Transient and impulse responses of a one-dimensional linearly attenuating medium—II. A parametric study

Summary. We investigate one-dimensional waves in a standard linear solid for geophysically relevant ranges of the parameters. The critical parameters are shown to be T*= t_u/Q_m where t _u is the travel time and Q_m the quality factor in the absorption band, and τ⁻¹ _m , the high-frequency cut-off of the relaxation spectrum. The visual onset time, rise time, peak time, and peak amplitude are studied as functions of T* and τ _m. For very small τ _m , this model is shown to be very similar to previously proposed attenuation models. As τ _m grows past a critical value which depends on T* , the character of the attenuated pulse changes. Seismological implications of this model may be inferred by comparing body wave travel times with a'one second'earth model derived from long-period observations and corrected for attenuation effects assuming a frequency independent Q over the seismic band. From such a comparison we speculate that there may be a gap in the relaxation spectrum of the Earth's mantle for relaxation times shorter than about one second. However, observational constraints from the attenuation of body waves suggest that such a gap might in fact occur at higher frequencies. Such a hypothesis would imply a frequency dependence of Q in the Earth's mantle for short-period body waves.     

Improved resolution of complex eigenfrequencies in analytically continued seismic spectra

Summary. The response of the Earth to an earthquake is a transient that is effectively zero several days after the event. A recording of the event, of finite duration in time, has a Fourier spectrum that is an entire, or integral, analytic function of frequency. We present a very simple procedure for computing the Fourier spectrum as a function of complex frequency; the analytically continued spectrum. By investigating the properties of the analytically continued spectrum we show how to extract high- Q modes, how to estimate Q either from the amplitude or from the width of a resonance function, and how to improve the resolution of splitting to the theoretical maximum. Examples of these procedures, using observed data, are presented.     

The period and Q of the Chandler wobble

Summary. We have extended our calculation of the theoretical period of the Chandler wobble to account for the non-hydrostatic portion of the Earth's equatorial bulge and the effect of the fluid core upon the lengthening of the period due to the pole tide. We find the theoretical period of a realistic perfectly elastic Earth with an equilibrium pole tide to be 426.7 sidereal days, which is 8.5 day shorter than the observed period of 435.2 day. Using Rayleigh's principle for a rotating Earth, we exploit this discrepancy together with the observed Chandler Q to place constraints on the frequency dependence of mantle anelasticity. If Qμ in the mantle varies with frequency σ as σα between 30 s and 14 months and if Qμ in the lower mantle is of order 225 at 30 s, we find that 0.04 ρ^α≤ 0.11; if instead Qμ in the lower mantle is of order 350 near 200 s, we find that 0.11 ≤α≤ 0.19. In all cases these limits arise from exceeding the 68 per cent confidence limits of ± 2.6 day in the observed period. Since slight departures from an equilibrium pole tide affect the Q much more strongly than the period we believe these limits to be robust.     

Measurements and interpretation of normal mode attenuation

summary . Measurements of Q for modes of free oscillation provide the most accurate information about the anelastic properties of the whole Earth in the period range from 100 to 3000 s. We have obtained more than 230 Q measurements, by using two different techniques. Individual LaCoste—Romberg gravimeter recordings of three large earthquakes were used to observe the time rate of decay of spectral peaks corresponding to different modes. This method provided measurements of Q for 37 different modes. By stacking 211 WWSSN recordings of two deep earthquakes, we were able to measure Q for 197 modes, including many overtones which cannot be analysed using the spectra of individual recordings.     

Effects of a mushy transition zone at the inner core boundary on the Slichter modes

This article investigates the effects of a mushy inner core boundary on the eigenperiods of the Slichter modes for a simple, but realistic, earth model (rotating, spherical configuration, elastic inner core and mantle, neutrally stratified, inviscid, compressible liquid core). It is found that the influence of the mushy boundary layer is substantial compared with some other effects, such as those from elasticity of the mantle, non-neutral stratification of the liquid outer core and ellipticity of the Earth and centrifugal potential. The results obtained here may set a lower bound on the eigenperiods of the Slichter modes for a realistic earth model. For example, for a PREM model, the lower bound of the central period of the Slichter modes should be about 5.3 hr.     

