Seismic constraints on Late Mesozoic magmatic plumbing system in the onshore-offshore area of Hong Kong

Abstract:

We used active source wide-angle seismic data to determine a crustal structure beneath the onshore-offshore area of Hong Kong at the southern end of a broad belt dominated by Late Mesozoic intrusive and extrusive rocks in the coastal region of Southeast China. High-resolution tomographic images provide direct seismic evidence for the magmatic plumbing system of Late Mesozoic calderas. A localized high-velocity anomaly is revealed in the lower crust offshore between Hong Kong and Dangan Island, which may reflect basaltic underplating that induced voluminous silicic eruptions and granitoid plutons in the onshore-offshore area of Hong Kong. Tilted high-velocity zones are revealed in the entire crust beneath Dangan Island and the Late Mesozoic calderas of Hong Kong, which may reflect ascending magma chambers. We propose a paleo-Pacific plate subduction model to interpret our tomographic results and the generation of strong granitic magmatism in the Hong Kong area. Combining the tomographic image beneath the Lianhuashan Fault Zone with the distribution of Late Mesozoic calderas, we infer that the Lianhuashan Fault Zone might be the dominant magmatic conduit for mantle-derived magmas ascending to the upper crust. In addition, intersecting faults with different orientations could control the distribution and geometry of the vents, calderas, dykes and plutons and play an important role in forming magma conduits for individual volcanoes.

Keywords: Basaltic underplating; Magmatic plumbing; Southeast China; Calderas; Active-source seismic tomography