Estimation of crustal structure in central and west Japan from waveform modeling of regionalPL waves

An inverse method of modeling the regionalPL waveform with the predominant period of about 20 s was developed to estimate the averageS-velocity structure of the upper crust. Applicability of the waveform modeling was confirmed by the results of the numerical experiments: thePL waveform is most sensitive to theS velocity in the upper crust, whereas it is not affected significantly by errors involved in the focal mechanism solution and focal depth determination when thePL wave is well developed. The method was applied to the observed seismograms recorded in central Japan from the earthquakes with epicentral distances 300–500 km. As a result, distinct regional differences were found in the upper crustalS velocity; in particular, between the southern Shikoku district, west Japan, and the southern Chubu district, central Japan, and between the mountainous and the coastal areas in the southern Chubu district. These differences are in agreement with the general features ofP-velocity structures obtained by explosion experiments and by analyses of natural earthquakes. Our method is effective to the extent that the crustal structure along the propagation path can be assumed a horizontally layered structure; it is not applicable when the sensitivity of thePL waveform to the error in the focal mechanism solution is exceptionally high.     

Crustal and upper mantle structures of the brazilian coast

The Rayleigh wave phase and group velocities in the period range of 24–39 sec, obtained from two earthquakes which occurred in northeastern brazil and which were recorded by the Brazilian seismological station RDJ (Rio de Janeiro), have been used to study crustal and upper mantle structures of the Brazilian coastal region. Three crustal and upper mantle models have been tried out to explain crustal and upper mantle structures of the region. The upper crust has not been resolved, due basically to the narrow period range of the phase and group velocities data. The phase velocity inversions have exhibited good resolutions for both lower crust and upper mantle, with shear wave velocities characteristic of these regions. The group velocity data inversions for these models have showed good results only for the lower crust. The shear wave velocities of the lower crust (3.86 and 3.89 km/sec), obtained with phase velocity inversions, are similar to that (=3.89 km/sec) found byHwang (1985) to the eastern South American region, while group velocity inversions have presented shear velocity (=3.75 km/sec) similar to that (=3.78 km/sec) found byLazcano (1972) to the Brazilian shield. It was not possible to define sharply the crust-mantle transition, but an analysis of the phase and group velocity inversions results has indicated that the total thickness of the crust should be between 30 and 39 km. The crustal and upper mantle model, obtained with phase velocity inversion, can be used as a preliminary model for the Brazilian coast.     

Crustal structure of Tushka Region, Abu-Simbel, Egypt, inferred from spectral ratios of P waves of local earthquakes

The crustal structure of North Abu-Simbel area was studied using spectral ratios of short-period P waves. Three-component short period seismograms from the Masmas seismic station of the Egyptian National Seismic Network Stations were used. The Thomson-Haskell matrix formulation was applied for linearly elastic, homogeneous crustal layers. The obtained model suggests that the crust under the study region consists of a thin (0.8 km) superficial top layer with a P-wave velocity of 3.8±0.7 km/s and three distinct layers with a mean P-wave velocity of 6.6 km/s, overlaying the upper mantle with a P-wave velocity of 8.3 km/s (fixed). The results were obtained for 14 different earthquakes. The P-wave velocities of the three layers are: 5.8±0.6 km/s, 6.5±0.4 km/s and 7.2±0.3 km/s. The total depth to the Moho interface is 32±2 km. The crustal velocity model estimated using observations is relatively simple, being characterized by smooth velocity variations through the middle and lower crust and normal crustal thickness. The resultant crustal model is consistent with the model obtained from previous deep seismic soundings along the northern part of Aswan lake zone.     

