Seismic Velocities and Anisotropy of the Lower Continental Crust: A Review

—Seismic anisotropy is often neglected in seismic studies of the earth’s crust. Since anisotropy is a common property of many typically deep crustal rocks, its potential contribution to solving questions of the deep crust is evaluated. The anisotropic seismic velocities obtained from laboratory measurements can be verified by computations based on the elastic constants and on numerical data pertaining to the texture of rock-forming minerals. For typical lower crustal rocks the influence of layering is significantly less important than the influence of rock texture. Surprisingly, most natural lower crustal rocks show a hexagonal type of anisotropy. Maximum anisotropy is observed for rocks with a high content of aligned mica. It seems possible to distinguish between layered intrusives and metasediments on the basis of in situ measurements of anisotropy, which can thus be used to validate different scenarios of crustal evolution.     

Frequency-dependent Shear-wave Q Models for the Crust of China and Surrounding Regions

— Starting with fundamental-mode Rayleigh-wave attenuation coefficient values (_R) predicted by previously determined frequency-independent models of shear-wave Q (Q), we have obtained frequency-dependent Q models that explain measured values of _R as well as of Lg coda Q and its frequency dependence at 1 Hz (Q_o and , respectively) for China and some adjacent regions. The process combines trial-and-error selection of a model for the depth distribution of the frequency dependence parameter () for Q with a formal inversion for the depth distribution of Q at 1 Hz. Fifteen of the derived models have depth distributions of that are constant, or nearly constant, between the surface and a depth of 30 km. distributions that vary with depth in the upper 30 km are necessary to explain the remaining seven models. values for the depth-independent models vary between 0.4 and 0.7 everywhere except in the western portion of the Tibetan Plateau where they range between about 0.1 and 0.3 for three paths. These low values lie in a region where Q_Lg and crustal Q are very low and suggest that they should also be low for high-frequency propagation. The models in which varies with depth all show a decrease in that value ranging between 0.55 and 0.8 in the upper 15 km of the crust and (with two exceptions where =0.0) between 0.3 and 0.55 in the depth range 15–30 km. The distribution of values between 0.6 and 0.8 (the higher part of the range) in the upper crust indicates that high-frequency waves will propagate most efficiently, relative to low-frequency waves, in a band that includes, and strikes north-northeastward from the path between event 212/97 and KMI to the path between event 180/95 and station HIA in the north.Acknowledgement. We thank Lianli Cong for providing his code for plotting crustal Q models and Robert Herrmann for writing the mode summation code for computing Lg synthetics used in this study. Our work benefited from helpful discussions with Jack Xie at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University. This research was sponsored by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency Contract No. DTRA-01-00-C-0213.     

海南东北部地区地壳地震各向异性特征初步研究

基于海南省地震台网2000～2013年的区域地震波形数据,用剪切波分裂系统分析方法（SAM）获得了海南琼东北部地区“九五”数字台网中2个台站的剪切波分裂参数。结果表明,快剪切波偏振优势方向代表了原地最大主压应力方向。七星岭台NE方向的快剪切波偏振优势方向与区域水平主压应力场方向不一致,与NE走向的断裂一致,体现了局部构造和局部应力场的复杂性;青山岭NNE向的快剪切波偏振优势方向揭示了NNE走向断裂的构造意义。同时,本研究证实,位于活动断裂上或几条活动断裂交汇部位的台站的快剪切波偏振优势方向,与对所选用的小地震起控制作用的活动断裂走向一致,并且快剪切波偏振优势方向较为离散,反映了该区域复杂的断裂构造和应力分布特征。     

甘东南地区地壳介质各向异性特征

利用甘肃数字地震台网(2001 -2008年)的观测资料,采用SAM分析方法进行剪切波分裂,获得了甘东南地区7个台站319条剪切波分裂参数.结果表明甘东南地区快剪切波平均偏振方向与该区域最大主压应力方向一致,是区域应力环境的较好描述;位于活动断裂上或几条活动断裂交汇部位的台站的快剪切波偏振优势方向大多数与对控震的活动断裂走向一致;复杂的局部构造会影响剪切波分裂结果,造成偏振优势方向与主要活动断裂走向不一致,或与区域主压应力相差较大的现象.     

