An attenuating structure beneath the Aso Caldera determined from the propagation of seismic waves

The attenuation of amplitude is seen in seismic waves which pass through the central region of the Aso caldera, in Kyushu, Japan. It is also recognized from spectral analysis of seismic waves that the higher frequencies of the P-wave are reduced in the waves which pass through the central region of the caldera. It is shown that the relative attenuation increases remarkably for the frequency range of 5 to 10 Hz. The specific attenuation factor Q of the P-wave train is about 100. From the surface projection of the ray paths with low Q values through the Aso caldera to each station, the attenuating region is located beneath the center of the caldera, extending to the north of the central cones. In conjunction with the low Q value of the P-wave and the decreases of S-wave amplitudes, the relative P-wave residual times have comparatively large values for seismic waves passing through the central region beneath the caldera. In order to attempt to provide additional information on the depth configuration of the attenuating material, the ray paths of P-wave's first arrivals are located in three-dimensional space. It indicates that the low-velocity material is located beneath the center of the caldera at depths of about 6 to 9 km. However, lowvelocity anomalies above the depth of 6 km and below the depth of 15 km were not able to be detected, because most of the available seismic ray paths had crossed the caldera at depths of about 6 to 15 km. Furthermore, the relative residual times have numerous errors resulting from incorrect hypocenter locations, origin times, inhomogeneities in the structure and uncertainty of the velocity structure. At shallow depths in the Aso caldera, refraction or reflection studies are required for an accurate estimate of the structure and more detailed properties of the attenuating material.     

Designing and testing a network of passive seismic surveying and monitoring in Dehdasht (South Western Iran)

From August 2016 to July 2017, a passive seismic survey was conducted in South Western Iran as a part of a pilot project aimed to improve the imaging in geologically complex areas. Passive seismic methods have shown to be a useful tool to infer the physical properties of the underground geological structures where traditional hydrocarbon exploration methods are challenging. For this purpose, a dense passive seismic network consisting of 119 three-component borehole seismic stations was deployed over an area of 400 km² around the city of Dehdasht. This paper focuses on the details of the network design, which was devoted to high-resolution seismological applications, including local earthquake tomography and seismic attenuation imaging. In this regard, we describe the instrument types and the station installation procedures used to obtain high-quality data that were used to retrieve three-dimensional models of P- and S-wave velocity and P-wave attenuation in the area using tomographic inversion techniques. We also assess the network performance in terms of the seismic ambient noise levels recorded at each station site, and we revise the horizontal orientation of the sensors using surface waves from teleseismic earthquakes.     

Simultaneous inversion of velocity structures and hypocentral locations: Application to the Friuli seismic area NE Italy

A layeredP- andS-wave velocity model is obtained for the Friuli seismic area using the arrival time data ofP- andS-waves from local earthquakes. A damped least-squares method is applied in the inversion.The data used are 994P-wave arrival times for 177 events which have epicenters in the region covered by the Friuli seismic network operated by Osservatorio Geofisico sperimentale (OGS) di Trieste, which are jointly inverted for the earthquake hypocenters andP-wave velocity model. TheS-wave velocity model is estimated on the basis of 978S-wave arrival times and the hypocenters obtained from theP-wave arrival time inversion. We also applied an approach thatP- andS-wave arrival time data are jointly used in the inversion (Roecker, 1982). The results show thatS-wave velocity structures obtained from the two methods are quite consistent, butP-wave velocity structures have obvious differences. This is apparent becauseP-waves are more sensitive to the hypocentral location thanS-waves, and the reading errors ofS-wave arrival times, which are much larger than those ofP-waves, bring large location errors in the joint inversion ofP- andS-wave arrival time. The synthetic data tests indicated that when the reading errors ofS-wave arrivals are larger than four times that ofP-wave arrivals, the method proposed in this paper seems more valid thanP- andS-wave data joint inversion. Most of the relocated events occurred in the depth range between 7 and 11 km, just above the biggest jump in velocity. This jump might be related to the detachment line hypothesized byCarulli et al. (1982). From the invertedP- andS-wave velocities, we obtain an average value 1.82 forV _p /V _s in the first 16 km depth.     

