Phase and group velocities and Q of mantle Love and Rayleigh waves of the first two modes and their azimuthal dependences for the 1963 Kurile Islands earthquake

Phase and group velocities and Q of mantle Love and Rayleigh waves from the 1963 Kurile Islands earthquake (M_w = 8.5) were determined over 37 great circle paths by a time variable filtering technique, in a period range 100–500 s for the fundamental modes and 100–275 s for the first higher modes. The preliminary reference Earth model (PREM) explains reasonably well the average dispersion results for the fundamental Love and Rayleigh waves. There exists a small, but significant inconsistency between the observation and the model for the first higher Love and Rayleigh waves. The Q structure of PREM is inconsistent with the observation for the fundamental Love waves, but explains other observations reasonably well. The dispersion of each mode shows a clear azimuthal dependence from which the four azimuthal windows were established. The phase and group velocity measurements for each window were, in general, shown to be mutually consistent. The azimuthal variations are largest for the first higher Rayleigh waves, indicating strong lateral heterogeneity in the structure of the low velocity zone. The first of the four windows is characterized by the largest fraction of Precambrian shields and the second window by the largest fraction of normal oceans. A comparison of these two windows may give some insight into deep lateral heterogeneity between continents and oceans. The observed phase and group velocities of the first window are systematically higher than those of the second window for the fundamental Love and Rayleigh waves at periods up to 400 s, and for the first higher Love and Rayleigh waves up to 175 s. Their differences are greatest for the first higher Rayleigh waves and least for the fundamental Rayleigh waves. Although the fundamental Rayleigh waves show the least velocity differences, their persistence up to a period of longer than 300 s is in striking contrast with some of the pure path phase velocities derived earlier for continents and oceans. A set of models for continents and oceans. PEM-C and PEM-O are not consistent with our observation. The third azimuthal window is characterized by trench-marginal seas and the fourth window by mountainous areas, typically the Asian high plateaus from northern China to the Middle East through Tibet. A comparison of these two windows gives some information about deep structural differences between subduction zones and continental collision zones, both belonging to plate convergence zones. For the fundamental and the first higher Love waves, the phase and group velocities for the third window are markedly low, whereas those for the fourth window are somewhat comparable to those for the second window. Slow Rayleigh waves are evident for two windows, with the fourth window apparently being the slowest for the fundamental Rayleigh above 200 s and for the first higher Rayleigh. For the fundamental Rayleigh waves, the third window is very slow below 200 s, but becomes progressively fast as the period increases and tends to be the fastest window around 400 s, suggesting a deep seated high velocity anomaly beneath trench-marginal seas. The dispersion characteristics of the fourth window indicate a thick high velocity lid with an extensive low velocity zone beneath it. The shield-like lithosphere, coupled with an extensive low velocity zone, may be a characteristic feature of continental collision zones. The particle motion of the fundamental Love waves was found not to be purely transverse to a great-circle connecting the epicenter to a station. The departure from the purely transverse motion is systematic among different periods, different G arrivals (G₂, G₃,…) and different stations, which may be interpreted as being due to lateral refraction.     

Love-Rayleigh wave incompatibility and possible deep upper mantle anisotropy in the Iberian peninsula

Love and Rayleigh wave phase velocities are analyzed with the goal of retrieving information about the anisotropic structure of the Iberian lithosphere. The cross-correlation method is used to measure the interstation phase velocities between diverse stations of the ILIHA network at periods between 20 and 120 s. Despite the 2-D structure of the network, the Love wave data are too few to enable an analysis of phase velocity azimuthal variations. Azimuthal averages of Love and Rayleigh wave phase velocities are calculated and inverted both in terms of isotropic and anisotropic structures. Realistic isotropic models explain the Rayleigh wave and short-period Love wave phase velocities. Therefore no significant anisotropy needs to be introduced in the crust and down to 100 km depth in the upper mantle to explain our data. A discrepancy is observed only at long periods, where the data are less reliable. Love wave data at periods between 80 and 120 s remain 0.15 km/s faster than predicted by isotropic models explaining the long-period Rayleigh wave data. Possibilities of biases in the measurements due to interferences with higher modes are examined but seem unlikely. A transversely isotropic model with 8% of S-wave velocity anisotropy in the upper mantle at depths larger than 100 km can explain the whole set of data. In terms of a classical model of mantle anisotropy, this corresponds to 100% of the crystals perfectly oriented in the horizontal plane in a pyrolitic mantle. This is a rather extreme model, which predicts at time delay between 0 and 2 seconds for split SKS.     

