Evidence of multiplicity in the P-travel time curve beyond 30 degrees

Slowness measurements on first and later arrivals from earthquakes in the Philippine and Taiwan regions recorded at the Warramunga array in Australia indicate abrupt decreases in slowness of the first arrival as well as triplications in the travel time curve at epicentral distances of about 38 and 43°. These results imply the presence of regions of rapid or discontinuous velocity increase at depths of about 900 and 1050 km, respectively. Between these regions of sharp velocity increases the dT/dΔ measurements indicate that the velocity gradients are lower than those determined by previous investigators. The observed extensions of the 650- and 770-km branches out to 50° can be explained in terms of the triplications if small negative velocity gradients of the order of 0.1 km/s per 100 km exist between 650–770 and 770–900 km depths. An alternative explanation of these observed extensions may be provided in terms of underside reflections from the bottom of the velocity discontinuities. Either of the two explanations require sharp velocity gradients at the depth of the velocity discontinuities. These observations are at variance with earth models where the P-wave velocity increases continuously with depth below a depth of 650 km.     

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°.     

Compressional velocity in source regions of deep earthquakes: An application of the master earthquake technique

The technique of earthquake location relative to a master event is used to estimate near-source velocity and take-off angles for rays travelling to selected stations. Computations of a reconnaissance nature were carried out with arrival times of P and pP from deep earthquakes beneath the northwest corner of the Fiji plateau, the Peru-Brazil border region and the basin separating Fiji from the Tonga arc. These data yield estimates of compressional velocity of 11.2 ± 0.4, 11.4 ± 0.7 and 10.7 ± 0.3 km/sec respectively. Each of these velocities and the other parameters of each model space are essentially independent of their starting values. The corresponding depth ranges are 600–660, 580–650 and 540–600 km. These in-situ velocities are 5–10% higher than those of the Helmberger and Wiggins model. To account for such high velocities by a thermal effect alone would require an improbably high thermal contrast of 1000°C between “normal” mantle and the cooler earthquake zones. Spinels of proposed mantle composition would have compressional velocities of about 10.4 km/sec at temperatures that are taken as normal for these depths. If the high values of near-source velocity are explained by the addition of a post-spinel assemblage, then by implication this transformation occurs at shallower depths in those seismic zones than in the “normal” 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.     

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 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.     

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.     

Crustal structure of Northwest Zagros (Kermanshah) and Central Iran (Yazd and Isfahan) using teleseismic Ps converted phases

Receiver functions are widely employed to detect P-to-S converted waves and are especially useful to image seismic discontinuities in the crust. In this study we used the P receiver function technique to investigate the velocity structure of the crust beneath the Northwest Zagros and Central Iran and map out the lateral variation of the Moho boundary within this area. Our dataset includes teleseismic data (M _b ≥ 5.5, epicentral distance from 30° to 95°) recorded at 12 three-component short-period stations of Kermanshah, Isfahan and Yazd telemetry seismic networks. Our results obtained from P receiver functions indicate clear Ps conversions at the Moho boundary. The Moho depths were firstly estimated from the delay time of the Moho converted phase relative to the direct P wave beneath each network. Then, we used the P receiver function inversion to find the properties of the Moho discontinuity such as depth and velocity contrast. Our results obtained from PRF are in good agreement with those obtained from the P receiver function modeling. We found an average Moho depth of about 42 km beneath the Northwest Zagros increasing toward the Sanandaj-Sirjan Metamorphic Zone and reaches 51 km, where two crusts (Zagros and Central Iran) are assumed to be superposed. The Moho depth decreases toward the Urmieh-Dokhtar Cenozoic volcanic belt and reaches 43 km beneath this area. We found a relatively flat Moho beneath the Central Iran where, the average crustal thickness is about 42 km. Our P receiver function modeling revealed a shear wave velocity of 3.6 km/s in the crust of Northwest Zagros and Central Iran increasing to 4.5 km/s beneath the Moho boundary. The average shear wave velocity in the crust of UDMA as SSZ is 3.6 km/s, which reaches to 4.0 km/s while in SSZ increases to 4.3 km/s beneath the Moho.     

