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.     

Topography of the Moho and Conrad discontinuities in the Kyushu district,Southwest Japan

The first P-arrival time data from local earthquakes are inverted for two-dimensional variation of the depths to the Conrad and Moho discontinuities in the Kyushu district, southwest Japan. At the same time, earthquake hypocenters and station corrections are determined from the data. The depths to the discontinuities are estimated by minimizing the travel time residuals of first P-arrival phases for 608 earthquakes observed at 57 seismic stations. In the land area of Kyushu, the Conrad and Moho discontinuities are located within the depth ranges of 16–18 and 34–40 km, respectively. The Conrad discontinuity is not as largely undulated as the Moho discontinuity. The depth to the Moho is deep along the east coast of Kyushu, and the deepest Moho is closely related to markedly low velocity of P wave. We regard the deepest Moho as reflecting the Kyushu–Palau ridge subducting beneath the Kyushu district, together with the Philippine Sea slab. In western Kyushu, the shallow Moho is spreading in the north–northeast–south–southwest direction in the Okinawa trough region. Based on the presence of low-velocity anomaly in three-dimensional velocity structure and seismogenic stress field of shallow crustal earthquakes, the shallow Moho is interpreted as being due to lower crustal erosion associated with a small-scale mantle upwelling in the Okinawa trough region. The velocity discontinuity undulation basically has insignificant effect on hypocenter determination of the local earthquakes, but the Moho topography makes changes in focal depths of some upper mantle earthquakes. The depth variation of the Moho discontinuity has a good correlation with the Bouguer gravity anomaly map; i.e., the shallow Moho of western Kyushu and the deep Moho of eastern Kyushu closely correlate with the positive and negative Bouguer gravity anomalies, respectively.     

OnSH type of motion due to body forces and due to stress-discontinuity in a semi-infinite viscoelastic medium

Summary In this paper, surface displacements of theSH type of motion due to time-dependent body forces and due to sudden introduction of a discontinuity in the shearing stress in a semi-infinite, homogeneous, isotropic, viscoelastic medium have been worked out by the use of Laplace and Fourier transforms. The displacements due to a point force and due to a stress discontinuity over a fixed region have been calculated numerically.     

帕米尔—兴都库什深俯冲残留体对410km间断面起伏形态的影响

受俯冲残留体影响的410km间断面起伏形态的研究对于确定地球内部物质构成及地球动力学过程具有重要作用.帕米尔—兴都库什俯冲区域拥有全球少有的中、深源地震,为研究410km间断面起伏提供了良好的资源.利用日本Hi-net地震台网和美国TA台阵记录的帕米尔—兴都库什俯冲区域的6个震源深度为154.0~220.9km、震级为Mb5.6~6.4的中、深源地震的短周期/宽频带波形资料,经过4次根倾斜叠加处理,获得了36组Hi-net子台网和TA记录资料的倾斜叠加灰度图,从中提取了与410km间断面相关的次生转换震相SdP,发现受俯冲残留体影响下的410km间断面的深度位于372~398km.较之持续俯冲的西太平洋地区海洋岩石圈,研究区域俯冲滞留体对于410km间断面的相变线的影响要小得多.     

长白山-镜泊湖火山区上地幔间断面接收函数研究

利用布设在长白山地区的19个PASSCAL宽频带流动地震台站近一年的远震记录和布设在镜泊湖火山区14个宽频带轻便数字地震仪三个月的远震记录,共得到高质量的423个接收函数,通过对这些接收函数的共转换点叠加得到研究区的间断面的分布及形态.研究结果表明,研究区存在410、520km和660km间断面.410km和660km间断面较为连续且具有正相关性质,410km间断面在长白山天池火山下局部上隆,660km间断面具有复杂的多界面性质.410km和660km之间的过渡带厚约250km,接近全球平均水平.珲春深震区下660km界面下陷,其上还有多组震相,这些震相在珲春深震区东西两侧不连续,推测西太平洋板块至少已经俯冲到欧亚大陆下的上地幔过渡带中.410km间断面在长白山火山区下局部上隆,660km间断面具有的复杂结构和珲春深源地震的发生均与俯冲板块在过渡带中的活动有关. 俯冲板块在受到660km间断面的强大阻力后,在660km间断面之上变为近水平扩张.推测在欧亚大陆下西太平洋板块的最前端可能已经不是一个完整的整体,或许是由几个有一定联系的板块残片组成.     