声波测井中的相速度与群速度讨论(英文)

声波测井过程中获取的速度到底是相速度还是群速度,目前仍存在一些争议,本文从理论分析和数值模拟的角度,使用三种模型对这一问题进行了研究。首先,构造一个相速度与群速度可调的稳态声波传播模型——不同声速的两个平面波叠加模型,利用慢度时间相关(STC)方法提取声波波速,数值模拟结果表明,无论相速度较大或是群速度较大,STC方法提取出来的波速都是相速度;其次,通过频散分析和割线积分得到刚性壁圆柱流体模型中的频散曲线与分波波形,使用STC方法得到的速度与相速度的频散曲线吻合较好,而直接读取波至获得的速度与群速度的频散曲线趋势一致;最后,利用频散分析和实轴积分方法,获得偶极子在慢地层中激发的模式及全波波形,得到的结果再次验证了刚性壁圆柱流体模型中的结论。     

Calibration of the Tibetan Plateau Using Regional Seismic Waveforms

We use the recordings from 51 earthquakes produced by a PASSCAL deployment in Tibet to develop a two-layer crustal model for the region. Starting with their ISC locations, we iteratively fit the P-arrival times to relocate the earthquakes and estimate mantle and crustal seismic parameters. An average crustal P velocity of 6.2–6.3 km/s is obtained for a crustal thickness of 65 km while the P velocity of the uppermost mantle is 8.1 km/s. The upper layer of the model is further fine-tuned by obtaining the best synthetic SH waveform match to an observed waveform for a well-located event. Green's functions from this model are then used to estimate the source parameters for those events using a grid search procedure. Average event relocation relative to the ISC locations, excluding two poorly located earthquakes, is 16 km. All but one earthquake are determined by the waveform inversion to be at depths between 5 and 15 km. This is 15 km shallower, on average, than depths reported by the ISC. The shallow seismicity cut-off depth and low crustal velocities suggest high temperatures in the lower crust. Thrust faulting source mechanisms dominate at the margins of the plateau. Within the plateau, at locations with surface elevations less than 5 km, source mechanisms are a mixture of strike-slip and thrust. Most events occurring in the high plateau where elevations are above 5 km show normal faulting. This indicates that a large portion of the plateau is under EW extension.     

Travel-time residuals and three-dimensional velocity structure of Italy

Jeffreys-Bullen P and PKP travel-time residuals observed at more than 50 seismic stations distributed along Italy and surrounding areas in the time interval 1962–1979, indicate the complex velocity pattern of this region. Strong lateral velocity inhomogeneities and low velocity zones are required to explain the observed pattern of residuals. In particular, late arrivals of about 1 sec are observed in the Apenninic mountain range, requiring both greater crustal thickness and low velocity layers, coherent with seismic refraction data and surface wave dispersion measurements. The seismic stations located in the Western and Eastern Alps indicate the presence of high velocities. In the Western Alps the strong azimuthal variation of residuals and the high values of early arrivals have a close relationship to the Ivrea body, an intrusive crustal complex characterized by a velocity as high as 7–7.2 km/sec.A travel-time inversion performed with theAki et al. (1977) block model, confirms the peculiar characteristics and the sharp variations in the lithosphere of the whole Italian region, with values of velocity perturbations between many adjacent blocks, ranging in size from 50 to 100 km, and independent from the earth parametrization chosen, reaching values up to 10% in the lithospheric part and 5% in the asthenosphere. 3-D inversion requires also high velocity along the Tyrrhenian coastal margin, equivalent to an uprise of major crustal and lithospheric discontinuities along this part of the Italian peninsula. Moreover low velocity material must be present in the northern part of the Adriatic foreland, in the lithosphere-asthenosphere system, closely related to the stress and seismicity pattern, and the lateral bending of the lithosphere in the same region.     

Seismic velocity and Poisson’s ratio tomography of the crust beneath southwest Anatolia: an insight into the occurrence of large earthquakes

The western part of Anatolia is one of the most seismically and tectonically active continental regions in the world, and much of it has been undergoing NS-directed extensional deformation since the Early Miocene. In this study, we determine 3-D tomographic images of the crust under the southwestern part of the North Anatolian Fault Zone by inverting a large number of arrival time data of P and S waves. From the obtained P- and S-wave velocity models, we estimated the Poisson’s ratio structures for a more reliable interpretation of the obtained anomalies. Our tomographic results confirmed the major tectonic features detected by previous studies and revealed new structural heterogeneities related to the active seismotectonics of the studied area. High P-wave velocity anomalies are recognized near the surface, while at deeper crustal layers, low P-wave velocities are widely distributed. The crustal S-wave velocity and Poisson’s ratio exhibit more structural heterogeneities compared to the P-wave velocity structure. Microearthquake activity is intense along highly heterogeneous zones in the southwestern part, which is characterized by low to high P-wave velocity, low S-wave velocity, and high Poisson’s ratio anomalies. Large earthquakes are also concentrated in zones dominated by low velocities and low to high Poisson’s ratios. Results of the checkerboard and synthetic tests indicate that the imaged anomalies are reliable features down to a depth of 25 km. Moreover, they are consistent with many geological and geophysical results obtained by other researchers along the southwestern part of the North Anatolian Fault Zone. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Insight into the Crustal Structure of the Eastern Marmara Region, NW Turkey