新疆喀什原场地地震动频谱特性研究

2020年1月19日和2020年2月21日在新疆喀什地区先后发生M_S6.4和M_S5.1地震,针对新疆强震动台网收集到的128条强震动记录进行统计分析,研究2次地震记录的幅值及反应谱特性,并与两个现行规范设计反应谱进行对比,结果表明：(1)震级相同时,震中距越小加速度反应谱越大,且加速度反应谱衰减速度越慢;震中距相同时,震级越大加速度反应谱越大,且加速度反应谱衰减速度越慢;(2)震级越大加速度谱值、速度谱值、位移谱值越大;(3)M_S6.4、M_S5.1地震波加速度反应谱及其平均值曲线相近,与我国现行规范加速度反应谱相比差别很大。建议在新疆喀什地区采用基于当地强震记录的加速度反应谱进行结构抗震设计。     

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     

Determining Q of near-surface materials from Rayleigh waves

High-frequency (≥2 Hz) Rayleigh wave phase velocities can be inverted to shear (S)-wave velocities for a layered earth model up to 30 m below the ground surface in many settings. Given S-wave velocity (V_S), compressional (P)-wave velocity (V_P), and Rayleigh wave phase velocities, it is feasible to solve for P-wave quality factor Q_P and S-wave quality factor Q_S in a layered earth model by inverting Rayleigh wave attenuation coefficients. Model results demonstrate the plausibility of inverting Q_S from Rayleigh wave attenuation coefficients. Contributions to the Rayleigh wave attenuation coefficients from Q_P cannot be ignored when Vs/V_P reaches 0.45, which is not uncommon in near-surface settings. It is possible to invert Q_P from Rayleigh wave attenuation coefficients in some geological setting, a concept that differs from the common perception that Rayleigh wave attenuation coefficients are always far less sensitive to Q_P than to Q_S. Sixty-channel surface wave data were acquired in an Arizona desert. For a 10-layer model with a thickness of over 20 m, the data were first inverted to obtain S-wave velocities by the multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) method and then quality factors were determined by inverting attenuation coefficients.     

Microseismic Event Detection Kalman Filter: Derivation of the Noise Covariance Matrix and Automated First Break Determination for Accurate Source Location Estimation

Since 1972, Weir-Jones Engineering Consultants (WJEC) has been involved in the development and installation of microseismic monitoring systems for the mining, heavy construction and oil/gas industries. To be of practical value in an industrial environment, microseismic monitoring systems must produce information which is both reliable and timely. The most critical parameters obtained from a microseismic monitoring system are the real-time location and magnitude of the seismic events. Location and magnitude are derived using source location algorithms that typically utilize forward modeling and iterative optimal estimation techniques to determine the location of the global minimum of a predefined cost function in a three-dimensional solution space. Generally, this cost function is defined as the RMS difference between measured seismic time series information and synthetic measurements generated by assuming a velocity structure for the area under investigation (forward modeling). The seismic data typically used in the source location algorithm includes P- and S-wave arrival times, and raypath angles of incidence obtained from P-wave hodogram analysis and P-wave first break identification. In order to obtain accurate and timely source location estimates it is of paramount importance that the extraction of accurate P-wave and S-wave information from the recorded time series be automated—in this way consistent data can be made available with minimal delay. WJEC has invested considerable resources in the development of real-time digital filters to optimize extraction, and this paper outlines some of the enhancements made to existing Kalman Filter designs to facilitate the automation of P-wave first break identification.     

Determination of near-surface structures from multi-channel surface wave data using multi-layer perceptron neural network (MLPNN) algorithm

This study proposes the use of multi-layer perceptron neural networks (MLPNN) to invert dispersion curves obtained via multi-channel analysis of surface waves (MASW) for shear S-wave velocity profile. The dispersion curve used in inversion includes the fundamental-mode dispersion data. In order to investigate the applicability and performance of the proposed MLPNN algorithm, test studies were performed using both synthetic and field examples. Gaussian random noise with a standard deviation of 4 and 8% was added to the noise-free test data to make the synthetic test more realistic. The model parameters, such as S-wave velocities and thicknesses of the synthetic layered-earth model, were obtained for different S/N ratios and noise-free data. The field survey was performed over the natural gas pipeline, located in the Germencik district of Ayd?n city, western Turkey. The results show that depth, velocity, and location of the embedded natural gas pipe are successfully estimated with reasonably good approximation.     