剪切波分裂分析系统SAM(2007)——软件系统

地震各向异性是一种普遍现象,利用剪切波分裂可以研究地壳介质的地震各向异性特性,这是地震学研究中的一个前沿课题。本文介绍了基于SAM(2003R)发展的剪切波分裂系统分析方法软件——SAM(2007)。SAM(2007)在保留原软件系统优点的基础上,修改和发展了新的功能,在资料预处理、数据分析和结果输出等方面都进行了更新或发展,增加了地震定位模块,使新的软件系统更适用于国内的区域地震台网或流动台网资料的处理和分析。     

川滇地区壳幔地震各向异性研究进展

根据川滇地区已有的地震各向异性研究结果,利用体波、面波资料的结果,分析川滇地区不同构造尺度、不同深度的地震各向异性特征。对比不同方法研究川滇地区介质各向异性的特点,探讨了该地区的介质连续性及壳幔耦合状态。分析认为,地壳上地幔各向异性的差异表明,川滇地区具有复杂的地壳及上地幔形变机制。因此,对于川滇地区壳幔地震各向异性的深入理解,需在理论上和高密度数据资料基础上加强量化分析和综合研究。     

Anisotropy of P-wave Velocity in the Upper Crust of the Central External Dinarides

The anisotropy of Pg-wave velocity in the area of the central External Dinarides is measured by using arrival time data as reported by local and regional seismological stations. The observed velocity varies between 5.73 km/s (in the ESE-WNWdirection) and 6.20 km/s (in the SSW-NNE direction), indicating azimuthal anisotropy with symmetry axis azimuths of 23°±n 90°. These closely match the orientation of the principal stress axes in the region, as revealed by analyses of available fault-plane solutions. The observed anisotropy may be modelled by assuming a system of vertical/subvertical cracks in the upper crust, aligned under the influence of the regional tectonic stress field.     

Origin of High Electrical Conductivity in the Lower Continental Crust: A Review

Electromagnetic measurements have demonstrated that the lower continental crust has remarkable electrical anomalies of high conductivity and electrical anisotropy on a global scale (probably with some local exceptions), but their origin is a long-standing and controversial problem. Typical electrical properties of the lower continental crust include: (1) the electrical conductivity is usually 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻¹ S/m; (2) the overlying shallow crust and underlying upper mantle are in most cases less conductive; (3) the electrical conductivity is statistically much higher in Phanerozoic than in Precambrian areas; (4) horizontal anisotropy has been resolved in many areas; and (5) in some regions there appear to be correlations between high electrical conductivity and other physical properties such as seismic reflections. The explanation based on conduction by interconnected, highly conductive phases such as fluids, melts, or graphite films in grain boundary zones has various problems in accounting for geophysically resolved electrical conductivity and other chemical and physical properties of the lower crust. The lower continental crust is dominated by mafic granulites (in particular beneath stable regions), with nominally anhydrous clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, and plagioclase as the main assemblages, and the prevailing temperatures are mostly 700–1,000°C as estimated from xenolith data, surface heat flow, and seismic imaging. Pyroxenes have significantly higher Fe content in the lower crust than in the upper mantle (peridotites), and plagioclase has higher Na content in the lower crust than in the shallow crust (granites). Minerals in the lower continental crust generally contain trace amounts of water as H-related point defects, from less than 100 to more than 1,000 ppm H₂O (by weight), with concentrations usually higher than those in the upper mantle. Observations of xenolith granulites captured by volcano-related eruptions indicate that the lower continental crust is characterized by alternating pyroxene-rich and plagioclase-rich layers. Experimental studies on typical lower crustal minerals have shown that their electrical conductivity can be significantly enhanced by the higher contents of Fe (for pyroxenes), Na (for plagioclase), and water (for all minerals) at thermodynamic conditions corresponding to the lower continental crust, e.g., to levels comparable to those measured by geophysical field surveys. Preferred orientation of hydrous plagioclase, e.g., due to ductile flow in the deep crust, and alternating mineral fabrics of pyroxene-rich and plagioclase-rich layers can lead to substantial anisotropy of electrical conductivity. Electrical conductivity properties in many regions of the lower continental crust, especially beneath stable areas, can mostly be accounted for by solid-state conduction due to the major constituents; other special, additional conduction mechanisms due to grain boundary phases are not strictly necessary.     