In order to investigate crustal structure beneath the eastern Marmara region, a seismic refraction survey was conducted across the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) zone in north west Turkey. Two reversed profiles across two strands of the NAF zone were recorded in the Armutlu Highland where a tectonically active region was formed by different continents. We used land explosions in boreholes and quarry blasts as seismic sources. A reliable crustal velocity and depth model is obtained from the inversion of first arrival travel times. The velocity-depth model will improve the positioning of the earthquake activities in this active portion of the NAF. A high velocity anomaly (5.6–5.8 km s⁻¹) in the central highland of Armutlu block and the low velocity (4.90 km s⁻¹) pattern north of Iznik Lake are the two dominant features. The crustal thickness is about 26 ± 2 km in the north and increases to about 32 ± 2 km beneath the central Armutlu block in the south. P-wave velocities are about 3.95 km s⁻¹ to 4.70 km s⁻¹ for the depth range between about 1 km and 5 km in the upper crust. The eastern Marmara region has different units of upper crust with velocities varying with depth to almost 8 km. The high upper crust velocities are associated with Armutlu metamorphic rocks, while the low velocity anomalies are due to unconsolidated sedimentary sequences. The western side of Armutlu block has complex tectonics and is well known for geothermal sources. If these sources are continuous throughout the portions of the crust, it may be associated with a granitic intrusion and deformation along the NAF zone. That is, the geothermal sources associated with the low velocity may be due to the occurrence of widespread shear heating, even shear melting. The presence of shear melting may indicate the presence of crustal fluid imposed by two blocks of the NAF system.     

On correlation between seismic velocity anisotropy and stressesin situ

Seismic velocity anisotropies measured in underground mines are compared within situ stress measurements in these mines. These underground data are also compared with seismic velocity anisotropies observed by large scale seismic sounding conducted from the earth's surface, The velocity anisotropies are about 10% and the data obtained by different methods on different scales and frequencies agree with each other. The directions of largest and smallest velocities coincide with the largest and smallest horizontal stresses, respectively. These results suggest that the direction and magnitude of stresses in potential mining areas could be estimated from velocity anisotropies observed in seismic prospecting of the area.     

Seismic Velocity and Q Structure of the Middle Eastern Crust and Upper Mantle from Surface-wave Dispersion and Attenuation

—Observed velocities and attenuation of fundamental-mode Rayleigh waves in the period range 7–82 sec were inverted for shear-wave velocity and shear-wave Q structure in the Middle East using a two-station method. Additional information on Q structure variation within each region was obtained by studying amplitude spectra of fundamental-mode and higher-mode Rayleigh waves. We obtained models for the Turkish and Iranian Plateaus (Region 1), areas surrounding and including the Black and Caspian Seas (Region 2), and the Arabian Peninsula (Region 3). The effect of continent-ocean boundaries and mixed paths in Region 2 may lead to unrealistic features in the models obtained there. At lower crustal and upper-mantle depths, shear velocities are similar in all three regions. Shear velocities vary significantly in the uppermost 10 km of the crust, being 3.21, 2.85, and 3.39 km/s for Regions 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Q models obtained from an inversion of interstation attenuation data show that crustal shear-wave Q is highest in Region 3 and lowest in Region 1. Q’s for the upper 10 km of the crust are 63, 71, and 201 for Regions 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Crustal Q’s at 30 km depth for the three regions are about 51, 71, and 134. The lower crustal Q values contrast sharply with results from stable continental regions where shear-wave Q may reach one thousand or more. These low values may indicate that fluids reside in faults, cracks, and permeable rock at lower crustal, as well as upper crustal depths due to convergence and intense deformation at all depths in the Middle Eastern crust.     

