Evidence for a sharp increase in P-wave velocity at about 770 km depth

Slowness data from earthquakes in the Mindanao and Philippine regions recorded at the Warramunga array indicate a small, but abrupt, decrease in dT/dΔ at a distance of 29.5°. There is evidence also of a triplication in the P travel-time curve at about this distance. These data strongly suggest the presence of a rapid or discontinuous velocity increase of about 2% in P-wave velocity at a depth of about 770 km. Such a velocity increase is consistent with the occurrence of more than one phase change between 600 and 900 km, as predicted by the pyrolite model of Ringwood.Previous observations of increasing dT/dΔ with distance may have resulted from the predominance of the 650-km branch as it approaches its cusp. If so, then it is not necessary to invoke a decrease in velocity with depth near 800 km to explain the increase in mdT/dΔ observed between 32–34°.     

Evidence for P wave velocity discontinuities at depths greater than 650 km in the mantle

The arrival times of seismic P waves recorded at long lines of portable seismographs deployed on the shield region of central Australia show evidence of breaks in the travel-time curve at epicentral distances near 30, 39 and 43°. These breaks are additional to those at about 20 and 24° (associated with the 400- and 650-km discontinuities) and imply that the P wave velocity structure of the mantle does not increase smoothly in the depth range 650–1100 km, but rather consists of regions of nearly constant velocity separated by small but significant velocity increases at depths of approximately 770, 980 and 1080 km. These conclusions are in agreement with those previously inferred from first and later arrivals at the Warramunga Seismic Array.     

Q and its effect on the observation of upper mantle travel-time branches

There is broad agreement among various seismological studies that the upper mantle has two regions where high positive velocity gradients or transition zones exist. The presence of these zones implies that two major triplications should exist in the travel-time curve for distances less than 30°. Approximately 200 earthquakes from the New Guinea, New Britain, and Solomon Island regions recorded at the Warramunga Array were analyzed using adaptive processing methods in an attempt to identify the positions of the later arrival branches. From measurements made along the first 20 sec of the arrivals, a retrogade travel-time branch associated with the “650-km” discontinuity was clearly identified as extending from 21° to 26°, and some evidence was found near 16° for the lower portion of the triplication associated with the “400-km” discontinuity. A careful search revealed however that the upper portions of the replicated travel-time branches were missing. There were no observed values ofdt/dΔ in the 12–13 sec/deg range for Δ greater than 20°. In this study it was found that if anelastic effects (Q) were not taken into consideration or ifQ were kept constant, the models derived from observed travel-time data all predicted large amplitude arrivals where non existed. The difficulty with the first triplication was resolved by the introduction of a lowQ region at depths of 85–315 km. This region may be associated with “the low-velocity region” but it is not necessary to decrease the P velocity to explain the observations.The difficulty with the second triplication was resolved by the introduction of a layer at a depth of 575–657 km which has no velocity gradient and a value ofQ significantly less than that for the material just below the “650-km” discontinuity. This layer may well represent the return path for an upper mantle convection cell.     

Seismic velocity structure using array data

The fine structure of regional travel-time curves is investigated. About 200 events from the region north of Australia, recorded at the Warramunga array, are analysed to give the P-wave velocity structure for that region. The events were confined to a very narrow azimuth range. Results show that the 20° discontinuity is more complicated than a single velocity increase near 400 km depth, and that there are regions of rapid or discontinuous velocity increase at depths below 650 km.     

Deep structure of the East European platform according to seismic data

The paper presents a review and analysis of new seismic data related to the structure of the mantle beneath the East European platform. Analysis of observations of long-range profiles revealed pronounced differences in the structure of the lower lithosphere beneath the Russian plate and the North Caspian coastal depression. The highest P-velocities found at depths around 100 km are in the range 8.4–8.5 km s^?1. Deep structure of the Baltic shield is different from the structures of both these regions. No evidence of azimuthal anisotropy in the upper mantle was found. A distribution of P-velocity in the upper mantle and in the transition zone consistent with accurate travel-time data was determined. The model involves several zones of small and large positive velocity gradients in the upper mantle, rapid increases of velocity near 400 and 640 km depths and an almost constant positive velocity gradient between the 400 and 640 km discontinuities. The depth of the 640 km discontinuity was determined from observations of waves converted from P to SV in the mantle.     