高频面波方法的若干新进展

面波多道分析方法(MASW)通过分析高频瑞雷波确定浅地表剪切波速度.在过去的20年中, 由于该方法具有非侵入性、无损、高效及价格低的特点, 越来越受到浅地表地球物理和地质工程学界的重视, 视为未来最有希望的技术之一.这篇综述论文将介绍中国地质大学(武汉)浅地表地球物理团队近年来在研究高频面波的传播理论和应用中取得的部分成果.非几何波是一种仅存在于浅地表介质, 尤其是未固结的沉积物中的独特的地震波.它的存在对快速而准确地获得表层S波速度有一定价值.我们的研究表明非几何波是一种具有频散特性的泄漏波.泄漏波的存在可能导致将其误认为瑞雷波的基阶或高阶能量, 从而造成模式误判.这种模式误判会导致错误的反演结果.我们通过求取高基阶分离后的瑞雷波格林函数证明虚震源法瑞雷波勘探的可行性.这个结果将极大地降低野外瑞雷波勘探成本.勒夫波多道分析方法(MALW)中未知参数比瑞雷波的少, 这使得勒夫波的频散曲线比瑞雷波的简单.因此, 勒夫波反演更稳定, 非唯一性更低.勒夫波数据生成的能量图像通常比瑞雷波的清晰, 并具有更高的分辨率, 从而可以更容易地拾取精确的勒夫波的相速度.利用雅克比矩阵分析波长与探测深度的关系表明对相同波长的基阶模式而言, 瑞雷波的探测深度是勒夫波的1.3~1.4倍; 而两种波的相同波长的高阶模式波的探测深度相同.我们也尝试了时间域勒夫波反演.按照勒夫波分辨率将地球模型剖分成了不同尺寸的块体, 利用反卷积消除了地震子波对勒夫波波形的影响, 通过更新每个块体的S波速度来拟合勒夫波波形, 从而获得地下S波速度模型.该方法不基于水平层状模型假设, 适用于任意二维介质模型.     

Joint analysis of Rayleigh- and Love-wave dispersion: Issues, criteria and improvements

Joint analysis of Rayleigh- and Love-wave dispersion is performed with the aim of evaluating how their joint use can improve retrieved vertical V_S profiles. In fact, non-uniqueness of the solution and complex energy distribution among different modes represent problems which, if not properly considered, can eventually lead to ambiguous or erroneous subsurface models.Some tests performed on synthetic datasets show that for the deepest layers the improvements obtained by the joint inversion cannot be considered as fully decisive in terms of ultimate solution of non-uniqueness. Nevertheless joint analysis of dispersive properties of Rayleigh and Love waves reveals as a highly valuable tool able to clarify possible interpretation issues of the single components. Under some stratigraphical circumstances, velocity spectra of Rayleigh waves can in fact be extremely complex in terms of energy distribution among different modes and erroneous interpretations of dispersion curves can thus occur. Beneficial aspects of the joint analysis is shown in the light of possible inconsistencies of the Pareto front, since major interpretative errors can be revealed in the outcomes of the proposed inversion procedure. Two field datasets are analysed also suggesting some improvements in the field acquisition procedures aimed at the acquisition of both Rayleigh and Love waves.     