The application of synthetic seismograms to the interpretation of the upper mantle P-wave velocity structure in northern Australia

During the period 1974 to 1977, a long range seismic refraction project was conducted in Central Australia, along a profile extending south from Darwin. Earthquakes from the Banda Sea region were used as seismic sources for this experiment. An analysis by Hales and co-workers of the resulting data based on travel times, and using geometric raytracing techniques, has resulted in the construction of an upper mantle velocity model. Using synthetic seismograms to model amplitudes, it is shown that additional constraints can be placed on the derived velocity profile. The low velocity zone beneath the “200 km” discontinuity is found to have a more abrupt onset than was previously suggested. A smaller discontinuity at 325 km depth is now implied. The analysis suggests that the “400 km” discontinuity is a first order velocity increase, whereas all other observed upper mantle discontinuities are more satisfactorily modelled as second order type structures.     

基于三重震相波形非线性反演的俯冲带410-km间断面起伏研究

利用NECESSArray宽频带地震台阵记录的P波三重震相波形资料,采用遗传算法,对千岛俯冲板块内部及附近410-km间断面的结构进行了非线性反演.其中,选取了发生在俯冲带的发震时刻为2009年10月10日21时24分(GMT时间)震级为Mw5.9的地震;其三重震相的射线回折点处射线路径的方向与俯冲板块的走向大致一致,...     

用接收函数方法研究上海地震台阵下地壳结构

利用上海地震台阵16个台站记录的远震资料,采用接收函数线性反演方法,对台阵下的地壳速度结构进行研究,获得了研究区域内地壳厚度和地壳速度的分布特征。研究结果表明,研究区域Moho面深度约为33±2 km,Moho面深度基本不变,地幔顶部S波速度约4.4 km/s,地壳内没有发现明显的低速层。     

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.     

The normal directions and shape of the magnetopause

The minimum variance and tangential discontinuity analyses are used to find the normal directions of the magnetopause using 550 crossings from ISEE 1 and 2, AMPTE/IRM, and IMP 8 satellites. Then, the average shape of the magnetopause is studied by using two-region fit procedure. These studies show: (i) most of the crossings are reasonably characterized as tangential discontinuity; (ii) there does appear to be east-west and north-south asymmetry in the shape of the magnetopause; (iii) the magnetopause in the equatorial region is swept back from the vacuum location for both northward and southward IMF, which means that the simple single conic section used in previous fits may not be appropriate to the entire shape of the magnetopause, especially at the nightside. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 49374222).     

基于三重震相方法探测日本海俯冲区地幔转换带的速度结构

本文基于中国数字地震台网记录的发生于日本北海道地区的一次中源地震的三重震相资料研究了日本海俯冲区地幔转换带的速度结构．结果表明,该区域P波速度结构与S波速度结构的一致性整体上较强．冷的西太平洋俯冲板块导致410 km间断面出现了10 km的抬升,660 km间断面出现了25 km的下沉;410 km和660 km间断面之上均存在与俯冲板块相关的高速层;660 km间断面下方存在厚度为65 km的低速异常．纵横波波速比vP/vS值在210—400 km深度范围内偏低,约为1.827,体现出海洋板块低泊松比的特征;在560—685 km深度范围内,该值偏高,约为1.831,可能预示地幔转换带底部含有一定量的水．      

Thermal field in the Romanian Carpathian bend and some aspects of its interpretation

Summary Using heat flow and heat generation measurements together with deep seismic sounding and gravity data, a reasonable geothermal model has been constructed for the Romanian Carpathian Bend. At the level of the MOHO discontinuity the calculated temperatures exhibit conspicuous differences between inner and outer border of the Carpathian Bend and a horizontal gradient of 200–300 °C/100 km in the region is not to be excluded.Paper presented at the KAPG Symposium on Geothermics in Liblice, November 1976.     