中国西部及邻区岩石圈S波速度结构面波层析成像

本文利用瑞利波群速度频散资料和层析成像方法,研究了中国西部及邻近区域(20°N—55°N,65°E—110°E)的岩石圈S波速度结构.结果表明这一地区存在三个以低速地壳/上地幔为特征的构造活动区域:西蒙古高原—贝加尔地区,青藏高原,印支地区.西蒙古高原岩石圈厚度约为80 km,上地幔低速层向下延伸至300 km深度,说明存在源自地幔深部的热流活动.缅甸弧后的上地幔低速层下至200 km深度,显然与印度板块向东俯冲引起俯冲板片上方的热/化学活动有关.青藏高原地壳厚达70 km,边缘地区厚度也在50 km以上并且具有很大的水平变化梯度,与高原平顶陡边的地形特征一致.中下地壳的平均S波速度明显低于正常大陆地壳,在中地壳20~40 km深度范围广泛存在速度逆转的低速层,这一低速层的展布范围与高原的范围相符.这些特征说明青藏高原中下地壳的变形是在印度板块的北向挤压下发生塑性增厚和侧向流动.地幔的速度结构呈现与地壳显著不同的特点.在高原主体和川滇西部地区上地幔顶部存在较大范围的低速,低速区范围随深度迅速减小;100 km以下滇西低速消失,150 km以下基本完全消失.青藏高原上地幔速度结构沿东西方向表现出显著的分段变化.在大约84°E以西的喀喇昆仑—帕米尔—兴都库什地区,印度板块的北向和亚洲板块的南向俯冲造成上地幔显著高速;84°E—94°E之间上地幔顶部速度较低,在大约150~220 km深度范围存在高速板片,有可能是俯冲的印度岩石圈,其前缘到达昆仑—巴颜喀拉之下;在喜马拉雅东构造结以北区域,存在显著的上地幔高速区,可能阻碍上地幔物质的东向运动.川滇西部岩石圈底界深度与扬子克拉通相似,约为180 km,但上地幔顶部速度较低.这些现象表明青藏高原岩石圈地幔的变形/运动方式可能与地壳有本质的区别.     

Lithospheric structure of NW Iran from P and S receiver functions

We computed P and S receiver functions to investigate the lithospheric structure beneath the northwest Iran and compute the Vp/Vs ratio within the crust of this seismologically active area. Our results enabled us to map the lateral variations of the Moho as well as those of the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary (LAB) beneath this region. We selected data from teleseismic events (M_b?>?5.5, epicentral distance between 30° and 95° for P receiver functions and M_b?>?5.7, epicentral distance between 60° and 85° for S receiver functions) recorded from 1995 to 2008 at 8 three-component short-period stations of Tabriz Telemetry Seismic Network. Our results obtained from P receiver functions indicate clear conversions at the Moho boundary. The Moho depth was firstly estimated from the delay time of the Moho converted phase relative to the direct P wave. Then we used the H-Vp/Vs stacking algorithm of Zhu and Kanamori to estimate the crustal thickness and Vp/Vs ratio underneath the stations with clear Moho multiples. We found an average Moho depth of 48 km, which varies between 38.5 and 53 km. The Moho boundary showed a significant deepening towards east and north. This may reveal a crustal thickening towards northeast possibly due to the collision between the Central Iran and South Caspian plates. The obtained average Vp/Vs ratio was estimated to be 1.76, which varies between 1.73 and 1.82. The crustal structure was also determined by modeling of P receiver functions. We obtained a three-layered model for the crust beneath this area. The thickness of the layers is estimated to be 6–11, 18–35, and 38–53 km, respectively. The average of the shear wave velocity was calculated to be 3.4 km/s in the crust and reaches 4.3 km/s below the Moho discontinuity. The crustal thickness values obtained from P receiver functions are in good agreement with those derived by S receiver functions. In addition, clear conversions with negative polarity were observed at ~8.7 s in S receiver functions, which could be related to the conversion at the LAB. This may show a relatively thin continental lithosphere of about 85 km implying that the lithosphere was influenced by various geodynamical reworking processes in the past.     

南北地震带北段的远震P波层析成像研究

本文利用"中国地震科学台阵"探测项目在南北地震带北段布设的678个流动地震台站在2013年10月至2015年4月期间记录到的远震波形数据,经过波形互相关拾取到473个远震事件共130309条P波走时残差数据,通过远震层析成像研究获得了该区(30°N-44°N,96°E-110°E)下方0.5°×0.5°的P波速度扰动图像.结果显示,研究区下方P波速度结构显示强烈的不均一性和显著的分区、分块特征.岩石圈速度结构具有显著的东西差异:祁连、西秦岭和松潘甘孜地块组成的青藏东北缘地区显示明显的低速异常,而属于克拉通性质的鄂尔多斯地块和四川盆地则显示高速异常,表明东部克拉通块体对青藏高原物质的东向挤出起到了强烈的阻挡作用.阿拉善地块显示出弱高速和局部弱低速的异常并存的特征.阿拉善地块西部显示低速异常,而东部与鄂尔多斯相邻的地区显示高速异常,可能表明该地区的岩石圈的变形主要受到青藏高原东北缘的挤压作用.在鄂尔多斯和四川盆地之间的秦岭下方100~250 km深度上表现为明显的低速异常,表明该处可能存在软流圈物质的运移通道.鄂尔多斯北部的河套裂陷盆地下方在100~500 km深度内低速异常表现明显,说明该区有深部热物质上涌且至少来源于地幔过渡带.青藏东北缘上地幔显示低速异常且地幔过渡带中出现明显的高速异常,这种结构模式暗示了在青藏高原东北缘可能发生了岩石圈拆沉作用,而高速异常体可能是拆沉的岩石圈地幔.     