Crustal structure beneath Liaoning province and the Bohai Sea and its adjacent region in China based on ambient noise tomography

The velocity structure of the crust beneath Liaoning province and the Bohai sea in China was imaged using ambient seismic noise recorded by 73 regional broadband stations. All available three-component time series from the 12-month span between January and December 2013 were cross-correlated to yield empirical Green's functions for Rayleigh and Love waves. Phasevelocity dispersion curves for the Rayleigh waves and the Love waves were measured by applying the frequencytime analysis method. Dispersion measurements of the Rayleigh wave and the Love wave were then utilized to construct 2D phase-velocity maps for the Rayleigh wave at8–35 s periods and the Love wave at 9–32 s periods,respectively. Both Rayleigh and Love phase-velocity maps show significant lateral variations that are correlated well with known geological features and tectonics units in the study region. Next, phase dispersion curves of the Rayleigh wave and the Love wave extracted from each cell of the 2D Rayleigh wave and Love wave phase-velocity maps,respectively, were inverted simultaneously to determine the3 D shear wave velocity structures. The horizontal shear wave velocity images clearly and intuitively exhibit that the earthquake swarms in the Haicheng region and theTangshan region are mainly clustered in the transition zone between the low-and high-velocity zones in the upper crust, coinciding with fault zones, and their distribution is very closely associated with these faults. The vertical shear wave velocity image reveals that the lower crust downward to the uppermost mantle is featured by distinctly high velocities, with even a high-velocity thinner layer existing at the bottom of the lower crust near Moho in central and northern the Bohai sea along the Tanlu fault, and these phenomena could be caused by the intrusion of mantle material, indicating the Tanlu fault could be just as the uprising channel of deep materials.     

东北地区背景噪声的Rayleigh和Love波相速度层析成像

本文利用中国数字地震台网位于东北地区的122个宽频地震台站的18个月记录的三分量连续地震噪声数据,采用互相关方法提取了Rayleigh和Love波经验格林函数,并利用时频自动分析技术获取了相应的相速度频散曲线.通过反演频散曲线,获得了Rayleigh和Love波周期为8~35 s的二维相速度分布.结果表明,东北地区相速度的分布存在横向和垂向的不均匀性.短周期的相速度分布同地表地质构造密切相关,松辽盆地及山间沉积盆地呈现低速异常,而大兴安岭、小兴安岭及东部的一些山岭显示高速异常.随着周期的增加,位于中间的松辽盆地变为高低速相间,两侧的造山带呈现低速异常.这种异常的转变,可能是受构造活动或者莫霍面深度的影响.另外,在周期为20~35 s 频段内,Rayleigh和Love波同一周期的相速度在松辽盆地和位于吉林地区的郯庐断裂带表现不一致,表明可能存在径向各向异性.     

Love wave contribution to the ambient vibration H/V amplitude peak observed with array measurements

This study applies array methods to measure the relative proportions of Love and Rayleigh waves in the ambient vibration wavefield. Information on these properties is of special relevance for frequencies around the horizontal-to-vertical (H/V) spectral amplitude ratio peak. The analysis of H/V curves, a popular technique in site characterisation, commonly assumes that the curves represent the frequency-dependent Rayleigh wave ellipticity. For the detailed interpretation of amplitudes or the inversion of the curves, it is therefore necessary to estimate and correct for the contribution of other wave types to the ambient vibration wavefield. I use available ambient vibration array measurements to determine the relative amount of Love and Rayleigh waves on the horizontal components by frequency-dependent analysis of the main propagation and polarisation directions, with a special emphasis on the H/V peak frequency as determined from the same recordings. Tests with synthetic data demonstrate the feasibility of this approach, at least in the presence of dominant source regions. Analysis of the data from 12 measurements at nine European sites, which include shallow as well as deep locations that span a wide range of impedance contrasts at the sediment-bedrock interface, indicates that the relative contribution of Rayleigh waves varies widely with frequency, from close to 0% to more than 70%. While most data sets show relative Rayleigh wave contributions between 40% and 50% around the H/V peak, there are also examples where Love waves clearly dominate the wavefield at the H/V peak, even for a site with a low impedance contrast. Longer-term measurements at one site indicate temporal variations in the relative Rayleigh wave content between day- and nighttime. Results calculated with the method introduced herein generally compare well with results of modified spatial autocorrelation analysis. These two methods might be used in a complimentary fashion, as both rely on different properties of the ambient vibration wavefield. This study illustrates that it is possible to measure the relative Rayleigh wave content of the noise wavefield from array data. Furthermore, the examples presented herein indicate it is important to estimate this property, as the assumption that there are an equal proportion of Love and Rayleigh waves is not always correct.     