剪切波分裂分析系统SAM(2007)——区域地震台网资料应用实例

通过对云南、辽宁、福建遥测地震台网的波形资料分析实例,介绍了"剪切波分裂系统分析方法"软件SAM(2007)的用法。通过对区域台网资料的处理分析,表明SAM(2007)是研究剪切波分裂的一个比较实用的软件,能够有效的处理快、慢剪切波识别的问题,研究地壳介质的地震各向异性问题,能普遍用于分析国内区域地震台网资料。     

On the Use of Calibration Explosions at the Former Semipalatinsk Test Site for Compiling a Travel-time Model of the Crust and Upper Mantle

—?Two chemical calibration explosions, conducted at the former Semipalatinsk nuclear test site in 1998 with charges of 25 tons and 100 tons TNT, have been used for developing travel-time curves and generalized one-dimensional velocity models of the crust and upper mantle of the platform region of Kazakhstan. The explosions were recorded by a number of digital seismic stations, located in Kazakhstan at distances ranging from 0 to 720?km. The travel-time tables developed in this paper cover the phases P, Pn, Pg, S, Sn, Lg in a range of 0–740?km and the velocity models apply to the crust down to 44?km depth and to the mantle down to 120?km. A comparison of the compiled travel-time tables with existing travel-time tables of CSE and IASPEI91 is presented.     

The Role of Electrical Anisotropy in Magnetotelluric Responses: From Modelling and Dimensionality Analysis to Inversion and Interpretation

The study of electrical anisotropy in the Earth, defined as the electrical conductivity varying with orientation, has experienced important advances in the last years regarding the investigation of its origins, how to identify and model it, and how it can be related to other parameters, such as seismic and mechanical anisotropy. This paper provides a theoretical background and a review of the current state of the art of electrical anisotropy using electromagnetic methods in the frequency domain, focusing mainly on magnetotellurics. The aspects that will be considered are the modelling of the electromagnetic fields with anisotropic structures, the analysis of their responses to identify these structures, and how to properly use these responses in inversion and interpretation. Also, an update on the most recent case studies involving anisotropy is provided.     

Inferring the Orientation-distribution Function from Observed Seismic Anisotropy: General Considerations and an Inversion of Surface-wave Dispersion Curves

—A general relation linking the elasticity tensor of an anisotropic medium with that of the constituting single crystals and the function describing the orientation distribution of the crystals is derived. By expanding the orientation distribution function (ODF) into tensor spherical harmonics and using canonical components of the elasticity tensors, it is shown that the elastic tensor of the medium is completely determined by a finite number of expansion coefficients, namely those with harmonic degree l≤ 4. The number of expansion coefficients actually needed to determine the elastic constants of the medium depends on the symmetry of the single crystals. For hexagonal symmetry of the single crystals it is shown that only 8 real numbers are required to fix the 13 elastic constants which are for example needed to determine the azimuthal dependence of surface wave velocities. Thus, inversions of observations of seismic anisotropy are feasible which do not make any a priori assumptions on the orientation of the crystals. As a byproduct of the derivation, a formula is given which allows the easy calculation of the elastic constants of a medium composed of hexagonal crystals obeying an arbitrary ODF. An application of the theoretical results to the inversion of surface wave dispersion curves for an anisotropic 1D-mantle model is presented. For the S-wave velocities the results are similar to those of previous inversions but the new approach also yields P-wave velocities consistent with the assumption of oriented olivine. Moreover it provides a hint of the orientation distribution of the crystals.     

