Elevation of the olivine-spinel transition in subducted lithosphere: Seismic evidence

The top of the olivine-spinel phase change in subducted oceanic lithosphere can be located by the travel times of seismic waves which have propagated through the slab. P-wave travel-time residuals from deep earthquakes in the Tonga island are observed at Australian seismic stations are grouped according to the depth of the earthquake. The change in mean residual with a change in earthquake depth is related to the velocity contrast between slab and normal mantle at that depth. The curve mean residual versus earthquake depth displays a region of markedly increased slope between earthquake depths of about 250 and 350 km. The most probable explanation of this observation is an elevation by 100 km of the olivine-spinel phase change within the relatively cooler slab. No evidence was found for vertical displacements within the slab of any deeper phase changes.A temperature contrast between slab and normal mantle of about 1,000°C at 250 km depth is implied. This finding confirms current thermal models for subducted lithosphere but is inconsistent with the global intraplate stress field unless only a few percent of the negative buoyancy force at subduction zones is transmitted to the surface plates.     

Travel-time residuals of PP waves reflected under oceanic and continental platform regions

PP waves have been used to transform PP residuals with respect to Jeffreys-Bullen time into P-wave travel-time delays close to the reflection point. It is found that P-wave travel-time delays decrease with the age of the plate for oceanic structures. Average oceanic lithosphere (100 My) has a residual similar to that of a typical continental platform (Siberia). The absence of a P-wave low velocity zone under platform regions is sufficient to explain the small difference in residuals between old oceanic regions and the Siberian platform. Thus, from these observations, there is no evidence that would favour a substantial structural difference between continents and oceans at depths greater than 250 km.     

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.     

The crust and upper mantle structure beneath southern Italy by earthquakes and DSS data

This paper describes a travel—time analysis performed for the Italian seismic stations, in particular those operating in southern Italy, in order to study the crust and upper mantle properties in the region. Average P-wave residuals of teleseisms in the distance range 30°–95° with respect to Jeffreys-Bullen tables, at thirteen permanent and temporary stations of southern Italy, are coherent with a high velocity zone beneath Calabria and northern Sicily and low velocity material in the mantle beneath the Eolian Islands. Travel—time residuals from Tyrrhenian intermediate earthquakes show a high velocity structure which extends in a NW direction from a depth of at least 200 km down to 450 km.A damped least-squares inversion applied to DSS data confirms the existence of low velocity zones in the crust beneath the Eolian Islands, at 8–12 km depth, that agrees with previous results and with the lack of S waves from local earthquakes.Publication No. 193, Progetto Finalizzato Geodinamica, CNR-Roma.     

Travel times ofP-waves for the Swedish-Finnish seismograph network

Summary About 360 seismic events from almost all directions recorded at 13 seismological observatories in Sweden and Finland have been investigated. The depths of these events vary from the surface to 650 km and the epicentral distances from 9° to 119° with fairly even coverage. The two most separated stations in this array are about 15° apart (Karlskrona in Sweden and Kevo in Finland). Comparison of observed travel-time curves and their slope with those ofJeffreys-Bullen andHerrin are made. Generally, the observed travel times are earlier than theJeffreys-Bullen times and later than theHerrin ones. Path and depth effects on residuals with respect to the two given tables are studied, and station corrections and source corrections are estimated. Global and regional travel-time tables of theP-wave have been constructed for this network of stations.On leave from Geophysical Institute, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran     

宽频带海底地震仪的地震重定位对马尼拉俯冲板片形态的约束

将宽频带OBS用于海底天然地震长期观测,在国内尚处于实验阶段.2015年在马尼拉俯冲带北段开展了为期6个月的宽频带海底天然地震观测试验.根据回收的1台海底地震仪(OBS04)与国际地震台网的718台陆地地震台站,共记录到7562个P波走时和5002个S波走时数据,利用Hyposat地震定位方法,对马尼拉俯冲带北部(119°E—123°E,19°N—22°N)在2015年8月至2016年2月期间的264个地震进行了重定位.地震重定位的结果及定位误差分析表明,在海域布设的OBS04台站让地震观测的空间分布更为合理,提高了地震定位精度;重定位后的震中分布更为集中,与地质构造吻合良好;浅部的地震活动较为活跃,分布密集,与浅部断层发育有关;重定位后的4条震源深度投影剖面,从不同角度较好地约束了俯冲板片上边界的板片形态,板片倾角在浅部0～30km区间约为10°～22°,随着深度的增加,俯冲板片逐渐变陡,在深度120～180km处倾角约为41°～58°.该项研究为马尼拉俯冲带北段的板片形态提供了重要约束,而且为今后长期天然地震观测提供了重要而宝贵的经验与借鉴.     