A study of the crustal structure beneath the Himalayas from body waves

Summary The crustal structure beneath the Himalayas has been investigated using body wave data from near earthquakes having epicentres over the Himalayas and recorded by the observatories situated over, or very near, the foothills of the mountains. A three-layered crustal model, without the top sedimentary layer, with velocities for theP wave group in Granite I, Granite II and the Basaltic layer as 5.48, 6.00 and 6.45 and for theS wave group as 3.33, 3.56 and 3.90 km/sec respectively, has been interpreted. The upper mantle velocity for theP wave has been observed to be 8.07 km/sec and for theS wave as 4.57 km/sec. Average thickness for the Granite I layer has been computed as 22.7 km, for the Granite II layer as 16.3 km and for the Basaltic layer as 18.7 km. Crustal and sub-crustal velocities indicate a lower trend under the mountain. A thicker crust has been obtained beneath the Himalayas.     

3-D surface wave group velocity distribution in Central-Southern Africa

Group velocities estimated from fundamental mode Love and Rayleigh waves are used in a tomography process in central-southern Africa. The waves were generated by eighteen earthquakes, which occurred along the East African Rift and recorded at BOSA, LBTB and SLR seismic stations in southern Africa. The group velocities from Love and Rayleigh waves were isolated using the Multiple Filter Technique (MFT) at the period range of 10 to 50 seconds. The tomography method developed by Ditmar and Yanovskaya (1987) and Yanovskaya and Ditmar (1990), was applied to calculate the lateral distribution of surface wave group velocities in central-southern Africa. The results of the tomographic inversion were plotted as distribution maps. In addition to the maps, I also produced two velocity cross-sections across the area of study. The velocity distribution maps show the regional tectonic units, though with poor resolution. The azimuthal bias of the surface wave paths is reflected in the distribution of the group velocities. The Moho depth appears to correlate with velocities at a period of about 30 s. A low velocity feature observed beneath the Zimbabwe craton implies a thickening upper asthenosphere and lithospheric thinning beneath the Zimbabwe craton. Also estimated was a shear wave velocity model beneath the Zimbabwe craton.     

TheSa phase from the Hindu Kush earthquake of July 6, 1962

Summary The Hindu Kush earthquake of July 6, 1962 produced anSa phase (vertical component or Rayleight type) which was clearly recorded at stations in North America in the distance range 90° to 110°. The propagation of this phase is studied in detail, both by the usual method of measuring velocity of first arrival and also by determining group velocities from the derivative of the phase of the Fourier transform (in the period range 20 to 80 seconds). The energy in theSa phase propagates in a manner intermediate between that of a single ray and that of a single isolated mode. The expected interference effects which vary as a function of distance are observed and complicate a straight-forward measurement of group velocities. The results are most reliable if only the group velocities corresponding to parts of the spectra with relatively high amplitudes are used.The results show a regional variation in the velocity of the Rayleigh typeSa for continental areas, being higher under shield areas than under areas of more recent tectonic activity. The results are compared with theoretical calculations for the Gutenberg, Jeffreys-Bullen and Canadian Shield models of the Earth and the results indicate regional variations in shear velocity in the upper mantle extending to depths of several hundred km under continents.Lamont Geological Observatory, Contribution No. 883. Division of Geological Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Contribution No. 1378.     

