The deep thermal structure of the lithosphere in the northwestern South China Sea and its control on the shallow tectonics

The northwestern sub-basin of South China Sea (SCS) is a unique tectonic unit formed in the early spreading of the SCS. The northwestern Sub-basin has a series of complex geological structures such as seamounts and fault zones surrounded by the Xisha Trough, the Zhongsha Massif, and the Pearl River Valley. These extensional structures and magmatic activity in the northwestern sub-basin are closely related to the lithospheric structure and its deformation. However, details of the deep lithosphere structure are still poorly known. Here, we obtained detailed data of water and Moho depth using sonar buoys, Extended Spread Profiles (ESP), Ocean Bottom Seismometer (OBS), both Multi-beam and land-sea joint seismic surveys in the northwestern sub-basin and its surrounding areas. Then we adopted a thermal isostasy method to calculate the depth of the Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Boundary (LAB) in the northwestern sub-basin of the SCS and its surrounding regions. Results show that the range of LAB depth is ~25–110 km. The shallowest burial depth is 25–60 km occurring in the ocean basin. The depth increases to 60–110 km toward the continental margin. The lithospheric structure on the north and south sides of the Xisha Trough is symmetrical and shows the deep structure and thermal features of aborted rifts. The LAB depth in the Zhongsha Trough and the Zhongsha Massif increased from 60 to 70 km southwestwards, consistent with the trend of surface morphology. The LAB depth to the west side of the Pearl River Valley is 60–80 km, and the thinning of the lithosphere is related to the distribution of faults, depressions and the magmatic activity. The LAB depth in the northwestern sub-basin and the eastern sub-basin is less than 60 km with the thinnest part being less than 46 km. Combining ocean drilling, seismic investigation, and seafloor topography, we show that the ocean basin of the northwestern sub-basin of the SCS locates within the 46 km isobath of the LAB. The formation of the rifted valleys and discrete blocks surrounding the ocean basins is both controlled by the regional tectonic movement and the deep thermal state, where their lithospheric structures show strong heterogeneity.