Could the energy near the FCN and the FICN be explained by luni-solar or atmospheric forcing?

The observed time-series of precession/nutation show residuals with respect to an empirical model based on the rigid Earth theoretical nutations and a frequency dependent transfer function with resonances to the Earth's normal modes. These residuals display energy mainly in the frequency domain around 430 and 500 days in the inertial frame. In this frequency band, the energy is possibly related to two normalmode frequencies: the free core nutation (FCN) and the free inner core nutation (FICN). In this paper, we examine the possibility of obtaining this energy from the resonance effect induced by a luni-solar (or planetary) forcing, or by an atmospheric forcing at a frequency very close to these Earth free nutations. The amplification factor due to the resonance is computed from an analytical formula expressed in the case of a simplified three-layer ellipsoidal rotating earth (with an elastic inner core, a liquid outer core and an elastic mantle), as well as the empirical formula based on the analysis of VLBI observations. For the tidal forcing, the theoretical results do not show any resonance at the level of precision we have examined but it is still possible to find one frequency near the FCN or FICN frequencies which could be excited. In contrast, for the atmospheric pressure the level of energy needed could be obtained from the diurnal pressure, depending on the noise level of the Earth's global pressure. We also show that the combination of three waves can explain the observed decrease of energy with time. While the tidal potential amplitudes are too small, a pressure noise level of 0.5 Pa would be sufficient to excite these waves.     

Numerical models of mantle convection with secular cooling

A 2-D time-dependent finite-difference numerical model is used to investigate the thermal character and evolution of a convecting layer which is cooling as it convects. Two basic cooling modes are considered: in the first, both upper and lower boundaries are cooled at the same rate, while maintaining the same temperature difference across the layer; in the second, the lower boundary temperature decreases with time while the upper boundary temperature is fixed at 0°C. The first cooling mode simulates the effects of internal heating while the second simulates planetary cooling as mantle convection extracts heat from, and thereby cools, the Earth's core. The mathematical analogue between the effects of cooling and internal heating is verified for finite-amplitude convection. It is found that after an initial transient period the central core of a steady but vigorous convection cell cools at a constant rate which is governed by the rate of cooling of the boundaries and the viscosity structure of the layer. For upper-mantle models the transient stage lasts for about 30 per cent of the age of the Earth, while for the whole mantle it lasts for longer than the age of the Earth. Consequently, in our models the bulk cooling of the mantle lags behind the cooling of the core-mantle boundary. Models with temperature-dependent viscosity are found to cool in the same manner as models with depth-dependent viscosity; the rate of cooling is controlled primarily by the horizontally averaged variation of viscosity with depth. If the Earth's mantle cools in a similar fashion, secular cooling of the planet may be insensitive to lateral variations of viscosity.     

Upper mantle anisotropy: evidence from free oscillations

Summary Isotropic earth models are unable to provide uniform fits to the gross Earth normal mode data set or, in many cases, to regional Love-and Rayleigh-wave data. Anisotropic inversion provides a good fit to the data and indicates that the upper 200km of the mantle is anisotropic. The nature and magnitude of the required anisotropy, moreover, is similar to that found in body wave studies and in studies of ultramafic samples from the upper mantle. Pronounced upper mantle low-velocity zones are characteristic of models resulting from isotropic inversion of global or regional data sets. Anisotropic models have more nearly constant velocities in the upper mantle.
Normal mode partial (Frediét) derivatives are calculated for a transversely isotropic earth model with a radial axis of symmetry. For this type of anisotropy there are five elastic constant. The two shear-type moduli can be determined from the toroidal modes. Spheroidal and Rayleigh modes are sensitive to all five elastic constants but are mainly controlled by the two compressional-type moduli, one of the shear-type moduli and the remaining, mixed-mode, modulus. The lack of sensitivity of Rayleigh waves to compressional wave velocities is a characteristic only of the isotropic case. The partial derivatives of the horizontal and vertical components of the compressional velocity are nearly equal and opposite in the region of the mantle where the shear velocity sensitivity is the greatest. The net compressional wave partial derivative, at depth, is therefore very small for isotropic perturbations. Compressional wave anisotropy, however, has a significant effect on Rayleigh-wave dispersion. Once it has been established that transverse anisotropy is important it is necessary to invert for all five elastic constants. If the azimuthal effect has not been averaged out a more general anisotropy may have to be allowed for.     

