may extend to 21°30’N. However, due to lack the deep crustal refractor and reflector data between eastern Dongsha Island and southwestern Taiwan offshore to evidence this inference. A series of seismic cruises are executed and many seismic data are acquired by us. We carried out a synthesis of the existing seismic reflection profiles across the continental margin. In addition, we used the corresponding gravity anomalies and a simple four-layers crustal model to simulate the depth variation of the Moho discontinuity across the northern continental margin of the South China Sea. According to the results of modeling and seismic data, we can separate the crustal structures into five types including continental crust (CC), thinning continental crust (TCC), oceanic crust (OC), volcanism zone (VZ) and Tension/Convergent Area (TCA). The modeling results display that an existence of oceanic crust observed by new magnetic data is confirmed. But it is separated with main oceanic crust of the SCS by VZ. Based on our models, we agree the position of the continent-ocean boundary (COB) with previous studies at western part of the Dongsha Island, but we suggest the position of the COB in the eastern part of the Dongsha Island should be moved landward to near the end of continental slop. By our result, we could not recognize the characteristic of the continent-ocean transition zone (COT) as same as the western Iberian non-volcanic mar