Preliminary models of upper mantle P and S wave velocity structure in the western South America region

Upper mantle P and S wave velocities in the western South America region are obtained at depths of foci from an analysis of travel time data of deep earthquakes. The inferred velocity models for the Chile–Peru–Ecuador region reveal an increase of P velocity from 8.04 km/s at 40 km to 8.28 km/s at 250 km depth, while the S velocity remains almost constant at 4.62 km/s from 40 to 210 km depth. A velocity discontinuity (probably corresponding to the L discontinuity in the continental upper mantle) at 220–250 km depth for P and 200–220 km depth for S waves, with a 3–4% velocity increase, is inferred from the velocity–depth data. Below this discontinuity, P velocity increases from 8.54 km/s at 250 km to 8.62 km/s at 320 km depth and S velocity increases from 4.81 km/s at 210 km to 4.99 km/s at 290 km depth. Travel time data from deep earthquakes at depths greater than 500 km in the Bolivia–Peru region, reveal P velocities of about 9.65 km/s from 500 to 570 km depth. P velocity–depth data further reveal a velocity discontinuity, either as a sharp boundary at 570 km depth with 8–10% velocity increase or as a broad transition zone with velocity rapidly increasing from 560 to 610 km depth. P velocity increases to 10.75 km/s at 650 km depth. A comparison with the latest global average depth estimates of the 660 km discontinuity reveals that this discontinuity is at a relatively shallow depth in the study region. Further, a velocity discontinuity at about 400 km depth with a 10% velocity increase seems to be consistent with travel time observations from deep earthquakes in this region.     

Upper mantle heterogeneity in the northern part of Eurasia

A two dimensional velocity model of the upper mantle has been compiled from a long-range seismic profile crossing the West Siberian young plate and the old Siberian platform. It revealed considerable horizontal and vertical heterogeneity of the mantle. A sharp seismic boundary at a depth of 400 km outlines the high-velocity gradient transition zone, its base lying at a depth of 650 km. Several layers with different velocities, velocity gradients and wave attenuation are distinguished in the upper mantle. They likewise differ in their inner structure. For instance, the uppermost 50–70 km of the mantle are divided into blocks with velocities from 7.9–8.1 to 8.4–8.6 km s^?1.Comparison of the travel-time curves for the Siberian long-range profile with those compiled from seismological data for Europe distinguished large-scale upper mantle inhomogeneities of the Eurasian continent and allowed for the correlation of tectonic features and geophysical fields. The velocity heterogeneity of the uppermost 50–100 km of the mantle correlates with the platform age and heat flow, i.e., the young plates of Western Europe and Western Siberia have slightly lower velocities and higher heat flows than the ancient East European and Siberian platforms. At greater depths (150–250 km) the upper mantle velocities increase from the ocean to the inner parts of the continent. The structure of the transition zone differs significantly beneath Western Europe and the other parts of Eurasia. The sharp boundary at a depth of 400 km, traced throughout the whole continent as the boundary reflecting intensive waves, transforms beneath Western Europe into a gradient zone. This transition zone feature correlates with positions of the North Atlantic-west Europe geoid and heat-flow anomalies.     

