Shear wave velocity structure of Reed Bank, southern continental margin of the South China Sea

• Low Vs and high Vp/Vs in the upper crust of Reed Bank
• Intermediate composition of lower crust and non-volcanic margin of Reed Bank
• Different rock compositions between Reed Bank and northeastern margin of the SCS

The shear wave velocity structure of a wide angle seismic profile (OBS973-2) across Reed Bank in the southern continental margin of the South China Sea (SCS) is simulated by 2-D ray-tracing method, based on its previous P-wave model. This profile is 369-km-long and consists of fifteen three-component ocean bottom seismometers (OBS). The main results are as follows.(1) The model consists of seven layers and the shear wave velocity increases from 0.7 km/s at the top of sediment layer to 4.0 km/s in the lower crust. (2) The Moho depth decreases from 20-22 km at the Reed Bank to 9-11 km at the deep oceanic basin with the shear wave velocity of 4.2 km/s below the Moho. (3) The Vp/Vs ratio decreases with depth through the sedimentary layers, attributed to increased compaction and consolidation of the rocks. (4) In the continental upper crust (at model distance 90-170 km), S-wave velocity (2.5–3.2 km/s) is relatively low and Vp/Vs ratio (1.75–1.82) is relatively high compared with the other parts of the crust, corresponding to the lower P-wave velocity in the previous P-wave model and normal faults revealed by MCS data, indicating that a strong regional extensional movement had occurred during the formation process of the SCS at the Reed Bank area. (5) The S-wave structures indicate that Reed Bank crust has different rock compositions from that in the east section of the northern margin, denying the presence of conjugate relationship of Reed Bank with Dongsha islands. According to P-wave models and other data, we inferred that Reed Bank and Macclesfield were separated from the same continental crust during the rifting and break-up process.