PKPdif波-内核低速层存在的地震学证据

通过对中国数字地震仪台网(CDSN)11个台1993—2012年间30个极远震记录的分析,识别出了PKP波入射到内外核界面(ICB)上的衍射波PKPdif波。PKPdif波在震中距120°左右时出现在PKIKP波之前,在震中距150°以后出现在PKIKP波之后,是一个长周期波。为了解释PKPdif波超前于PKIKP波的原因,设想在距地面约5 156.1～5 372.2 km的深度,即内外核界面下有可能存在一个PKIKP波的低速层(厚度约216.1 km)。该设想符合Jeffreys速度模型,给出的PKPdif波在震中距119.4°～176.1°间的走时表填补了目前使用的《IASPEI1991地震波走时表》的空白。讨论PKPdif波的运动学特征有助于对内外核界面物理性质的认识,有助于提高分析震相的水平和积累震相分析经验。     

Influence of source distance and depth on the branches ofPKP waves

Summary The average dependence of the calibration function q and the travel-time residuals t on the depth and distance of the source has been derived for individual branches of PKP waves using earthquakes from the SW Pacific Ocean (distance interval 147°–159°, depths 0–700 km). The analysis of very distant shocks of all depths according to the regional PKP travel time tables can be completed by the magnitude determination.     

Improving Regional Seismic Event Location in China

—?In an effort to improve our ability to locate seismic events in China using only regional data, we have developed empirical propagation path corrections and applied such corrections using traditional location routines. Thus far, we have concentrated on corrections to observed P arrival times for crustal events using travel-time observations available from the USGS Earthquake Data Reports, the International Seismic Centre Bulletin, the preliminary International Data Center Reviewed Event Bulletin, and our own travel-time picks from regional data. Location ground truth for events used in this study ranges from 25?km for well-located teleseimic events, down to 2?km for nuclear explosions located using satellite imagery. We also use eight events for which depth is constrained using several waveform methods. We relocate events using the EvLoc algorithm from a region encompassing much of China (latitude 20°–55°N; longitude 65°–115°E). We observe that travel-time residuals exhibit a distance-dependent bias using IASPEI91 as our base model. To remedy this bias, we have developed a new 1-D model for China, which removes a significant portion of the distance bias. For individual stations having sufficient P-wave residual data, we produce a map of the regional travel-time residuals from all well-located teleseismic events. Residuals are used only if they are smaller than 10?s in absolute value and if the seismic event is located with accuracy better than 25?km. From the residual data, correction surfaces are constructed using modified Bayesian kriging. Modified Bayesian kriging offers us the advantage of providing well-behaved interpolants and their errors, but requires that we have adequate error estimates associated with the travel-time residuals from which they are constructed. For our P-wave residual error estimate, we use the sum of measurement and modeling errors, where measurement error is based on signal-to-noise ratios when available, and on the published catalog estimate otherwise. Our modeling error originates from the variance of travel-time residuals for our 1-D China model. We calculate propagation path correction surfaces for 74 stations in and around China, including six stations from the International Monitoring System. The statistical significance of each correction surface is evaluated using a cross-validation technique. We show relocation results for nuclear tests from the Balapan and Lop Nor test sites, and for earthquakes located using interferometric synthetic aperture radar. These examples show that the use of propagation path correction surfaces in regional relocations eliminates distance bias in the residual curves and significantly improves the accuracy and precision of seismic event locations.     

The caustic and other properties of SKP

The caustic of SKP is found at an epicentral distance Δ_C = 129.5° for surface foci and at Δ_C = 128.9° for foci at 400 km depth, by means of amplitude-distance graphs based upon short-period time-domain measurements. These results are essentially confirmed by long-period time-domain measurements of SKP as well as by frequency-domain studies, even though the spectra are less accurate for such determinations. The average period of SKP is $\text{T}\text{= 1.45 ± 0.45}\text{sec}$ from short-period records, significantly different from the corresponding PKP-period of 1.00 ± 0.31 sec. Likewise, the long-period averages of SKP = 10.8 ± 4.5 sec and of PKP = 7.7 ± 3.0 sec are significantly different from each other. A travel-time table of SKP1 is deduced, covering the epicentral distance range of 130–143° and the focal depth range of 100–700 km. All results are based on measurements on seismograms of the Swedish network of stations, deriving almost exclusively from earthquakes in the southwest Pacific area.     

Apparent velocity measurements on an oceanic lithosphere

A direct measurement of apparent velocities for oceanic paths was made with an array of sensitive ocean bottom seismographs. The measurement was performed by recording waves from shallow earthquakes which occurred in the area close to trench axes and which were accurately located by the land seismological network in Japan. The range of epicentral distances is from 500 to 1,800 km.The observed P travel times are less than those in the Jeffreys-Bullen tables by 6–10 s for the range of distances.Since the dimension of the OBS array is about 400 km, the apparent velocities are determined quite precisely and show little dependence on the epicentral distances. The average value of the apparent velocities for the range 500–1,700 km is 8.64 ± 0.13 km/s.An offset of travel times, which is thought to be associated with a low-velocity layer underneath the oceanic lithosphere, has been observed.These results indicate that a high-velocity layer with a velocity of 8.6 km/s exists in the lower part of the oceanic lithosphere. Beneath the 8.6-km/s layer there is a thin low-velocity layer under which the velocity of the P wave is again 8.6 km/s.     