A new derivation of the ratio Q(wobble)/Qμ (mantle)

Summary An extension of the Love-Larmor theory to a low-loss unelastic earth model, leads to the surprisingly simple approximation
   
where τ_s= 447.4 sidereal day is the static wobble period, τ_R= 306 sidereal day is the rigid-earth wobble period and τ_w= 433 sidereal day is the observed Chandler period. Q _W, Q _μ are the respective average Q values of the wobble and the Earth's mantle at τ_W. The known numerical factor F is only slightly dependent on the Earth structure.     

Retrieving shear velocity structure from high-frequency toroidal modes of the Earth

Summary. For a smooth earth model, observations of a set of high-frequency toroidal modes at fixed slowness yield only a single piece of information, the tau value for that slowness. In this note, a procedure for obtaining the shear velocity structure from free oscillation data for an earth model with velocity discontinuities is developed, based on the method of tau inversion. The information content of the high-frequency modes is greater in this case, and the nature and depths of the discontinuities may be deduced. It is shown, for the real Earth, that the tau values obtained from free oscillation data are affected significantly by the presence of the Moho, but a simple iterative scheme may be used to remove this contamination. Brune's method of deducing mode frequencies from body wave pulses is shown to produce significant errors for a model with a pronounced Moho discontinuity, and the same iterative scheme may also be employed to correct for this effect.     

Implications of a non-adiabatic density gradient for the Earth's viscoelastic response to surface loading

The response of a viscoelastic Earth to the melting of the Late Pleistocene ice sheets has been the subject of a number of investigations employing PREM. In PREM, a non-adiabatic density gradient (NADG) exists in the upper mantle, and to understand the implications of this model it is thus important to examine the effects of this NADG on the Earth's response to surface loads. This paper is based on the assumption that the contribution to the depth dependence of the density that is not due to self-compression is due to compositional change. This contribution is referred to as 'non-adiabatic'. We evaluate the effects of a non-adiabatic density jump (NADJ) for the 670  km discontinuity and the NADG in the upper mantle by adopting a compressible earth model with both a compositional density gradient and a density jump. Numerical calculations based on these models indicate that the magnitude of the Earth's response associated with the NADG is much smaller than that associated with the NADJ at 670  km depth. It is also confirmed that the higher modes associated with the NADJ and the NADG are much more sensitive to the existence of an elastic lithosphere than the fundamental modes associated with the density jumps at the surface and core–mantle boundary.     

Some remarks about the degree-one deformation of the Earth

The degree-one deformation of the Earth (and the induced discrepancy between the figure centre and the mass centre of the Earth) is computed using a theoretical approach (Love numbers formalism) at short timescales (where the Earth has an elastic behaviour) as well as at long timescales (where the Earth has a viscoelastic or quasi-fluid behaviour). For a Maxwell model of rheology, the degree-one relaxation modes associated with the viscoelastic Love numbers have been investigated: the M_o mode does not exist and there is only one transition mode (instead of two) generated by a viscosity discontinuity.
The translations at each interface of the incompressible layers of the earth model [surface, 670 km depth discontinuity, core-mantle boundary (CMB) and inner-core boundary (ICB)] are computed. They are elastic with an order of magnitude of about 1 mm when the excitation source is the atmospheric continental loading or a magnetic pressure acting at the CMB. They are viscoelastic when the earth is submitted to Pleistocene deglaciation, with an order of magnitude of about 1 m. In a quasi-fluid approximation (Newtonian fluid) because of the mantle density heterogeneity their order of magnitude is about 100 m (except for the ICB, which is in quasi-hydrostatic equilibrium at this timescale).     