中国上地幔剪切波速度结构的初步研究

本文通过合成SH波理论地震图的方法,利用SS-S走时和SS波波形资料,研究了我国上地幔剪切波速度结构。初步结果表明,我国大陆上地幔可以分成两个独立不同的速度结构模型:一是青藏高原;另一是中国大陆东部。两部分均存在剪切波低速层,但埋藏深度不同,高原部分是100km,东部地区是60km,两部分的差异大约在350km以下趋于消失。在405km和660km深处存在剪切波的速度间断面。400km以下青藏高原和中国大陆东部地区剪切波的速度结构与北美洲、北大西洋西部、欧洲、阿尔卑斯带地区的结构一致,说明在这几个地区上地幔剪切波速度结构的横向变化在400km以下很小。     

Siberian traps: Hypotheses and seismology data

Siberian traps are the result of huge basalt eruptions which took place about 250 Ma ago over a vast territory of Siberia. The genesis of Siberian traps is attributed to a mantle plume with a center in the region of Iceland or beneath the central Urals in terms of their present coordinates. The eruption mechanism is associated with delamination—replacement of the mantle lithosphere by the deep magma material. The receiver function analysis of the records from the Norilsk seismic station (NRIL) allows comparing these hypotheses with the factual data on the depth structure of the region of Siberian traps. The S-wave velocity section place the seismic lithosphere/asthenosphere boundary (LAB) at a depth of 155–190 km, commensurate with the data for the other cratons. The mantle lithosphere has a high S-wave velocity characteristic of cratons (4.6–4.8 km/s instead of the typical value 4.5 km/s). The seismic boundary, which is located at a depth around 410 km beneath the continents is depressed by ~10 km in the region of the NRIL station. The phase diagram of olivine/wadsleyite transformation accounts for this depression by a 50–100°С increase in temperature. At the depths of 350–400 km, the S-wave velocity drops due to partial melting. A new reduction in the S-wave velocities is observed at a depth of 460 km. The similar anomalies (deepening of the 410-km seismic boundary and low shear wave velocity at depths of 350–400 and 460–500 km, respectively) were previously revealed in the other regions of the Meso-Cenozoic volcanism. In the case of a differently directed drift of the Siberian lithosphere and underlying mantle at depths down to 500 km, these anomalies are barely accountable. In particular, if the mantle at a depth ranging from 200 to 500 km is fixed, the anomalies should be observed at the original locations where they emerged 250 Ma ago, i.e. thousands of km from the Siberian traps. Our seismic data suggest that despite the low viscosity of the asthenosphere, the mantle drift at depths ranging from 200 to 500 km is correlated with the drift of the Siberian lithospheric plate. Furthermore, the position of the mantle plume beneath the Urals is easier to reconcile with the seismic data than its position beneath Iceland because of the Siberian traps being less remote from the Urals.     

Phase transformations in the earth's mantle and subducting slabs: Implications for their compositions, seismic velocity and density structures and dynamics

Abstract Phase transformations in model mantle compositions and those in subducting slabs have been reviewed to a depth of 800 km on the basis of recent high-pressure experimental data. Seismic velocity and density profiles in these compositions have also been calculated using these and other mineral physics data. The nature of the seismic velocity and density profiles calculated for a pyrolite composition was found to generally agree with those determined by seismic observations (e.g. PREM). The locations of the seismic discontinuities at 400 and 670 km correspond almost exactly to the depths where the transformations of the olivine component to denser phases take place. Moreover, the steep gradients in the seismic velocity/density profiles observed between these depths are qualitatively consistent with those expected from the successive transformations in the complementary pyroxene-garnet component in the pyrolite composition. Further, the calculated seismic velocity and density values agree well with those observed in the upper mantle and mantle transition region within the uncertainties attached to these calculations and observations. Pyrolite or peridotite compositions are thus most likely to represent the composition of the mantle above 670 km depth, although some degrees of chemical heterogeneity may exist in the transition region. The observed sharp discontinuous increases of seismic velocities and density at this depth may be attributed either to the phase transformation to a perovskite-bearing assemblage in pyrolite or to chemical composition changes. Density profiles in subducted slabs have been calculated along adequate geotherms assuming that the slabs are composed of the former oceanic crust underlain by a thicker harzburgitic layer. It is shown that the former oceanic crust is substantially less dense than the surrounding pyrolite mantle at depths below 670 km, while it is denser than pyrolite in the upper mantle and the transition region. The subducted former oceanic crust may be trapped in this region, forming a geochemically enriched layer at the upper mantle-lower mantle boundary. Thick and cool slabs may penetrate into the lower mantle, but the chemically derived buoyancy may result in strong deformation and formation of megalith structures around the 670 km seismic discontinuity. These structures are consistent with those detected by recent seismic tomography studies for subduction zones.     