大别-苏鲁及其邻近地区基于背景噪声的瑞雷波和勒夫波相速度层析成像

采用与作者2014年发表的“大别-苏鲁及其邻近地区基于背景噪声的勒夫波群速度成像”文章相同的资料,用频时分析提取5 000余条瑞雷波和4 000余条勒夫波相速度频散曲线,反演得到了8—32 s的瑞雷波和勒夫波相速度分布图像．结果显示,瑞雷波与勒夫波相速度分布具有很好的一致性．8 s的相速度分布与地表构造特征相吻合,造山带与隆起区均表现为高速,盆地因其规模不同而显示不同程度的低速．随着周期的增大,大别 苏鲁的高速带由强变弱,但始终存在．16—24 s的高速可能主要受到中地壳高速的控制,而32 s的高速则可能与上地幔顶部的高速有关．比较大别造山带与苏鲁造山带的平均频散曲线,发现大别造山带和苏鲁造山带的勒夫波频散曲线均高于AK135模型计算的理论频散曲线,而瑞雷波则没有这一现象. 这可能意味着两个地区有比较强烈的径向各向异性．      

Simple equations guide high-frequency surface-wave investigation techniques

We discuss five useful equations related to high-frequency surface-wave techniques and their implications in practice. These equations are theoretical results from published literature regarding source selection, data-acquisition parameters, resolution of a dispersion curve image in the frequency–velocity domain, and the cut-off frequency of high modes. The first equation suggests Rayleigh waves appear in the shortest offset when a source is located on the ground surface, which supports our observations that surface impact sources are the best source for surface-wave techniques. The second and third equations, based on the layered earth model, reveal a relationship between the optimal nearest offset in Rayleigh-wave data acquisition and seismic setting—the observed maximum and minimum phase velocities, and the maximum wavelength. Comparison among data acquired with different offsets at one test site confirms the better data were acquired with the suggested optimal nearest offset. The fourth equation illustrates that resolution of a dispersion curve image at a given frequency is directly proportional to the product of a length of a geophone array and the frequency. We used real-world data to verify the fourth equation. The last equation shows that the cut-off frequency of high modes of Love waves for a two-layer model is determined by shear-wave velocities and the thickness of the top layer. We applied this equation to Rayleigh waves and multi-layer models with the average velocity and obtained encouraging results. This equation not only endows with a criterion to distinguish high modes from numerical artifacts but also provides a straightforward means to resolve the depth to the half space of a layered earth model.     

旋转运动在地震学中的应用概述

旋转地震学是研究由天然地震、爆破和周围环境振动引起的地面旋转运动的新兴学科。对于它的研究不仅有助于对质点运动(平移运动、旋转运动和形变)进行完整的描述,而且对广义地球物理学,如强地面运动地震学、地震工程学、地震物理学、地震仪器等的研究也有重要指导意义。本文系统介绍了旋转运动在地震学中4个方面的应用。首先,介绍基于平移运动和旋转运动的共同测量,得出了计算远震瑞利波和勒夫波相速度的理论公式,并以西伯利亚地震为例,得出台站附近的相速度结构;其次,利用环形激光仪仅对地震SH波敏感的特性,分离P波和S波,分辨海洋噪声和面波,确定海洋噪声的反方位角;然后,介绍利用旋转传感器对自由振荡的长周期环形模式的观测;最后,对包含旋转观测量的多参数反演问题的重要性和实用性进行了阐述,并分析了旋转地震学研究现存的问题。     