A thermal history model for the Earth with parameterized convection

Summary. A thermal history model for the Earth is described in which the energetically important effects of convection are parameterized through the Nusselt number. The validity of the resulting quasi-steady-state thermal model is shown to depend upon the separation of two time-scales—a dynamic time-scale associated with the overturn time for an assumed mantle-wide convective circulation, and a thermal time-scale associated with the cooling of the planet. Provided the initial thermal state of the Earth was 'hot', the assumption of a time-scale separation can be shown under certain conditions, to be valid throughout the Earth's history. In this connection, the temperature-dependent mantle rheology plays a key role in regulating the thermal history. It is shown that the present-day, gross thermal structure of the Earth can be understood within the context of a quasi-steady-state model which is driven mainly by primordial heat. The notion of whole-mantle convection is shown to be consistent with several additional observational constraints, including the observed mean lithospheric thickness and the mean plate velocities. We briefly consider the extension of the parameterized thermal model to Venus.     

Waveform inversion of mantle Love waves:the Born seismogram approach

Summary. Normal mode theory, extended to the slightly laterally heterogeneous earth by the first-order Born approximation, is applied to the waveform inversion of mantle Love wave (200–500 s) for the Earth's lateral heterogeneity at l = 2 and a spherically symmétric anelasticity ( Q _μ) structure. The data are from the Global Digital Seismograph Network (GDSN). The l =2 pattern is very similar to the results of other studies that used either different méthods, such as phase velocity measurements and multiplet location measurements, or a different data set, such as mantle Rayleigh waves from different instruments. The results are carefully analysed for variance reduction and are most naturally explained by heterogeneity in the upper 420 km. Because of the poor resolution of the data set for the deep interior, however, a fairly large heterogeneity in the transition zones, of the order of up to 3.5 per cent in shear wave velocity, is allowed. It is noteworthy that Love waves of this period range cannot constrain the structure below 420 km and thus any model presented by similar studies below this depth are likely to be constrained by Rayleigh waves (spheroidal modes) only.
The calculated modal Q values for the obtained Q _μ model fall within the error bars of the observations. The result demonstrates the discrepancy of Rayleigh wave Q and Love wave Q and indicates that care must be taken when both Rayleigh and Love wave data, including amplitude information, are inverted simultaneously.
Anomalous amplitude inversions of G2 and G3, for example, are observed for some source-receiver pairs. This is due to multipathing effects. One example near the epicentral region, which is modelled by the obtained l = 2 heterogeneity, is shown.     

The Resolving Power of Gross Earth Data

A gross Earth datum is a single measurable number describing some property of the whole Earth, such as mass, moment of interia, or the frequency of oscillation of some identified elastic-gravitational normal mode. We show how to determine whether a given finite set of gross Earth data can be used to specify an Earth structure uniquely except for fine-scale detail; and how to determine the shortest length scale which the given data can resolve at any particular depth. We apply the general theory to the linear problem of finding the depth-variation of a frequency-independent local Q from the observed quality factors Q of a finite number of normal modes. We also apply the theory to the non-linear problem of finding density vs depth from the total mass, moment, and normal-mode frequencies, in case the compressional and shear velocities are known.     

EARTH MODELS WITH CHEMICALLY HOMOGENEOUS CORES

Summary. The range of possible density distributions in the mantle of the Earth has been examined assuming a chemically homogeneous core. A discussion of various Earth models with homogeneous cores shows that the range is relatively small in the upper part of the mantle. For a density near the surface between 2.8 and 4.0 g/cm³, the density at 1000 km is between 4.1 and 4.8 g/cm³, and at 2000 km is between 5.2 and 6.5 g/cm^3.
Graphs showing the distributions of density, gravity, pressure, and elastic parameters in two fairly extreme models are given. The first model has a density jump at the core boundary of 4.2 g/cm³ and only slight heterogeneity in D. The second has a continuous density distribution throughout the Earth and large heterogeneity in D.     

