Velocity structure around the Baikal rift zone from teleseismic and local earthquake traveltimes and geodynamic implications

We present new results on the velocity structure of the Baikal rift zone, Asia, deduced from a comparative teleseismic and local tomography analysis. The aim of this paper is to better identify the role of deep mantle processes versus that of far-field tectonic effects on the occurrence of extensional tectonics within a continental plate. We use 36000 traveltimes of P-refracted waves from the ISC catalogues and Pg and Pn traveltimes of 578 earthquakes recorded by the Russian regional network to determine a velocity model by the use of local and teleseismic inversion procedures. The models show that some velocity patterns are continuous from the surface down to at least 400 km. Among them, a narrow negative anomaly goes through Mongolia and follows the southern and eastern margins of the Siberian craton: this structure is interpreted as a thin mantle plume rising beneath the rift axis. However, our results do not evidence any wide asthenospheric upwarp at this place. Other velocity anomalies observed near the surface are not deeply rooted. In particular, a negative anomaly is observed at shallow levels (48 km) beneath the northern third of Lake Baikal, which is disconnected from deeper structures. It may be explained by the existence of underplated magmatic material at the bottom of the crust, By comparing the geometry of deep-rooted anomalies to the present-day stress field patterns, we conclude that the sub-lithospheric mantle dynamics is not the main factor controlling extensional processes in the Baikal rift. However, it does contribute to a thermal weakening of the lithosphere along a mechanical discontinuity bounding the Siberian shield. We finally conclude that three favourable conditions are gathered in the Baikal area to generate extension: far-field extensional stress field, mechanical inherited lithospheric weakness and heat supply. Further studies should help to precise the genetic link between these three factors. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.