Dispersion Energy Analysis of Rayleigh and Love Waves in the Presence of Low-Velocity Layers in Near-Surface Seismic Surveys

High-frequency surface-wave analysis methods have been effectively and widely used to determine near-surface shear (S) wave velocity. To image the dispersion energy and identify different dispersive modes of surface waves accurately is one of key steps of using surface-wave methods. We analyzed the dispersion energy characteristics of Rayleigh and Love waves in near-surface layered models based on numerical simulations. It has been found that if there is a low-velocity layer (LVL) in the half-space, the dispersion energy of Rayleigh or Love waves is discontinuous and ‘‘jumping’’ appears from the fundamental mode to higher modes on dispersive images. We introduce the guided waves generated in an LVL (LVL-guided waves, a trapped wave mode) to clarify the complexity of the dispersion energy. We confirm the LVL-guided waves by analyzing the snapshots of SH and P–SV wavefield and comparing the dispersive energy with theoretical values of phase velocities. Results demonstrate that LVL-guided waves possess energy on dispersive images, which can interfere with the normal dispersion energy of Rayleigh or Love waves. Each mode of LVL-guided waves having lack of energy at the free surface in some high frequency range causes the discontinuity of dispersive energy on dispersive images, which is because shorter wavelengths (generally with lower phase velocities and higher frequencies) of LVL-guided waves cannot penetrate to the free surface. If the S wave velocity of the LVL is higher than that of the surface layer, the energy of LVL-guided waves only contaminates higher mode energy of surface waves and there is no interlacement with the fundamental mode of surface waves, while if the S wave velocity of the LVL is lower than that of the surface layer, the energy of LVL-guided waves may interlace with the fundamental mode of surface waves. Both of the interlacements with the fundamental mode or higher mode energy may cause misidentification for the dispersion curves of surface waves.     

Love wave tomography in Italy from seismic ambient noise

We estimate Love wave empirical Green's functions from cross-correlations of ambient seismic noise to study the crust and uppermost mantle structure in Italy.Transverse-component ambient noise data from October 2005 through March 2007 recorded at 114 seismic stations from the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) national broadband network,the Mediterranean Very Broadband Seismographic Network (MedNet) and the Austrian Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) yield more than 2 000 Love wave group velocity measurements using the multiple-filter analysis technique.In the short period band (5-20 s),the cross-correlations show clearly one-sided asymmetric feature due to non-uniform noise distribution and high local activities,and in the long period band (20 s) this feature becomes weak owing to more diffusive noise distribution.Based on these measurements,Love wave group velocity dispersion maps in the 8-34 s period band are constructed,then the SH wave velocity structures from the Love wave dispersions are inverted.The final results obtained from Love wave data are overall in good agreement with those from Rayleigh waves.Both Love and Rayleigh wave inversions all reveal that the Po plain basin is resolved with low velocity at shallow depth,and the Tyrrhenian sea is characterized with higher velocity below 8 km due to its thin oceanic crust.     

Finite strain theory of love waves

Summary The propagation of Love waves is discussed on the basis of finite strain theory. The primary Love wave is found to be associated with a secondary Rayleigh wave and a tertiary Love wave. Numerical calculations are presented for two values of the wave-velocity; the results show that the theory of Love waves based on infinitesimal strain, is not applicable to short period waves.     