Three-dimensional Q structure in Jiashi earthquake region of Xinjiang

3-D S-waveQ structure in Jiashi earthquake region is inverted based on the attenuation of seismic waves recorded from earthquakes in this region in 1998 by the Research Center of Exploration Geophysics (RCEG), CSB, and a rough configuration of deep crustal faults in the earthquake region is presented. First, amplitude spectra of S-waves are extracted from 450 carefully-chosen earthquake records, called observed amplitude spectra. Then, after instrumental and site effect correction, theoretical amplitude spectra are made to fit observed amplitude spectra with nonlinear damped least-squares method to get the observed travel time overQ, provided that earthquake sources conform to Brune’s disk dislocation model. Finally, by 3-D ray tracing method, theoretical travel time overQ is made to fit observed travel time overQ with nonlinear damped least-squares method. In the course of fitting, the velocity model, which is obtained by 3-D travel time tomography, remains unchanged, while onlyQ model is modified. When fitting came to the given accuracy, the ultimateQ model is obtained. The result shows that an NE-trending lowQ zone exists at the depths of 10–18 km, and an NW-trending lowQ zone exists at the depths of 12–18 km. These roughly coincide with the NE-trending and the NW-trending low velocity zones revealed by other scientists. The difference is that the lowQ zones have a wider range than the low velocity zones. Foundation item: Joint Seismological Science Foundation of China (957-07-414) and State Key Basic Research Development and Programming Project (95-13-02-02). Contribution No. RCEG200105, Research Center of Exploration Geophysics, China Seismological Bureau.     

乳山震群震源区地壳速度结构初步研究

运用距离乳山震群最近的乳山台2011-2014年远震波形资料,计算接收函数,确定震群震源区及邻近区域的地壳厚度和波速比。结果显示：乳山台下方各个方位的接收函数差异比较大,地壳速度结构呈现横向非均匀性;震源区与邻近区域存在明显差别,邻近区域的中、下地壳存在明显的高速区,震源区中下地壳中存在明显的低速区;震群中M_L3.0以上地震基本发生在高低速交界处。据此推断,乳山震群可能是由于中下地壳小范围内的物质的不均匀性导致上地壳破裂。     

The phase velocities of Rayleigh waves and the lateral variation of lithospheric structure in Tibetan Plateau

According to a Sino-U. S. joint project, eleven broadband digital PASSCAL seismometers had been deployed inside the Tibetan Plateau, of which 7 stations were on the profile from Lhasa to Golmud and other 4 stations situated at Maxin, Yushu, Xigatze and Linzhi. Dispersions and phase velocities of the Rayleigh surface waves (10s–120s) were obtained on five paths distributed in the different blocks of Tibetan Plateau. Inversions of the S-wave velocity structures in Songpan-Ganzi block, Qiang-Tang block, Lhasa block and the faulted rift zone were obtained from the dispersion data. The results show that significant lateral variation of the S-wave velocity structures among the different blocks exists. The path from Wenquan to Xigatze (abbreviated as Wndo-Xiga) passes through the rift-zone of Yadong-Anduo. The phase velocities of Rayleigh waves from 10s to 100s on this path are significantly higher than that on other paths. The calculated mean crustal velocity on this path is 3.8 km/s, much greater than that on other paths, where mean crustal velocities of 3.4–3.5 km/s are usually observed. Low velocity zones with different thicknesses and velocities are observed in the middle-lower crust for different paths. Songpan-Ganzi block, located in the northern part of Tibetan Plateau is characterized by a thinner crust of 65 km thick and a prominent low velocity zone in the upper mantle. The low velocity zone with a velocity of 4.2 km/s is located at a depth form 115 km to 175 km. While in other blocks, no low velocity zone in the upper mantle is observed. The value of Sn in Songpan-Ganzi is calculated to be 4.5 km/s, while those in Qiang-Tang and Lhasa blocks are about 4.6 km/s. The Chinese version of this paper appeared in the Chinese edition ofActa Seismologica Sinica,14, Supp., 566–573, 1992.     

Crust and upper mantle heterogeneities in the southwest Pacific from surface wave phase velocity analysis