Spontaneous tangential discontinuities and the optical analogy for static magnetic fields. VI. Topology of current sheets

Abstract

The electric surface current in a tangential discontinuity in a force-free magnetic field is conserved. The direction of the current is halfway between the direction of the continuous fields on either side of the surface of discontinuity. Hence the current sheets, i.e. the surface of tangential discontinuity, have a topology that is distinct from the lines of force of the field. The precise nature of the topology of the current sheet depends upon the form of the winding patterns in the field. Hence, invariant winding patterns and random winding patterns are treated separately. Current sheets may have edges, at the junction of two or more topological separatrices. The current lines may, in special cases, be closed on themselves. The lines of force that lie on either side of a current sheet somewhere pass off the sheet across a junction onto another sheet. In most cases the current sheets extending along a field make an irregular honeycomb.

The honeycomb pattern varies along the field if the winding pattern of the field varies. The surface current density in a tangential discontinuity declines inversely, or faster, with distance from its region of origin. The edges of weaker tangential discontinuities (originating in more distant regions) are bounded by the stronger tangential discontinuities (of nearby origin).

An examination of the force-free field equations in a small neighborhood of the line of intersection of two tangential discontinuities shows that the lines of force twist around to cross the line of intersection at right angles. If the angle between the tangential discontinuities exceeds π/2, there is also the possibilitity that the lines twist around so as to come tangent to the line of intersection as they cross it.     

帕米尔东北缘地壳结构的P波接收函数研究

利用位于新疆帕米尔东北缘地带12个固定数字地震台和天山动力学Ⅱ期10个流动宽频带数字地震台记录的高质量远震波形数据,应用接收函数H_-κ叠加方法研究了帕米尔东北缘的地壳厚度-泊松比特征和部分台站下方的壳内界面深度.研究发现:(1) 帕米尔东北缘的Moho面起伏变化剧烈,其总体分布呈现东薄西厚、南厚北薄的特征,由塔里木盆地向天山延伸,地壳厚度约从45 km加深到55 km,从塔里木盆地向西昆仑山延伸,地壳厚度约从45 km加深到69 km;(2)沿着天山动力学Ⅱ期剖面,位于塔里木盆地北缘台站的壳内间断面的深度约为13~16 km,向北进入天山南麓加深到20 km左右,继续向北进入南天山山区壳内间断面不明显,可能暗示塔里木盆地基底向北俯冲,俯冲距离可能到达南天山的山前;(3)研究区地壳泊松比变化复杂(约从0.20到0.31),显示地壳物质组成的复杂性和显著的不均匀构造;(4)整个研究区的地壳厚度和泊松比之间没有明显的相关性,但天山动力学Ⅱ期剖面的结果表明,从塔里木盆地北缘到西南天山,地壳厚度和泊松比之间存在反相关关系,意味着天山地壳的增厚可能主要是通过以长英质岩石为主要组成成分的上地壳叠置而成;(5) 研究区全部地震台地壳厚度与海拔高程的线性回归方程表明地壳厚度与海拔的相关性相对较弱(相关系数为0.66),天山动力学Ⅱ期10个台站的地壳厚度与海拔具有很好的相关性(相关系数为0.85),可能表明沿该剖面地壳整体上处于相对均衡的状态.     

Note on the azimuth deviations ofP-waves recorded at Djakarta station

Summary Differences between epicenter azimuths and the direction of arrival of firstP-waves are determined from the horizontal seismograms of Djakarta station. Systematic azimuth deviations of more than 15° are encountered in the NW through N to SE azimuths. Azimuth deviations caused by a discontinuity dipping 5, 10 and 15° and with a ratio of velocity of longitudinal waves at either side of the discontinuity of 1.23, 1.38 and 1.52 are calculated. The most simple model suitable to the observed data is that of a discontinuity with a velocity ratio of about 1.5, dipping 8–10° in a N 10° E direction. In the S and W directions of Djakarta no dipping discontinuity is needed to account for the few observed data in these quadrants.     