Crustal and upper mantle structure of stable continental regions in North America and northern Europe

From an analysis of many seismic profiles across the stable continental regions of North America and northern Europe, the crustal and upper mantle velocity structure is determined. Analysis procedures include ray theory calculations and synthetic seismograms computed using reflectivity techniques. TheP wave velocity structure beneath the Canadian Shield is virtually identical to that beneath the Baltic Shield to a depth of at least 800 km. Two major layers with a total thickness of about 42 km characterize the crust of these shield regions. Features of the upper mantle of these region include velocity discontinuities at depths of about 74 km, 330 km, 430 km and 700 km. A 13 km thickP wave low velocity channel beginning at a depth of about 94 km is also present.A number of problems associated with record section interpretation are identified and a generalized approach to seismic profile analysis using many record sections is described. TheS wave velocity structure beneath the Canadian Shield is derived from constrained surface wave data. The thickness of the lithosphere beneath the Canadian and Baltic Shields is determined to be 95–100 km. The continental plate thickness may be the same as the lithospheric thickness, although available data do not exclude the possibility of the continental plate being thicker than the lithosphere.     

Seismic array evidence for a two-layer core transition zone

Measurements of traveltimes and traveltime gradients for PKP phases recorded at the Warramunga seismic array from distances between 113° and 176° provide evidence for a two-layer transition zone in the earth's core. The basic data consist of paper recordings played out at 40 mm/sec from analog magnetic tape with amplitude gain control and narrow bandpass filters. Measured values of $\text{d}\text{T}\text{dΔ}$ are perturbed by structure beneath the array and it is necessary to correct for this effect by an empirical approach. On the basis of the $\text{d}\text{T}\text{dΔ}$ values and traveltimes, two precursor branches to PKP_DF for Δ < 143° are identified consistently. These continue as branches intermediate to PKP_DF and PKP_AB for Δ > 145°. The corrected $\text{d}\text{T}\text{dΔ}$ values of all phases are smoothed and used to derive a velocity model for the core. The preferred model includes two velocity discontinuities of less than 0.1 km/sec each in the core transition zone to generate the two additional PKP branches. Together with the velocity jump at the outer-inner core boundary, these discontinuities define two layers each a few hundred kilometers thick. It is argued that recent proposals concerning inhomogeneities at the base of the mantle or within the transition zone as the source of PKP precursors do not agree with our observations nor those of other researchers. Inhomogeneities are not excluded but are considered a secondary effect for PKP phases, the primary effect being due to two discontinuous velocity increases in the transition zone.     

用接收函数方法研究中国及邻区上地幔间断面的埋藏深度

使用中国及邻区的18个数字化地震台的宽频带三分向远震记录图,筛选计算得到了263条径向接收函数,并拾取了在41Okm和660km间断面上的透射转换震相P4S、P660S与P波的到时差.通过调整各台站之下的速度模型中这两个间断面的深度,使理论接收函数的P4S、P660S与P波的到时差与观测值相符,最终确定这两个间断面的实际埋藏深度.结果表明,各台站之下4km间断面的平均深度为403km,具有明显的横向不均匀性和区域性,其中北京台、西安台、兰州台和恩施台等的埋藏深度较浅,琼中台、CHTO等台较深.660km间断面的平均埋藏深度为663km,也存在明显的横向不均匀性,其中牡丹江台和MAJO台的较深,琼中台和HYB台的较浅.     