用散射体波随机反演研究长白山火山区介质非均匀性

观测和研究表明,地球内部存在着不同程度的介质非均匀性,由地震波所揭示的介质非均匀尺度可达8个数量级。根据散射体与地震波长之间的大小关系,将地球内部介质非均匀性分为两类：即大尺度非均匀性（长波长非均匀性）和小尺度非均匀性（短波长非均匀性）。在当代地震学中,用确定性方法研究大尺度非均匀性已是众所共知的事情,目前技术方法也已比较成熟;对小尺度非均匀性的研究则是一个全新的研究领域,其理论探索和方法研究还处于起步阶段,本文重点对3D小尺度介质非均匀性进行了研究。     

倾斜界面和各向异性对谐波分解方法的影响研究

利用接收函数谐波分解方法可以提取地壳下方的不均匀信息,但当多种不均匀性同时存在时,该方法反演结果的准确性目前尚不十分清楚。基于5组20个理论模型,研究了倾斜界面和各向异性对谐波分解方法的影响。结果表明,对于只存在倾斜界面的情况,利用谐波分解方法可以很好地得到模型参数。在各向异性和倾斜界面同时存在的情况下,各向异性的存在会影响谐波分解得到的倾斜界面振幅信息,而且这种影响还和倾斜界面的走向有关。倾斜轴各向异性谐波分解得到的各向异性强度与倾斜轴倾角大小有关,与快轴方向关系不大。使用谐波分解方法对江西九江台进行分析,结果表明,台站下方倾斜和各向异性共存,快轴方向约为86°,时间延迟约为0.46 s。     

Stress And Seismicity In The Lower Continental Crust: A Challenge To Simple Ductility And Implications For Electrical Conductivity Mechanisms

The lower crust is generally considered to be an aseismic, weak zone where fluid distribution might be governed by textural equilibrium geometries. Saline fluids below the transition from brittle to ductile rheology have been advanced as a joint explanation for deep crustal conductivity and seismic reflectivity, the depth of onset of both phenomena being apparently bounded by isotherms in the 300–450 °C temperature range. Some petrologists, meanwhile, contest that the deep crust should be devoid of extensive fluid networks. This review exposes some geophysical exceptions to the statistical norm suggested by global geophysical data compilations and presents counter-arguments that the lower crust in places may be both dry and strong, that fluids if at all present at such depths may not necessarily be connected and that fluid mobility in the lower crust may be more limited and heterogeneous than commonly assumed.Laboratory data on crustal rocks implies that the transition from brittle to ductile rheology actually occurs over a much broader range of temperatures than 300–450 °C, and the apparent association of deep crustal conductive horizons with a temperature field of 300–450 °C may be interpretable in terms of formation temperatures of graphite, rather than fluids and brittle-ductile transition rheology.High v_P/v_S ratios from a 6 km thick, seismically layered zone below the Weardale granite, NE England can be explained by underplated mafic material. They are unlikely to be explained by fluids in an area where deep crustal conductance has been shown to be relatively low, unless conventional assumptions regarding deep crustal fluid distribution are inadequate or false.Perusal of the literature reveals that lower crustal seismicity is less seldom than generally appreciated. Interpretation of earthquakes nucleating at lower crustal depths is ambiguous, but in some tectonic regimes may indicate preservation of brittle rheology to the Moho and a lower crust that is predominantly mafic and dry.A better understanding of lower crustal deformation mechanisms and history may provide better insight into deep crustal conductivity mechanisms. Recent rock mechanical experiments suggest that permeability (and thus fluid connectivity) may be decreased by ductile shearing, whereas ductile shearing may aid graphitisation at lower crustal temperatures. If the lower crust in some regions is strong, this may explain the apparent preservation of both extant- and palaeostress orientations in interpretations involving electrical anisotropy.     