Time-domain Pure-state Polarization Analysis of Surface Waves Traversing California

-- A time-domain pure-state polarization analysis method is used to characterize surface waves traversing California parallel to the plate boundary. The method is applied to data recorded at four broadband stations in California from twenty-six large, shallow earthquakes which occurred since 1988, yielding polarization parameters such as the ellipticity, Euler angles, instantaneous periods, and wave incident azimuths. The earthquakes are located along the circum-Pacific margin and the ray paths cluster into two groups, with great-circle paths connecting stations MHC and PAS or CMB and GSC. The first path (MHC-PAS) is in the vicinity of the San Andreas Fault System (SAFS), and the second (CMB-GSC) traverses the Sierra Nevada Batholith parallel to and east of the SAFS. Both Rayleigh and Love wave data show refractions due to lateral velocity heterogeneities under the path, indicating that accurate phase velocity and attenuation analysis requires array measurements. T he Rayleigh waves are strongly affected by low velocity anomalies beneath Central California, with ray paths bending eastward as waves travel toward the south, while Love waves are less affected, providing observables to constrain the depth extent of anomalies. Strong lateral gradients in the lithospheric structure between the continent and the ocean are the likely cause of the path deflections.     

Finite-Difference Modeling and Dispersion Analysis of High-Frequency Love Waves for Near-Surface Applications

Love-wave propagation has been a topic of interest to crustal, earthquake, and engineering seismologists for many years because it is independent of Poisson’s ratio and more sensitive to shear (S)-wave velocity changes and layer thickness changes than are Rayleigh waves. It is well known that Love-wave generation requires the existence of a low S-wave velocity layer in a multilayered earth model. In order to study numerically the propagation of Love waves in a layered earth model and dispersion characteristics for near-surface applications, we simulate high-frequency (>5 Hz) Love waves by the staggered-grid finite-difference (FD) method. The air–earth boundary (the shear stress above the free surface) is treated using the stress-imaging technique. We use a two-layer model to demonstrate the accuracy of the staggered-grid modeling scheme. We also simulate four-layer models including a low-velocity layer (LVL) or a high-velocity layer (HVL) to analyze dispersive energy characteristics for near-surface applications. Results demonstrate that: (1) the staggered-grid FD code and stress-imaging technique are suitable for treating the free-surface boundary conditions for Love-wave modeling, (2) Love-wave inversion should be treated with extra care when a LVL exists because of a lack of LVL information in dispersions aggravating uncertainties in the inversion procedure, and (3) energy of high modes in a low-frequency range is very weak, so that it is difficult to estimate the cutoff frequency accurately, and “mode-crossing” occurs between the second higher and third higher modes when a HVL exists.     

Numerical simulations of full-wave fields and analysis of channel wave characteristics in 3-D coal mine roadway models

Currently, numerical simulations of seismic channel waves for the advance detection of geological structures in coal mine roadways focus mainly on modeling twodimensional wave fields and therefore cannot accurately simulate three-dimensional (3-D) full-wave fields or seismic records in a full-space observation system. In this study, we use the first-order velocity–stress staggered-grid finite difference algorithm to simulate 3-D full-wave fields with P-wave sources in front of coal mine roadways. We determine the three components of velocity V_x, V_y, and V_z for the same node in 3-D staggered-grid finite difference models by calculating the average value of V_y, and V_z of the nodes around the same node. We ascertain the wave patterns and their propagation characteristics in both symmetrical and asymmetric coal mine roadway models. Our simulation results indicate that the Rayleigh channel wave is stronger than the Love channel wave in front of the roadway face. The reflected Rayleigh waves from the roadway face are concentrated in the coal seam, release less energy to the roof and floor, and propagate for a longer distance. There are surface waves and refraction head waves around the roadway. In the seismic records, the Rayleigh wave energy is stronger than that of the Love channel wave along coal walls of the roadway, and the interference of the head waves and surface waves with the Rayleigh channel wave is weaker than with the Love channel wave. It is thus difficult to identify the Love channel wave in the seismic records. Increasing the depth of the receivers in the coal walls can effectively weaken the interference of surface waves with the Rayleigh channel wave, but cannot weaken the interference of surface waves with the Love channel wave. Our research results also suggest that the Love channel wave, which is often used to detect geological structures in coal mine stopes, is not suitable for detecting geological structures in front of coal mine roadways. Instead, the Rayleigh channel wave can be used for the advance detection of geological structures in coal mine roadways.     