华南上地幔P波速度结构

通过拟合15°-30°内的长周期P波走时及波形资料,得到了华南地区上地幔P波速度结构模型SC.研究结果表明,在华南地区的上地幔内无低速层存在,在405km和660km深度处仃一级间断面存在,速度跳跃分别为5.7％和4.6％.通过与欧洲西部上地幔模型K8,欧洲西北部上地幔模型S8和西藏地区上地幔模型QX8比较,我们发现各个构造区P波速度的过渡区是一致,但间断面的绝对深度不一样.     

Global Observations of Mantle Discontinuities Using SS and PP Precursors

SS and PP precursors are currently the only body wave data types that have significant coverage in both oceanic and continental regions to study the existence and characteristics of mantle discontinuities on a global scale. Here, the techniques used by global seismologists to observe SS and PP precursors are reviewed. Seismograms, aligned on SS or PP, are stacked using normal move out (NMO) techniques to obtain common depth point gathers. Bootstrap methods are employed to determine 95% confidence levels of the stacks and robustness of the observations. With these relatively simple techniques, a range of discontinuities has been found in the mantle up to 1,200 km depth. The stacks are dominated by the transition zone discontinuities at 410, 520 and 660 km depth, but additional discontinuities at 220, 300–350, 800–900 and 1,100–1,200 km depth are also seen in certain regions. An overview is given of the most recent observational results with a discussion of their mineral physical interpretation and geodynamical significance. Both seismology and mineral physics agree on the level of complexity at the transition discontinuities: a simple 410, a more complicated 520 and a highly complicated 660-km discontinuity are consistently found in both disciplines.     

Shallow Seismic Velocity Structure of the Betic Cordillera (Southern Spain) from Modelling of Rayleigh Wave Dispersion

A detailed dispersion analysis of Rayleigh waves generated by local earthquakes and occasionally by blasts that occurred in southern Spain, was undertaken to obtain the shear-wave velocity structure of the region at shallow depth. Our database includes seismograms generated by 35 seismic events that were recorded by 15 single-component short-period stations from 1990 to 1995. All these events have focal depths less than 10 km and body-wave magnitudes between 3.0 and 4.0, and they were all recorded at distances between 40 and 300 km from the epicentre. We analysed a total of 90 source-station Rayleigh-wave paths. The collected data were processed by standard digital filtering techniques to obtain Rayleigh-wave group-velocity dispersion measurements. The path-averaged group velocities vary from 1.12 to 2.25 km/s within the 1.0-6.0 s period interval. Then, using a stochastic inversion approach we obtained 1-D shear-wave velocity–depth models across the study area, which were resolved to a depth of circa 5 km. The inverted shear-wave velocities range approximately between 1.0 and 3.8 km/s with a standard deviation range of 0.05–0.16 km/s, and show significant variations from region to region. These results were combined to produce 3-D images via volumetric modelling and data visualization. We present images that show different shear velocity patterns for the Betic Cordillera. Looking at the velocity distribution at various depths and at vertical sections, we discuss of the study area in terms of subsurface structure and S-wave velocity distribution (low velocity channels, basement depth, etc.) at very shallow depths (0–5 km). Our results characterize the region sufficiently and lead to a correlation of shear-wave velocity with the different geological units features.     

Analysis of earthquakes in the distance range 40–70° and inferred lower mantle structure

About fifty earthquakes in the distance range 40–70° and azimuthal range 45–120° from the Celebes, Philippines, Mariana and Kurile Island regions, and recorded at Gauribidanur seismic array in southern India, were used in the present study. Measurements on slowness and apparent azimuths were made on the first 30 s of the short period P-wave trains using an adaptive processing technique. Analysis of this data set has revealed no strong evidence for any triplications in the travel-time curve over the ranges in question. The P-wave velocity increases continuously with an almost uniform gradient below 1000 km depth range and is in very close agreement with the JB model. Almost all the observed slowness values of the events were anomalously low and consistent suggesting that they are caused by some azimuthal dependent structure near the array.     

