Abstract:In this study, we applied seismic ambient noise tomography technology to process the continuous ambient noise data of 257 broadband stations in Shaanxi province and its adjacent regions, and used the surface-wave-dispersion direct inversion method based on ray tracing to obtain the high-resolution shear wave velocity structure of the crust (6-39 km) beneath Shaanxi province and its adjacent regions. The results demonstrate the following:(1) The thick sedimentary layer covering the top of the Weihe Basin is the cause of the low-velocity anomaly in its shallow crust, and the middle and upper crusts of the basin feature low-velocity structures. There is a high-speed and low-speed combination belt beneath the boundary area between the Weihe Basin and geological tectonic units on both the northern and southern sides and under the interaction of blocks. Moreover, there may be a strong exchange of material and energy within the block, especially in the deep part of the boundary zone, which provides a deep environment for the preparation and generation of the earthquakes in the Weihe Basin and its adjacent areas. (2) The southern Ordos block is not a uniform whole; the low-velocity structure of the shallow crust in the block is thin in the east and thick in the west, which may be related to the overall tilting of the Ordos block in the Phanerozoic eon and the strong differential denudation of the eastern uplift and western fall since the Late Cretaceous. The velocity of the middle crust beneath the Ordos block is higher than those of the upper and lower crusts. There is no significant low-velocity structure in the crust of the block, which shows that the low-velocity structure in the crust does not penetrate the whole Ordos block. We speculate that the southern Ordos block still maintains a stable craton property, and its crustal structure may reflect the structural characteristics of the early formation of the craton, but so far, the craton has not been significantly reformed. (3) The deep structure beneath the eastern and western Qinling orogenic belt is different and is characterized by segmentation and the presence of a subarea. The reason for the higher velocity of the middle crust beneath the orogenic belt may be that in the processes of plate collision and orogeny, the material of the lower crust rises into the middle crust, leading to the higher velocity of middle crust.