Pn wave velocity and anisotropy underneath the central segment of the North-South Seismic Belt in China

[Display omitted] •Anisotropy strength is associated with velocity anomalies in the central segment of the North-South Seismic Belt in China.•Transitions from high-V to low-V show a correlation with tectonic activity.•The uppermost mantle flow is divided into two directions around the Sichuan Basin.•Asthenospheric upwelling may exist in the central part of the Sichuan basin. We present a Pn wave velocity and anisotropy model of the central segment of the North-South Seismic Belt in China, where there are numerous stable basins and active faults, making this segment attractive for extensive studies. The model was obtained by a tomographic analysis of 49,973 Pn wave phase readings collected by the China Earthquake Networks Center and temporary stations in Yunnan and Sichuan. The tomographic velocity model shows that the average Pn wave velocity is 8.06 km/s; prominent high-velocity (high-V) anomalies are visible under the Sichuan Basin, the Zoige Basin and the Ordos block, which clearly outline their tectonic margins. A pronounced low-velocity (low-V) zone is observed from the Songpan-Ganzi block to the Chuan-Dian and Daliangshan blocks, suggesting the presence of hot material upwelling. The station delay data show a gradual variation from negative to positive values, possibly reflecting a crustal thickness variation from the southwest to the northeast of the study area. A correlation between the Pn wave anisotropy and the distribution of velocity anomalies is observed: anisotropy is relatively weaker in the high-V anomaly zones beneath stable basins, while it is stronger in the low-V anomaly zones and the high-to-low-V anomaly transition zones. The high-resolution velocity and anisotropy tomographic model that we obtained could also provide a better understanding of the study area seismicity, since the occurrence of strong earthquakes seems to be related to the presence and strength of lateral heterogeneities at the uppermost mantle level.