The identification of radial velocity anomalies in the lower mantle using an interference method

A radial velocity anomaly in the lower mantle may cause a triplication in the travel-time curve for short-period P waves, but the first two arrivals may not be separable visually on seismograms over a distance range of about 4–10°. However, the changes of slowness and azimuth as a function of time can be used to infer the presence of interfering signals. Some of the interference effects that can be generated synthetically are often observed on seismograms of earthquakes recorded at the Yellowknife array at distances close to 50°, 80° and 90°. The data from Yellowknife provide evidence for the presence of regions of high velocity gradients at depths of about 1250, 2400 and 2730 km that also show rapid lateral variations. Numerous P arrivals from South American earthquakes that traverse the lowest 500 km of the mantle beneath the Caribbean region have been used to illustrate the main features of the interference method.     

Seismic structure of the upper mantle beneath the western Philippine Sea

We investigate the seismic structure of the western Philippine Sea using two sets of seismological observations: ScS reverberations, which provide the layering framework for a regional upper mantle model, and observations of frequency-dependent phase delays for direct S waves, surface-reflected phases (sS, SS, sSS), and surface waves (R₁, G₁), which constrain the velocity and anisotropy structure within the layers. The combined data set, comprising 17 discontinuity amplitudes and layer travel times from the ScS-reverberation stack and more than 1000 frequency-dependent phase delays, was inverted for a path-averaged, radially anisotropic model. Mineralogical estimates of the bulk sound velocity and density are incorporated as complementary constraints. The final model, PHB3, is characterized by a 11.5-km thick crust, an anisotropic lid bounded by a sharp negative G discontinuity at 89 km, an anisotropic low-velocity layer extending to 166 km, a subjacent high-gradient region, and transition-zone discontinuities at depths of 408 km, 520 km and 664 km. The lid is slower than in a comparable model for the Tonga–Hawaii corridor (PA5), but also significantly thicker, requiring a compositional variation between the two regions. We explore the hypothesis that the thickness of the oceanic lid is controlled by the melting depth at the spreading centers during crust formation, and that the thicker crust and lid in the Philippine Sea results from deeper melting owing to a higher potential temperature and perhaps a higher water content in the upper mantle.     

An experimental investigation of the effects of thawed soil depth on rill flow velocity

Water flow velocity is an important hydraulic variable in hydrological and soil erosion models, and is greatly affected by freezing and thawing of the surface soil layer in cold high-altitude regions. The accurate measurement of rill flow velocity when impacted by the thawing process is critical to simulate runoff and sediment transport processes. In this study, an electrolyte tracer modelling method was used to measure rill flow velocity along a meadow soil slope at different thaw depths under simulated rainfall. Rill flow velocity was measured using four thawed soil depths (0, 1, 2 and 10 cm), four slope gradients (5°, 10°, 15° and 20°) and four rainfall intensities (30, 60, 90 and 120 mm·h⁻¹). The results showed that the increase in thawed soil depth caused a decrease in rill flow velocity, whereby the rate of this decrease was also diminishing. Whilst the rill flow velocity was positively correlated with slope gradient and rainfall intensity, the response of rill flow velocity to these influencing factors varied with thawed soil depth. The mechanism by which thawed soil depth influenced rill flow velocity was attributed to the consumption of runoff energy, slope surface roughness, and the headcut effect. Rill flow velocity was modelled by thawed soil depth, slope gradient and rainfall intensity using an empirical function. This function predicted values that were in good agreement with the measured data. These results provide the foundation for a better understanding of the effect of thawed soil depth on slope hydrology, erosion and the parameterization scheme for hydrological and soil erosion models.