Multiple scattering of seismic waves in fractured media: Velocity and effective attenuation of the coherent components ofP waves andS waves

We show that the multiple scattering by small fractures of seismic waves with wavelengths long compared to the fracture size and fracture spacing is indistinguishable from multiple-scattering effects produced by regular porosity, except for an orientation factor due to fracture alignment. The fractures reduce theP-wave andS-wave velocities and produce an effective attenuation of the coherent component of the seismic waves. The attenuation corresponds to 1000/Q of about unity for a Gaussian spectrum of fractures, and it varies with frequencyf asf ³. For a Kolmogorov spectrum of fractures of spectral index the attenuation is an order of magnitude or so larger and varies with frequency asf ^3-v The precise degree of attenuation depends upon the matrix properties, the fracture porosity, the degree of fracture anisotropy, the type of fluid filling the fractures, and the incidence angle of the wave.For fracture porosities less than about 15% theP-wave andS-wave velocities are decreased by the order of 5–10% with a lesser dependence on the type of fluid filling the fractures (gas, oil, or brine) and with a dependence on both the degree of anisotropy and the incident angle made by the wave. The tendency of fractures to occur perpendicularly to bedding suggests that the best way to measure seismically fractured rock behavior in situ is by using the travel-time delay and reflection amplitude. As both the offset and the azimuth of receivers vary from a shot, the travel-time delay and reflection amplitude should both show an elliptical pattern of behavior—the travel-time delay in response to the varying seismic speed, and the reflection amplitude in response to angular variations in the multiple scattering. Observations of attenuation at several frequencies should permit (a) determination of the spectrum of fractures (Gaussian versus Kolmogorovian) and (b) determination of the contribution of viscous damping to the effective attenuation.     

P- and S-Wave Site Response of the Seismic Network RESNOM Determined from Earthquakes of Northern Baja California, Mexico

—We determined the response to P- and S-wave incidence of the permanent stations of the seismic network of Baja California (RESNOM) using two independent methods. We selected 65 events with magnitudes between 2.2 and 4.8 and hypocentral distances ranging between 5 and 330 km. The site response of the ten stations analyzed was first estimated using average spectral ratios between the horizontal and the vertical components of motion (H/V ratios). As a second approach we performed a simultaneous inversion for source and site. In order to invert the spectral records to determine the site response, we made an independent estimate of the attenuation for two different source-station path regions. Then we corrected the spectral records for the attenuation effect before we made the inversion. Although the average H/V ratio of many sites is inside the error bars of the site response estimated with the spectral inversion, the spectral inversion tends to give higher values. For the S wave some sites show similar frequency of predominant peak when comparing the responses obtained with both methods. In contrast, for the P waves the H/V ratios disagree with the results of the inversion. In general, the site response of the stations is strongly frequency dependent for both P and S waves. We also found that the natural frequency of resonance of the sites is near 0.5 Hz for P and near 0.8 Hz for the S waves.     

The dynamics of the velocity field beneath the North group of volcanoes,Kamchatka, and its relationship to the evolution of volcanic activity

P- and S-wave travel times from local volcanic earthquakes recorded in the North group of volcanoes area during the 2005–2009 period were treated by the “reverse wave” method to calculate the V _P velocity field and the TAU parameter, which is an analogue of the P- to S-wave velocity ratio. We constructed 3D velocity distributions along the line traversing the volcanic group along the direction from Ploskii Tolbachik Volcano in the southwest toward Shiveluch Volcano in the northeast. Dynamic changes in the velocity field were identified, both over time and depth. We examine the relationships of these dynamic changes to the evolution of volcanic activity during the period indicated.     