Estimation of rocking and torsion associated with surface waves extracted from recorded motions

By exploiting the capability of identifying and extracting surface waves existing in a seismic signal, we can proceed to estimate the angular displacement (rotation about the horizontal axis normal to the direction of propagation of the wave; rocking) associated with Rayleigh waves as well as the angular displacement (rotation about the vertical axis; torsion) associated with Love waves.For a harmonic Rayleigh (Love) wave, rocking (torsion) would be proportional to the harmonic vertical (transverse horizontal) velocity component and inversely proportional to the phase velocity corresponding to the particular frequency of the harmonic wave (a fact that was originally exploited by Newmark (1969) [15] to estimate torsional excitation). Evidently, a reliable estimate of the phase velocity (as a function of frequency) is necessary. As pointed out by Stockwell (2007) [17], because of its absolutely referenced phase information, the S-Transform can be employed in a cross-spectrum analysis in a local manner. Following this suggestion a very reliable estimate of the phase velocity may be obtained from the recordings at two nearby stations, after the dispersed waves have been identified and extracted. Synthesis of the abovementioned harmonic components can provide a reliable estimate of the rocking (torsional) motion induced by an (extracted) Rayleigh (Love) wave.We apply the proposed angular displacement estimation procedure for two well recorded data sets: (1) the strong motion data generated by an aftershock of the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan earthquake and recorded over the Western Coastal Plain (WCP) of Taiwan, and (2) the strong motion data generated by the 2010 Darfield, New Zealand earthquake and recorded over the Canterbury basin. The former data set is dominated by basin-induced Rayleigh waves while the latter contains primarily Love waves.     

Long-period Love wave overtone data in North America and the Pacific Ocean: new evidence for upper mantle anisotropy

Two Tonga-trench earthquakes recorded in North America on WWSSN long-period instruments have been processed by making use of spatial analysis techniques to retrieve the phase velocities of Love wave modes. Dispersion data up to the third overtone at periods longer than 30 s have been obtained for two broad areas: the Pacific Ocean and North America. It is found that the observed Love wave phase velocities are not in agreement with the values predicted from the previously published models inferred from Rayleigh wave data. Phase velocity discrepancies as large as 3–4% in the Pacific Ocean and 2% in North America are observed up to the second overtone. Preliminary direct computations, which have been performed in the framework of transversely isotropic models with the axis of symmetry oriented vertically, suggest that the cause for this departure from isotropy probably extends to depths > 200 km.     

Anisotropy in the Earth's crust and uppermost mantle in southeastern Europe obtained from Rayleigh and Love surface waves

Digital seismograms from 25 earthquakes located in the southeastern part of Europe, recorded by three-component very broadband seismometers at the stations Vitosha (Bulgaria) and Muntele Rosu (Romania), were processed to obtain the dispersion properties of Rayleigh and Love surface waves. Rayleigh and Love group-velocity dispersion curves were obtained by frequency–time analysis (FTAN). The path-averaged shear-wave velocity models were computed from the obtained dispersion curves. The inversion of the dispersion curves was performed using an approach based on the Backus–Gilbert inversion method. Finally, 70 path-averaged velocity models (35 R-models computed from Rayleigh dispersion curves and 35 L-models computed from Love dispersion curves) were obtained for southeastern Europe. For most of the paths, the comparison between each pair of models (R-model and L-models for the same path) shows that for almost all layers the shear-wave velocities in the L-models are higher than in the R-models. The upper sedimentary layers are the only exception. The analysis of both models shows that the depth of the Moho boundary in the L-models is shallower than its depth in the R-models. The existence of an anisotropic layer associated with the Moho boundary at depths of 30–45 km may explain this phenomenon. The anisotropy coefficient was calculated as the relative velocity difference between both R- and L-models at the same depths. The value of this coefficient varies between 0% and 20%. Generally, the anisotropy of the medium caused by the polarization anisotropy is up to 10–12%, so the maximum observed discrepancies between both types of models are also due to the lateral heterogeneity of the shear-wave velocity structure of the crust and the upper mantle in the region.