基于P波三重震相的下扬子克拉通地幔转换带顶部低速层初探

本文基于中国地震观测台网记录到的震中距为10°~23°之间琉球俯冲区一个中深源地震的P波三重震相信息,研究了下扬子克拉通转换带顶部P波速度结构.通过射线追踪和理论地震图与观测地震波形的对比,发现下扬子克拉通下方的410 km间断面为一厚度20 km的梯度带,其上存在一由西南向东北变厚的低速层,厚度变化40~57 km,P波速度减低2.7%~4.5%.该低速层可以被认为是由于地幔橄榄岩部分熔融引起的.     

3-D velocity structure of P wave in the upper mantle beneath southwestern China and its adjacent areas

IntroductionSouthwestern China and its adjacent areas studied in the paper is the range of 10(N-36(N, 70(E-110(E, which includes southwestern areas of China (Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi Provinces, southwestern Shaanxi Province and so on), India, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia countries and oceanic areas of Bay of Bengal and Beibu Gulf. The collision and extrusion of India plate and Eurasia plate makes the geological tectonic complex in this area (Figure 1…     

On the focal layer,seismicity and volcanicity of the Kurile-Kamchatka zone

The general relationships of the structure of the Kurile-Kamchatka zone are examined. The chain of volcanoes forms a true arc with the radius of 1884 km. The focal layer of earthquakes along the whole arc extends to depth with an angle of 48° ± 5°, and is a part of the surface of a circular cone. The energy of earthquakes at intervals of depth 0–100 km, 101–300 km, and 301–650 km is on the average distributed equally along the whole arc and in time. The activity of volcanoes of the whole zone in time is also rather evenly distributed. The energy lost from the earth’s interior during the volcanic eruptions is not less than the energy emitted as elastic waves during tectonic earthquakes.     

The D″ region

Two very different types of models are currently being proposed for D″, the lowest region of the earth's mantle: (a) those in which the P and S velocities vary smoothly down to the core-mantle boundary, without any extreme change in gradient; (b) those in which the velocity gradients decrease fairly abruptly at a height of 100 km or so above the core-mantle boundary, and maintain a value close to the critical gradient down to the boundary.Type (a) is represented by model UTD124A′ of Dziewonski and Gilbert (1972) and model B1 of Jordan and Anderson (1974). Both models are in good agreement with most travel time and free oscillation data. Their validity rests on the supposition, supported in part by theoretical studies, that data which suggest the presence of a low velocity zone in D″ result from distortion of seismic waves by the core-mantle boundary.On the other hand, slowness and amplitude data from short period P waves indicate a fairly rapid decrease in velocity gradient at a depth corresponding to an epicentral distance of about 92°, and it is very unlikely that these data can be interpreted as interface phenomena. The measured P and S times at distances beyond about 96° also indicate reduced velocities in D″. The suggestion that the measured velocities are in error as a result of interface effects is weakened by the fact that the results are apparently not wavelength-dependent.Type (b) is represented by model B2 of Jordan (1972), Bolt's (1972) model, and a new model designated as ANU2. All models have high density gradients indicative of inhomogeneity in the region. Model B2 fits the oscillation data reasonably well, but has an unjustifiably low S velocity at the core-mantle boundary. In Bolt's model the P and S velocities at the top of D″ are based on the models of Herrin et al. (1968) and Jeffreys (1939), whereas in ANU2 the values are taken from Hales and Herrin (1972) and Hales and Roberts (1970b). The velocities at the core-mantle boundary in Bolt's model and ANU2 are based on observations of “diffracted” P and S. Both of these models were designed to produce flattening of the P curve at about 92°. Both may require some modification in order to be compatible with free oscillation data.     

廊坊地区中间层顶钠原子垂直动力学输送特征观测分析

利用中科院国家空间科学中心廊坊观测站（40.0° N,116.3° E）钠荧光多普勒激光雷达观测数据对钠原子的重力波输送和湍流输送进行分析,利用流星雷达观测数据对钠原子的环流输送进行分析,结果显示重力波动力学输送、重力波化学输送、湍流混合输送及环流输送对钠原子输送贡献的量级相当.其中重力波动力学输送在85~100 km整体为负向,在90~95 km占主要地位的平均输送速度为-3.1 cm·s^-1;重力波化学输送在85~94 km为正向,94~100 km基本为负向,在85~90 km占主要地位的平均输送速度为3.3 cm·s^-1;湍流混合输送在85~95 km为负向,95~100 km为正向,在85~90 km占主要地位的平均输送速度为-4.9 cm·s^-1;85~100 km环流输送整体为正向,平均输送速度为1 cm·s^-1.88~95 km四种动力学输送产生的平均合速度为-1 cm·s^-1,负向的垂直输送特征对钠原子"源""汇"平衡十分重要.本文结果可为不同大气圈层之间重力波产生的能量物质交换机制研究和圈层之间的耦合过程研究提供观测事实参考,为大气化学成分的垂直输送机制建模提供参数化依据.     