Modeling of Wide-Angle Seismic Attributes Using the Gaussian Beam Method

In this study, observed seismic attributes from shot gather 11 of the SAREX experiment are used to derive a preliminary velocity and attenuation model for the northern end of the profile in southern Alberta. Shot gather 11 was selected because of its prominent Pn arrivals and good signal to noise ratio. The 2-D Gaussian beam method was used to perform the modeling of the seismic attributes including travel times, peak envelope amplitudes and pulse instantaneous frequencies for selected phases. The preliminary model was obtained from the seismic attributes from shot gather 11 starting from prior tomographic results. The amplitudes and instantaneous frequencies were used to constrain the velocity and attenuation structure, with the amplitudes being more sensitive to the velocity gradients and the instantaneous frequencies more sensitive to the attenuation structure. The resulting velocity model has a velocity discontinuity between the upper and lower crust, and lower velocity gradients in the upper and lower crust compared to earlier studies. The attenuation model has Q _p ^-1 values between 0.011 and 0.004 in the upper crust, 0.0019 in the lower crust and a laterally variable Q _p ^-1 in the upper mantle. The Q _p ^-1 values are similar to those found in Archean terranes from other studies. Although the results from a single gather are non-unique, the initial model derived here provides a self-consistent starting point for a more complete seismic attribute inversion for the velocity and attenuation structure.     

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.     

岷县漳县6.6级地震及余震强震动记录特征分析

对2013年7月22日甘肃岷县—漳县地震获取的273条主余震加速度记录进行格式转换、基线校正和滤波等常规处理,分析该地震主震(M_S6.6)和余震(M_S5.6)两次地震记录的幅值、持时以及反应谱特征,发现M_S6.6主震记录的PGA范围在0.728～177.5 gal间,M_S5.6余震记录的PGA范围在0.732～69.3 gal间;将观测数据与霍俊荣和第五代《中国地震动参数区划图》地震动衰减关系进行对比,发现霍俊荣衰减关系更吻合于此次地震的主余震加速度衰减;绘制主余震5%～95%重要持时分布图,并针对主震62MXT反应谱和本地设计谱以及近些年国内主要强震震中反应谱开展比较分析;最后研究土层台、基岩台、相同台站各个震级反应谱的特征。     

Empirical analysis of path effects on prediction equations of pseudo‐velocity response spectra in northern Japan

We study path effects on prediction equations of pseudo‐velocity response spectra (natural period of 0.1–5.0 s) in northern Japan, where heterogeneous attenuation structure exists. The path effects have been examined by comparing the regression analysis results for two different prediction equations. The first equation consists of a single term of anelastic attenuation conventionally. The second equation consists of two terms of anelastic attenuation in consideration of the heterogeneous attenuation structure. In the second equation, we divide a source‐to‐site distance into two distances at the attenuation boundary beneath the volcanic front. The boundary is considered to separate the relatively high Q fore‐arc side mantle wedge (FAMW) from the low Q back‐arc side mantle wedge (BAMW). Strong motion records (hypocentral distances less than 300 km) from interplate and intraslab events with Mw 5.1–7.3 are used. Regression analysis results show that the standard errors are significantly reduced by the second prediction equation at short periods (0.1–0.5 s), whereas the difference in standard errors from both prediction equations is negligible at intermediate and long periods. The Qs values (quality factor for S‐wave) converted from two anelastic attenuation coefficients for the second prediction equation are remarkably similar to the path‐averaged Qs values for the FAMW and BAMW by other studies using spectral inversion method. From these findings, we conclude that the path effects on the prediction equation of pseudo‐velocity response spectra are satisfactorily accomplished by the second prediction equation. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ultrasonic Velocities, Acoustic Emission Characteristics and Crack Damage of Basalt and Granite

Acoustic emissions (AE), compressional (P), shear (S) wave velocities, and volumetric strain of Etna basalt and Aue granite were measured simultaneously during triaxial compression tests. Deformation-induced AE activity and velocity changes were monitored using twelve P-wave sensors and eight orthogonally polarized S-wave piezoelectric sensors; volumetric strain was measured using two pairs of orthogonal strain gages glued directly to the rock surface. P-wave velocity in basalt is about 3 km/s at atmospheric pressure, but increases by > 50% when the hydrostatic pressure is increased to 120 MPa. In granite samples initial P-wave velocity is 5 km/s and increases with pressure by < 20%. The pressure-induced changes of elastic wave speed indicate dominantly compliant low-aspect ratio pores in both materials, in addition Etna basalt also contains high-aspect ratio voids. In triaxial loading, stress-induced anisotropy of P-wave velocities was significantly higher for basalt than for granite, with vertical velocity components being faster than horizontal velocities. However, with increasing axial load, horizontal velocities show a small increase for basalt but a significant decrease for granite. Using first motion polarity we determined AE source types generated during triaxial loading of the samples. With increasing differential stress AE activity in granite and basalt increased with a significant contribution of tensile events. Close to failure the relative contribution of tensile events and horizontal wave velocities decreased significantly. A concomitant increase of double-couple events indicating shear, suggests shear cracks linking previously formed tensile cracks.     

