TY - JOUR A1 - Alinaghi, Alireza A1 - Kruger, Frank T1 - Seismic array analysis and redetermination of depths of earthquakes in Tien-Shan: implications for strength of the crust and lithosphere T2 - Geophysical journal international N2 - We have redetermined focal depths of moderate and major earthquakes with reported lower-crust and upper-mantle depths that have occurred in Tien-Shan, since the availability of broad-band array data. Records of earthquakes at global arrays have been used for identification and modelling of depth phases in order to make accurate estimation of focal depths. Our results show that half of the purportedly deep earthquakes are indeed originating from depths attributable to middle-crust and lower-crust regions. Also one exceptional event in the northern foreland of Tien-Shan in Junggar Basin is located in the upper mantle at the depth of 64 km. Such unusually deep earthquakes for intraplate continental tectonic domain are all located at the margin of Tien-Shan with its adjacent stable blocks and at least some of them have occurred where the brittle behaviour of continental rocks is not highly expected. The reverse mechanisms of all these earthquakes and their proximity to formerly subducting and later colliding and underplating stable blocks and their interactions with overlying Tien-Shan are clues to explain this extremity. KW - Earthquake source observations KW - Seismicity and tectonics KW - Body waves Y1 - 2014 UR - https://publishup.uni-potsdam.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/37680 SN - 0956-540X SN - 1365-246X VL - 198 IS - 2 SP - 1111 EP - 1129 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER -