Mantle dynamics of the stagnating slab: A case study of Shandong Peninsula and adjacent areas

Abstract

The Shandong Peninsula is located in the eastern part of the North China Craton (NCC). Influenced by the collision between the North and South China blocks and the subduction of the Pacific Plate, the tectonic evolution process is highly complex. Previous studies have proposed that the thick cratonic root beneath the eastern NCC has been destructed. To better understand the relationship between the craton reactivation and the deep subduction, more constraints on the topography variations of the mantle transition zone (MTZ) discontinuities are required. In this study, we stacked 9073 P‐to‐S receiver functions calculated from 129 broadband seismic stations to image the depth variations of the MTZ discontinuities beneath the Shandong Peninsula and its adjacent area. To decrease the influence of velocity anomaly above the MTZ discontinuities, we converted the apparent depths into corrected depth using regional and global 3D velocity models. The apparent depth of the 410‐km discontinuity exhibits a depression of approximately 6 km, which normalizes after velocity correction. This implies the existence of the low‐velocity anomaly in the upper mantle, possibly caused by slab dehydration and water infiltration into the upper mantle. The significant depression of the 660‐km discontinuity indicated the presence of the cold Pacific slab stagnating at the base of the MTZ. The gradual westward depression of the 660‐km discontinuity by 50 km could provide evidence for the sinking of the western margin of the flat‐lying subducting Pacific slab in the MTZ beneath the Shandong Peninsula.