Regional Seismicity of the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau Revealed by Crustal Magnetic Anomalies

The northeastern Tibetan Plateau (NETP) is located at the front of the northeastward expansion of the Tibetan Plateau and is a tectonically active region with complex faults and intense seismicity. In this study, based on the high-order geomagnetic field model EMM2017, the crustal magnetic anomalies...

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Main Authors: Guoming Gao, Yecheng Li, Guofa Kang, Chunhua Bai, Limin Wen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/8/4331
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author Guoming Gao
Yecheng Li
Guofa Kang
Chunhua Bai
Limin Wen
author_facet Guoming Gao
Yecheng Li
Guofa Kang
Chunhua Bai
Limin Wen
author_sort Guoming Gao
collection DOAJ
description The northeastern Tibetan Plateau (NETP) is located at the front of the northeastward expansion of the Tibetan Plateau and is a tectonically active region with complex faults and intense seismicity. In this study, based on the high-order geomagnetic field model EMM2017, the crustal magnetic anomalies and Curie point depths (CPDs) in the NETP and adjacent areas were investigated. The relationship between the magnetic anomalies, CPDs, and seismic activity was assessed. The results show that strong earthquakes occur mainly in areas where the magnetic anomalies are negative or have a strong-to-weak transition. The CPD is located at 18–42 km. In the NETP, a shallow CPD corresponds to high heat flow. In contrast, in surrounding areas, a deep CPD corresponds to low heat flow. The northeast area from Bayan Har to the Qilian orogenic belt, and the region with a deep CPD in the Qaidam Basin, record the northeastward flow of the Tibetan Plateau. High-magnitude earthquakes are associated with depth changes in the CPD and areas with a shallow CPD. The frequent seismic activity in the NETP can be attributed to the northeastward flow of the Tibetan Plateau caused by a deep heat flux. The results can be used as a reference for the prediction of strong regional earthquakes.
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spelling doaj-art-7dccfdfe57f2416da3ecd8aca9c125f32025-08-20T02:28:19ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-04-01158433110.3390/app15084331Regional Seismicity of the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau Revealed by Crustal Magnetic AnomaliesGuoming Gao0Yecheng Li1Guofa Kang2Chunhua Bai3Limin Wen4Department of Geophysics, Yunnan University, 2 North Green Lake Rd., Kunming 650091, ChinaDepartment of Geophysics, Yunnan University, 2 North Green Lake Rd., Kunming 650091, ChinaDepartment of Geophysics, Yunnan University, 2 North Green Lake Rd., Kunming 650091, ChinaDepartment of Geophysics, Yunnan University, 2 North Green Lake Rd., Kunming 650091, ChinaDepartment of Geophysics, Yunnan University, 2 North Green Lake Rd., Kunming 650091, ChinaThe northeastern Tibetan Plateau (NETP) is located at the front of the northeastward expansion of the Tibetan Plateau and is a tectonically active region with complex faults and intense seismicity. In this study, based on the high-order geomagnetic field model EMM2017, the crustal magnetic anomalies and Curie point depths (CPDs) in the NETP and adjacent areas were investigated. The relationship between the magnetic anomalies, CPDs, and seismic activity was assessed. The results show that strong earthquakes occur mainly in areas where the magnetic anomalies are negative or have a strong-to-weak transition. The CPD is located at 18–42 km. In the NETP, a shallow CPD corresponds to high heat flow. In contrast, in surrounding areas, a deep CPD corresponds to low heat flow. The northeast area from Bayan Har to the Qilian orogenic belt, and the region with a deep CPD in the Qaidam Basin, record the northeastward flow of the Tibetan Plateau. High-magnitude earthquakes are associated with depth changes in the CPD and areas with a shallow CPD. The frequent seismic activity in the NETP can be attributed to the northeastward flow of the Tibetan Plateau caused by a deep heat flux. The results can be used as a reference for the prediction of strong regional earthquakes.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/8/4331EMM2017crustal magnetic anomalycurie point depthseismic activitynortheastern Tibetan Plateau
spellingShingle Guoming Gao
Yecheng Li
Guofa Kang
Chunhua Bai
Limin Wen
Regional Seismicity of the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau Revealed by Crustal Magnetic Anomalies
Applied Sciences
EMM2017
crustal magnetic anomaly
curie point depth
seismic activity
northeastern Tibetan Plateau
title Regional Seismicity of the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau Revealed by Crustal Magnetic Anomalies
title_full Regional Seismicity of the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau Revealed by Crustal Magnetic Anomalies
title_fullStr Regional Seismicity of the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau Revealed by Crustal Magnetic Anomalies
title_full_unstemmed Regional Seismicity of the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau Revealed by Crustal Magnetic Anomalies
title_short Regional Seismicity of the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau Revealed by Crustal Magnetic Anomalies
title_sort regional seismicity of the northeastern tibetan plateau revealed by crustal magnetic anomalies
topic EMM2017
crustal magnetic anomaly
curie point depth
seismic activity
northeastern Tibetan Plateau
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/8/4331
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AT guofakang regionalseismicityofthenortheasterntibetanplateaurevealedbycrustalmagneticanomalies
AT chunhuabai regionalseismicityofthenortheasterntibetanplateaurevealedbycrustalmagneticanomalies
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