中国东北地区下方660 km间断面研究

围绕中国东北地区下方俯冲的西太平洋板块是停滞在地幔过渡带内水平向西伸展, 还是穿透660 km间断面直接进入下地幔, 始终是一个具有争议的问题. 本文基于P--SV转换波对速度间断面的敏感性, 利用中国数字地震台网在东北地区布设的136个固定地震台站记录到的远震波形数据, 通过提取台站下方的接收函数并采用共转换点(CCP)叠加技术, 得到了该区域660 km间断面的起伏变化图像. 结果显示, 东北地区下方660 km间断面下沉幅度超过20 km的区域主要集中在44°N以南、 东西跨度约400 km的范围内. 660 km间断面的下沉表明西北太平洋板块俯冲到了中国东北地区下方, 在较小区域范围内观测到的较大深度异常可能暗示着俯冲板片穿透660 km间断面直接进入了下地幔.      

华北克拉通东北部及邻区地壳和地幔转换带厚度研究

本文利用宽频流动台阵记录的远震波形资料和接收函数波动方程叠后偏移方法,获得了华北克拉通东北部边界及其邻近地区的地壳和地幔转换带的间断面结构图像.结果显示研究区域的地壳厚度存在显著的横向变化:以南北重力梯度带为界,西北部的兴蒙造山带地壳较厚(~40 km),东南部的燕山带、松辽盆地和辽东台隆地壳明显较薄(30~35 km).这有可能反映,研究区南北重力梯度带两侧地壳在中-新生代区域构造伸展过程中经历了不同程度的改造和减薄.地幔转换带成像结果显示,研究区410 km和660 km间断面结构存在横向差异.经度121°E-122°E之间,上地幔底部出现双重间断面,深度分别为660 km和690 km.经度122.5°E以东(北黄海地区),410 km间断面有5~20 km幅度的下沉,660 km间断面有5~15 km幅度的抬升;该地区地幔转换带厚度相对全球平均偏薄10~20 km,指示着该地区较热的上地幔底部温度环境.我们认为太平洋俯冲板块可能停滞在研究区119°E-122°E经度范围的地幔转换带中,但未延伸至118°E以西;而俯冲板块在124°E以东可能局部穿透了上地幔底部而进入下地幔,同时引起小尺度的地幔对流,导致北黄海地区下地幔物质的上涌.     

Receiver functions in northeast China - implications for slab penetration into the lower mantle in northwest Pacific subduction zone

Seismic studies of the subducting lithosphere and the upper mantle discontinuities in the northwest Pacific subduction zone beneath Japan and northeast China have suggested contrary subduction scenarios. There was little consensus on the issue whether the subducting slab penetrates the upper mantle discontinuities into the lower mantle or it is deflected atop of the 660-km discontinuity over several hundred kilometers. We calculate receiver functions from a recent seismic broadband station network located in northeast China and find topographic variations of the upper mantle discontinuities. A deeper-than-normal 660-km discontinuity is observed over an area of 400 km and it coincides with the stagnant slab imaged by seismic tomography. The 660-km discontinuity is locally depressed by more than 35 km and the transition zone is thickened by more than 20 km in the east of the region where it encounters the slab. These observations provide evidence of the slab accumulating in the mantle transition zone and locally penetrating into the lower mantle.     

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.     

An examination of the presence and topography of the D″ discontinuity under the Russia–Kazakhstan border region using seismic waveform data from a deep earthquake in Spain

The D″ layer, which is located atop the core–mantle boundary, has long been an area of focus for global seismology studies. A widely used approach to study the discontinuities in the D″ layer involves the use of the SdS phases between the S and ScS phases, which requires that certain stringent conditions be satisfied with respect to an epicentral distance and earthquake depth. Therefore, this approach is only practical for investigating the presence and topography of velocity interfaces in certain local regions around the world. The Russia–Kazakhstan border region has been a “blind spot” with respect to this detection method. The seismic network deployed in the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau has recorded relatively clear SdS phases for the M _S 6.3 earthquake that occurred in Spain on April 11, 2010, allowing this blind spot to be studied. This paper compares the observed waveforms and synthetics and uses the travel times of the relevant phases to obtain a D″ discontinuity depth between 2,610 and 2,740 km in the examined area. This study provides the first results regarding the depth of the D″ layer discontinuity for this region and represents an important addition to the global studies of the D″ layer.