Experimental studies on elastic and rheological properties of amphibolites at high pressure and high temperature

The experimental studies done at high temperature and high pressure find that increased temperature can lead to dramatic velocity and strength reductions of most of rocks at high confining pressure[1,2]. What causes this phenomenon? Is it due to dehydrati…     

马尼拉俯冲带的地震层析成像研究

基于国际地震中心的P波走时数据和层析成像反演方法,获得了具有较高分辨率的马尼拉俯冲带的深部速度模型.结果表明,（1）高速的南海俯冲板片沿马尼拉俯冲带的俯冲形态随纬度发生变化,在14°N和16°N之间,板片俯冲角度较大,俯冲深度可达400~500 km,在17°N附近,俯冲板片角度和深度较南部变小,而在18°N附近,俯冲板片以近垂直角度俯冲到地幔转换带;（2）17°N和18°N之间俯冲角度的变化意味着南海板片发生了撕裂;（3）在14°N附近,南海板片由300 km以上的近垂直俯冲转为200~300 km深度的近水平展布,与震源分布存在较大的差异,表明南海板片发生了撕裂,并且导致410 km间断面抬升.根据成像结果计算的不同位置南海板片的俯冲长度和时间表明,南海板片俯冲之前的面积为现今面积的两倍,14°N最先开始发生俯冲,并由南向北扩展.     

Three-dimensional velocity images in Yunnan and its neighboring district

Using the techniques of seismic tomography three-dimensional velocity images at crust and upper mantle in Yunnan province and its adjacent region have been successfully reconstructed. The results of image are: (1) The image of the velocity in the upper crust is closely related to the well-known geological structure of the surface, the Kangdian earth axis is a distinct high velocity area, and a high velocity rock stratum, which appoaching the surface of the earth, has been formed. (2) There is a low-velocity layer between 26°–31°N and 100°–104°E in deep crust, the depth of Moho discontinuity in Sichuan bass in is less than 50 km. (3) The results of seismological tomography not only reveal the lateral heterogeneity in the researched region, but also find approximately the strike of Honghe fault from the image at bottom of crust, and the velocity in both side of the fault are different obviously. (4) There is a low-velocity column within 25 km to 110 km in Tengchong region, which may be occured by upward moving of the basalt in the mantle. (5) In studied area, the thickness of the crust in west part is thicker than in southeast part. (6) From the image at bottom of the crust we can find that earthquakes with magnitude greater than 5 occurred in big velocity gradient zones, especially in transition zone between high and low velocity. There are a few earthquake in the low-velocity area. (7) We can see from Figure 6 that there still clearly exists lateral heterogeneity at 450 depth. The Chinese version of this paper appeared in the Chinese edition ofActa Seismologica Sinica,15, 61–67, 1993.     

High-resolution seismic tomography of the upper crust in the source region of the April 20, 2013 Lushan earthquake and its seismotectonic implications

Both P- and S-wave arrivals were collected for imaging upper crustal structures in the source region of the April 20, 2013 Lushan earthquake. High-resolution, three-dimensional P and S velocity models were constructed by travel-time tomography. Moreover, more than 3700 aftershocks of the Lushan earthquake were relocated via a grid search method. The P- and S-wave velocity images of the upper crust show largely similar characters, with high and low velocity anomalies, which mark the presence of significant lateral and vertical heterogeneity at the source region of the Lushan earthquake. The characteristics of the velocity anomalies also reflect the associated surface geological tectonics in this region. The distributions of high velocity anomalies of both P- and S-waves to 18 km depth are consistent with the distributions of relocated aftershocks, suggesting that most of the ruptures were localized inside the high velocity region. In contrast, low P and S velocities were found in the surrounding regions without aftershocks, especially in the region to the northeast of the Lushan earthquake. For the relocated aftershocks of the Lushan earthquake from this study, we found that most aftershocks were concentrated in a zone of about 40 km long and 20 km wide, and were located in the hanging wall of Dayi–Mingshan fault. The focal depths of aftershocks increase from the southeast to the northwest region in the direction perpendicular to the fault strike, suggesting that the fault ruptured at an approximate dip angle of 45°. The main depths of the aftershocks in the northwest of the main shock are significantly shallower than expected, revealing the different seismogenic conditions in the source region.