Characteristic of Gravity and Magnetic Anomalies in the Daba Shan and the Sichuan basin, China: Implication for Architecture of the Daba Shan

The Dabashan nappe structural belt links the Hannan block to the west with the Huangling block to the east between Yangxian and Xiangfan. The Dabashan arc-shaped fold belt formed during late Jurassic and was superposed on earlier Triassic folds. To achieve an improved understanding of the deep tectonics of the Dabashan nappe structural belt, we processed and interpreted the gravity and magnetic data for this area using new deep reflection seismic and other geophysical data as constraints. The results show that the Sichuan basin and Daba Mountains lie between the Longmenshan and Wulingshan gravity gradient belts. The positive magnetic anomalies around Nanchong-Tongjiang-Wanyuan-Langao and around Shizhu result from the crystalline basement. Modeling of the gravity and magnetic anomalies in the Daba Mountains and the Sichuan basin shows that the crystalline basement around Nanchong-Tongjiang-Wanyuan-Langao extends to the northeast underneath the Wafangdian fault near Ziyang. The magnetic field boundary in the Zhenba-Wanyuan-Chengkou-Zhenping area is the major boundary of the Dabashan nappe thrusting above the Sichuan Basin. This boundary might be the demarcation between the south Dabashan and the north Dabashan structural elements. The low gravity anomaly between Tongjiang and Chengkou might be partly caused by thickened lower crust. The local low gravity anomaly to the south of Chengkou-Wanyuan might result from Mesozoic strata of low density in the Dabashan foreland depression area.