On the density distribution within the Earth

The distribution of density as a function of position within the Earth is much less well constrained than the seismic velocities. The primary information comes from the mass and moment of inertia of the Earth and this information alone requires that there be a concentration of mass towards the centre of the globe. Additional information is to be found in the frequencies of the graver normal modes of the Earth which are sensitive to density through self-gravitation effects induced in deformation.
  The present generation of density models has been constructed using linearized inversion techniques from earlier models, which ultimately relate back to models developed by Bullen and based in large part on physical arguments. A number of experiments in non-linear inversion have been conducted using the PREM reference model, with fixed velocity and attenuation, but with the density model constrained to lie within fixed bounds on both density and density gradient. A set of models is constructed from a uniform probability density within the bound and slope constraints. Each of the resultant density models is tested against the mass and moment of inertia of the Earth, and for successful models a comparison is made with observed normal mode frequencies. From the misfit properties of the ensemble of models the robustness of the density profile in different portions of the Earth can be assessed, which can help with the design of parametrization for future reference models. In both the lower mantle and the outer core it would be desirable to allow a more flexible representation than the single cubic polynomial employed in PREM.     

Material versus isobaric internal boundaries in the Earth and their influence on postglacial rebound

Most previous earth models used to calculate viscoelastic relaxation after the removal of the Late Pleistocene ice loads implicitly assume that there is no exchange of mass across the mantle density discontinuities on periods of tens of thousands of years (the material boundary formulation). In the present study, simple incompressible models are used to determine the Earth's behaviour in the case where the density discontinuity remains at a constant pressure rather than deforming with the material (the isobaric boundary formulation). The calculation of the movement of the boundary is more rigorous than in earlier studies and uses the local incremental pressure calculated at the depth of the boundary and allows for the vertical deformation caused by the change in volume as material changes phase. It is shown that the buoyancy modes associated with the density discontinuities decrease in strength and increase in relaxation time analogous to what results when the density contrast is reduced. Also, two viscoelastic modes arise from an isobaric boundary, which is also predicted when there is a contrast in rigidity or viscosity across a material boundary. The difference in predicted radial deformation between the isobaric boundary model and the material boundary model is largest for long-wavelength loads for which the material incremental pressure at depth is largest. If the isobaric boundary model is appropriate for the treatment of the mineral phase changes in the mantle on glacial rebound timescales, then previous inferences of the deep-mantle to shallow-mantle viscosity ratio based on large-scale deformation (spherical harmonic degree < 10) of the Earth and including data from the early part of the glacio-isostatic uplift are too small.     

Post-glacial rebound and transient lower mantle rheology

Summary. Although post-glacial rebound data have been conventionally interpreted as being governed by the steady state component of the mantle viscosity spectrum, the radial profile of this parameter, which is then inferred by fitting a model to observations, is characterized by the fact that it exhibits rather slight variation with depth. This disagrees with expectations based upon microphysical models of the solid state creep process. It also disagrees with very recent inferences of the viscosity stratification based on isostatic geoid anomalies expected on the basis of the internal lateral heterogeneity of mantle density obtained from seismic tomographic analyses. The new calculations of the signatures of post-glacial rebound reported here show that these two types of information are easily reconciled if the previously inferred value of the lower mantle viscosity is interpreted as a transient value, as originally suggested by Weertman on the basis of qualitative considerations. In these new models considered here the steady state creep resistance of the lower mantle is not constrained at all by post-glacial rebound observations. It can be fixed only by an appeal to other geophysical data. Whether such models are actually required by the data should become clear in the very near future.     

Effects of dissipation and a liquid core on forced nutations in Hamiltonian theory

In a previous paper, the authors considered the free rotation of an earth model composed of a rigid mantle and a liquid core in the presence of dissipation and under the Hamiltonian formalism, obtaining analytical expressions for the free nutation modes.
In this paper we treat the forced motion. Approximate analytical solutions are worked out by means of Hori's perturbation method, the free solutions obtained in the former paper playing the role of the unperturbed solutions required in the application of the method. These solutions are consistent in the sense that, with the usual terminology, the rigid body solutions and the complex transfer functions are calculated with the same parameters.
Besides in-phase terms, the dissipation at the core–mantle boundary studied in this paper gives rise to out-of-phase terms. From a qualitative perspective, we discuss the issue of the resonance in this context. The presence of dissipation changes dramatically the character of the FCN wobble; that is, it is no longer a regular oscillation but a damped one. A strict resonance phenomenon cannot take place thereby, since the forcing perturbations are oscillations with a real (non-complex) frequency.