Study on crustal magnetic anomalies and Curie surface in Southeast Tibet

• We investigate crustal magnetic anomaly in Southeast Tibet.
• Curie surface is calculated by spectra analysis.
• The anomaly and Curie surface are consistent with tectonics.
• Massive earthquakes primarily occurred in the Curie surface uplift areas.

In this paper, the Potsdam model POMME-6.2 is used to investigate the distributions of crustal magnetic anomalies and Curie surface in Southeast Tibet. The Curie surface is compared with the regional heat flow, Bouguer anomaly, Moho depth, and seismicity. The results show that the magnetic anomalies and Curie surface are both consistent with the geological structure. Sichuan Basin exhibits a high positive anomaly, while orogenic belts such as the Longmenshan, northwestern Sichuan, and western Yunnan, exhibit weak positive or negative anomalies. The distribution of magnetic anomaly confirms that escape flow from east Tibet branches into northeastward part and southward part on west Sichuan Basin, due to resistance by the rigid basin. The depth of Curie surface ranges from 20 to 34 km. The Curie surface beneath the Longmenshan, Xiaojiang and Lijiang–Xiaojinhe faults is shallow, with the uplift strike consistent with the faults. The Curie surface beneath Sichuan Basin and the central Bayan Har massif is deep, with sheet-like depressions. Strong earthquakes primarily occurred in the areas with the uplift of Curie surface. The heat flow values near Tengchong, Lijiang, Dali and Kunming are high and the Curie surface there is shallow.

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