Velocity contrast along the rupture zone of the 2010 Mw6.9 Yushu, China, earthquake from fault zone head waves

•First observation of fault zone head waves in diffuse plate boundary regions.•Clear fault zone head waves observed on both sides of faults.•Possible evidence of a low-velocity zone with two bimaterial interfaces.

Fault zone head waves (FZHWs) travel along the bimaterial fault interface and can be used to provide high-resolution imaging of fault zone properties. Here we use aftershock data following the 2010/04/13 Mw6.9 Yushu earthquake to quantify velocity contrast along the Garzê-Yushu Fault (GYF). FZHWs are identified as low-amplitude, long-period seismic signals with polarities opposite to the direct P arrivals. We observe FZHWs at 4 stations near faults that bound both sides of the Jielong basin, which is a pull-apart basin that is partially filled by Longbao Lake. The time delays between the direct P and FZHWs increase systematically with along-strike distances, and the corresponding observed velocity contrast is on the order of 5-8%. However, we do not observe a clear increase of time delay with hypocentral depth, suggesting that the pull-apart basin forms a thick low-velocity zone that likely exists in the top few kilometers of the crust. The velocity contrast southeast of the mainshock epicenter is very small (1-3%), consistent with both field observations and seismic tomographic results.