Three‐dimensional VS profiling using microtremors in Kushiro,Japan

A practical method is presented for determining three‐dimensional S‐wave velocity (V_S) profile from microtremor measurements. Frequency–wave number (f–k) spectral analyses of microtremor array records are combined, for this purpose, with microtremor horizontal‐to‐vertical (H/V) spectral ratio techniques. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, microtremor measurements using arrays of sensors were conducted at six sites in the city of Kushiro, Japan. The spectral analyses of the array records yield dispersion characteristics of Rayleigh waves and H/V spectra of surface waves, and joint inversion of these data results in V_S profiles down to bedrock at the sites. Conventional microtremor measurements were performed at 230 stations within Kushiro city, resulting in the H/V spectra within the city. Three‐dimensional V_S structure is then estimated from inversion of the H/V spectra with the V_S values determined from the microtremor array data. This reveals three‐dimensional V_S profile of Kushiro city, together with an unknown hidden valley that crosses the central part of the city. The estimated V_S profile is consistent with available velocity logs and results of subsequent borings, indicating the effectiveness of the proposed method. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves to S-Phase Wave Anisotropy Estimation

The Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) is an increasingly used technique for recognition of a shallow geological structure and estimation of geotechnical parameters, e.g., S-wave velocity, layer density, layer thickness, shear modulus, estimated P-wave velocity, and estimated Poisson ratio. MASW surveys were carried out in two limestone quarries in the southern part of Poland. The experimental areas are characterised by a simple geological structure: consolidated Triassic limestone. Measurement profiles were arranged as a shapely six-pointed star. For each survey line, 12 geophones with 2-meter (Deposit 1) and 3-meter (Deposit 2) spacing were applied. The research allowed to compare P- and S-wave velocity changes with the main crack systems in the studied rock masses.     

Shear wave velocity modelling in crustal rock for seismic hazard analysis

P-wave velocity data along with the thickness of sedimentary and crystalline layers within bedrock were collected from all global regions and presented in the Global Crustal Model CRUST2.0, published in 2001. This well-organised database provides invaluable potential contributions towards future seismic hazard modelling, particularly for stable continental regions (SCRs), where there is a scarcity of representative strong motion records for conventional modelling purposes. The P-wave velocity information presented in CRUST2.0 has been converted herein to S-wave velocity information. The latter is especially important for purposes of seismic hazard modelling. The value of the CRUST2.0 model has therefore been greatly enhanced by the important findings presented and further developed in this paper. By making the best use of available information on crustal conditions, the amplification behaviour of seismic waves affecting a region, an area or a site for any given earthquake scenario may be predicted. The developed methodology, which is intended for worldwide applications, has been illustrated by case studies in which model S-wave velocity profiles were developed for different geological regions within North America. The model profiles were found to be in excellent agreement with field measurements reported for each respective region.     

Upper lithospheric structure in the central Fennoscandian shield: Constraints from P- and S-wave velocity models and V<Subscript>P</Subscript>/V<Subscript>S</Subscript> ratio distribution of the BALTIC wide-angle seismic profile

The paper presents an analysis of the crust and upper mantle structure in the central Fennoscandian shield based on new P- and S-wave 2D velocity models of the BALTIC wide-angle reflection and refraction profiles. Using reprocessing of the old data, new P- and S-wave velocity models and V _P /V _S ratio distribution were developed. Moving from SW to NE, the thickness of the crust varies strongly, from ∼36 km to extremely thick, 58–64 km, crossing Wiborg rapakivi massif, Saimaa and Outokumpu areas, and Eastern Finland complex. Based on the lateral variations of V _P , V _P /V _S and thickness of the crust, three main blocks of the crust and upper mantle were distinguished from SW to NE: southwestern, associated with Wiborg rapakivi massif; the central, having the highest thickness of the crust; and the northeastern, not well documented, with Archaean basement.