原状软粘土各向异性及其对工程影响研究

利用空心圆柱扭剪仪(HCA),通过设置不同的应力路径对杭州原状软粘土进行了系列试验,研究了原状软粘土的应力-应变-强度各向异性。通过试验研究发现原状软粘土的强度、变形模量等特性都存在强烈的各向异性,且在应力水平较低时(q=5 kPa),主应力轴旋转条件下土体应力应变的特性主要体现了原生各向异性的影响,应力引起的次生各向异性对其影响很小。结合路堤填筑问题的分析发现,存在主应力轴显著旋转的实际工程问题,由于原状软粘土应力-应变-强度各向异性的存在,采用常规的不考虑主应力轴旋转(土体各向异性)影响的设计方法可能偏于不安全。     

The Character of Shear-wave Splitting in Marble in the Critical State of Rupture

This paper mainly observed and analyzed the character of shear-wave splitting in rock specimens while they were in the critical state of rupture. The rock specimens for study are made of Laizhou marble from Shandong, China. A series of records were obtained from two rock specimens when they were in the critical state of rupture. The result shows that, in the critical state just before rock rupture, there may be the phenomenon of rise and fall in the time delay of shear-wave splitting, even though the load was kept constant. That is to say, the time delay of shear-wave splitting may have a falling process before rock rupture.     

地壳应变速率与地震活动关系的研究——从地壳应变场探索强震活动的场源关系

通过研究应变积累速度（亦即地壳应变速率）与地震活动的关系,籍以探讨从地壳应变场中寻找近期强震危险区的方法。针对不同地区的地震活动水平特别是地震复发期的差异,丁国瑜（１９８４）指出,各地震区大震复发时间的差异主要取决于由大震孕育环境和构造物理条件所决定的构造活动速率（亦即应变累积速率）的差异。从近几年地震实况的初步（阶段性）检验看,应用大地测量中垂直形变速率梯度判定强震危险区,具有较好的效果和可喜的前景。作者从理论分析、实际资料对比及计算机模型研究等方面来讨论地壳应变速率与地震活动水平之间的关系,进而为场源关系研究中的“场中求源”的科学思路探索可能的技术途径,并讨论了从应变速率场中寻找强震危险区的方法。     

Anisotropy beneath the Iberian Peninsula: The Contribution of the ILIHA-NARS Broad-band Experiment

—The presence of anisotropy beneath the Iberian Peninsula and its main distinctive features can be established through the analysis of teleseismic shear-wave splitting observed in the ILIHA-NARS experiment. In this experiment, an homogeneous data set is provided by a network of 14 broad-band stations deployed over the entire peninsula for about one year. Even if technical problems led to an amount of data smaller than expected, significant variations in the inferred fast velocity direction are observed for stations located in different Iberian domains. The stations in Central and East Iberia show a fast velocity direction oriented roughly E–W, coincident with previous results in Toledo. A clearly different NE–SW direction is observed in the Ossa-Morena zone, supporting the image from a previous regional experiment. The observed delay times lie between 0.5 and 1 s. Although large-scale mechanisms, such as the absolute plate motion of Eurasia, can be invoked to explain the origin of anisotropic features in many sites, the regional variations observed in some domains imply that differentiated origins of the anisotropy have to be considered, probably related to the particular tectonics in the area. An interesting example of this fact is provided by the stations in the Betic chain; the fast velocity direction inferred for a station located in the limit of the External Betics (South Iberian domain), oriented N80°E, is clearly different from the N15–35°E direction observed in the Internal Betics (Alboran crustal domain), the origin of which has to be related to the Alpine building of the chain.