Direct earthquake-to-station Rayleigh and Love wave data observed on high gain broadband records are analyzed in order to improve the lateral resolution of the uppermost mantle in the southwest Pacific region. We used data of nine permanent Geoscope and Iris stations located in the southern hemisphere and nine other stations as part of two temporary networks, the first one installed in New Caledonia and Vanuatu (hereafter named Cavascope network) by ORSTOM and the EOST from Louis Pasteur University in Strasbourg (France) and the second one installed in the Fiji, Tonga and Niue islands (hereafter named Spase network) by Washington University in St. Louis (USA). In order to collect more significant details on the surficial structures, we included the analysis of short period waves down to 8 s. A multiple frequency filtering technique has been used to recover phase velocities of Rayleigh and Love waves for selected earthquakes with magnitude greater than 5.5 and with known centroid moment tensor (CMT). About 1100 well-distributed seismograms have been processed in the period range 8–100 s and corrections for topography and water depth have been applied to the observed phase velocities. The geographical distribution of phase velocity anomalies have then been computed using the tomographic method developed by Montagner [Montagner, J.P., 1986a. Regional three-dimensional structures using long-period surface waves. Ann. Geophys. 4 (B3), 283–294]. Due to a poor knowledge of dense, well-distributed, crustal thickness values and corresponding velocity models, we did not perform or speculate on the construction of an S-wave 3D velocity model; therefore, we limited this study to the interpretation of the phase velocity distribution. The location of phase velocity anomalies are well determined and the deviations are discussed within the framework of the geological context and compared with other tomographic models. At long periods, from 40 s to 100 s, our results agree well with most of previous studies: the tomographic imaging shows a large contrast between low and high phase velocities along the Solomon, New Hebrides and Fiji–Tonga trenches. The lowest phase velocity anomalies are distributed beneath northern and southern Fiji basins and the Lau basin (corresponding to the volume situated just above the dipping slabs), whereas the highest values are displayed beneath the Pacific plate and the eastern part of Indian plate downgoing under the North Fiji basin. At shorter periods, our results show that the phase velocity distributions are well correlated with the large structural crustal domains. The use of local temporary broadband stations in the central part of the studied area gives us the opportunity to observe surface waves showing well-dispersed trains, allowing extended velocity measurements down to 8 s although aliasing due to multipaths become important. The continental regions (Eastern Australia, New Guinea, Fiji islands and New Zealand) show low velocities which are likely due to thick continental crust, whereas the Tasmanian, D'Entrecasteaux, and the Northern and Southern Fiji basins are characterized by higher velocities suggesting thinner oceanic crust. Additional analysis including the anisotropic case and S-wave velocity inversion with depth is in progress.     

Earthquake relocation and 3-dimensional crustal structure of P-wave velocity in cen-tral-western China

IntroductionUnderstandingthemechanismofcontinentalearthquakesisveryimportantforseismichaz-ardpreventionandearthquakeprediction.Themodernseismotectonictheoryandtheideaofearthquakepredictionaredevelopedmainlyfromthestudiesoninterplateearthquakes,whicharedifficulttoexplainthephenomenaofintraplateearthquakes,suchasthecontinentalearthquakesoccurredinChinesemainland.Whiletheinterplateearthquakesoccurredalongtheplatebounda-ries,theintraplateearthquakesdistributediffuselyintheinterioroftheplates.Thus…     

An upper mantleP-wave velocity model for eastern and southern Africa

AP-wave velocity model for the upper mantle beneath eastern and southern Africa is proposed. The top 250 km of the model is characterized by relatively low velocities similar to those deduced for the upper mantle beneath the western United States of America. At greater depths, the velocities gradually change to normal mantle values.     

Near-surface attenuation modelling based on rock shear-wave velocity profile

In a previous study published in this journal, the authors developed a comprehensive methodology for modelling the shear wave velocity profile in crustal rock, for purposes of seismic hazard assessment. The derived shear wave velocity profile was used to estimate the amplification and attenuation mechanisms in the transmission of seismic waves. The ability to conduct seismic hazard assessments in regions of low and moderate seismicity is greatly enhanced by this new modelling approach, given that developing a local attenuation model based on curve-fitting strong motion data is generally not feasible under such conditions. This paper reports a follow-up study conducted to evaluate the significance of near-surface attenuation in bedrock (as distinct from attenuation in unconsolidated soft soil sediments). The κ parameter is used to characterize the extent of this attenuation mechanism. Empirical correlations of κ with two forms of near-surface shear wave velocity parameter in crustal rock have been developed, employing information obtained from global sources in conjunction with that from local studies. The resulting development of two simple equations to predict median values of κ as functions of readily available shear wave velocity parameters represents the key outcome of this study. Applications of the proposed empirical approaches to determine κ have been provided, taking Hong Kong and Melbourne as case studies to illustrate different aspects of the proposed methodology. Consistency between the results obtained by the two recommended approaches has thereby been demonstrated.