鄂尔多斯盆地北缘南北向剖面上地幔远震P波层析成像

为深入理解华北克拉通破坏机理,本研究通过鄂尔多斯盆地北缘南北向宽频带线性高密度流动地震台观测记录的远震波形数据,获得了1985条高质量到时资料,进而利用FMTT(Fast Marching Teleseismic Tomography)快速行进层析成像方法获得了华北克拉通西部鄂尔多斯盆地北缘深至300km范围的P波速度模型.结果显示,鄂尔多斯盆地下方呈现出深至150~200km的高波速异常,说明华北克拉通其西部岩石圈保存完好尚未遭到明显破坏.河套地堑下方存在向鄂尔多斯盆地下方延伸的明显低波速异常,其深度可达300km深度,而阴山造山带下方上地幔存在深至100km左右的弱高波速异常,说明鄂尔多斯盆地周边地区的岩石圈均遭到一定程度破坏并减薄,可能与新生代时期太平洋板块的俯冲引起深部热物质上涌等作用密切相关.这些研究结果说明,华北克拉通在构造演化过程中不同块体经历了不同的破坏演化历史,这对于认识克拉通破坏减薄机制具有重要意义.     

基于三重震相拟合的华南地区上地幔P波与S波速度结构

利用中国数字测震台网（CDSN）记录到的台湾地区两个地震事件6°~30°震中距范围的三重震相波形资料,基于观测与理论波形拟合法,获到华南地区上地幔P波和S波的最佳波形拟合速度模型及其V_P/V_S比值.与AK135模型相比,华南地区410 km深度上方存在明显低速层：S波低速区厚度约为70 km,速度降为2%~5%;而P波低速区厚度为70~230 km,速度降为5%~6%.另外,410 km间断面整体表现为一个梯度层,厚度约为10~40 km,V_P跃增量为4.0%~5.4%,而V_S跃增量为2.6%~11.7%.研究区内,低速层的V_P和V_S异常值大小和410 km间断面速度跃变量由北向南逐步减小.结合以往的接收函数和地震层析成像结果,华南地区410 km间断面上方的低速区可能与太平洋俯冲板块脱水有关.     

Eastward subduction of the Indian plate beneath the Indo-Myanmese arc revealed by teleseismic P-wave tomography

The deep structure of the eastward-subducting Indian plate can provide new information on the dynamics of the India-Eurasia collision. We collected and processed waveform data from temporary seismic arrays (networks) on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, seismic arrays in Northeast India and Myanmar, and permanent stations of the China Digital Seismic Network in Tibet, Gansu, Qinghai, Yunnan, and Sichuan. We combined these data with phase reports from observation stations of the International Seismological Center on the Indian plate and selected 124,808 high-quality P-wave relative travel-time residuals. Next, we used these data to invert the 3-D P-wave velocity structure of the upper mantle to a depth of 800 km beneath the eastern segment of the arcuate Himalayan orogen, at the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. The results reveal a high-angle, easterly dipping subducting plate extending more than 200 km beneath the Indo-Myanmese arc. The plate breaks off at roughly 96°E; its fragments have passed through the 410-km discontinuity (D410) into the mantle transition zone (MTZ). The MTZ beneath the Tengchong volcanic area contains a high-velocity anomaly, which does not exceed the Red River fault to the east. No other large-scale continuous subducted plates were observed in the MTZ. However, a horizontally spreading high-velocity anomaly was identified on the D410 in some regions. The anomaly may represent the negatively buoyant 90°E Ridge plate or a thickened and delaminated lithospheric block experiencing collision and compression at the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. The Tengchong volcano may originate from the mantle upwelling through the slab window formed by the break-off of the subducting Indian continental plate and oceanic plate in the upper mantle. Low-velocity upper mantle materials on the west side of the Indo-Myanmese arc may have supplemented materials to the Tengchong volcano.     

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.     

Earthquake relocation and 3-dimensional crustal structure of P-wave velocity in cen-tral-western China

IntroductionUnderstandingthemechanismofcontinentalearthquakesisveryimportantforseismichaz-ardpreventionandearthquakeprediction.Themodernseismotectonictheoryandtheideaofearthquakepredictionaredevelopedmainlyfromthestudiesoninterplateearthquakes,whicharedifficulttoexplainthephenomenaofintraplateearthquakes,suchasthecontinentalearthquakesoccurredinChinesemainland.Whiletheinterplateearthquakesoccurredalongtheplatebounda-ries,theintraplateearthquakesdistributediffuselyintheinterioroftheplates.Thus…     

Anisotropy and large-scale lateral inhomogeneity of the upper mantle

An investigation of travel-time residuals of P waves as compared to an average global travel-time curve with a base-line determined shows that about 400–500 km of the upper mantle at the boundary with the crust and a similar thickness of the lower mantle at the boundary with the core are laterally inhomogeneous. The upper mantle both under continents and under oceans consists of crust-mantle blocks distinguished by longitudinal wave velocity, surface tectonics and intensity of the heat flow. It has been revealed that within individual crust-mantle blocks there is an azimuthal relationship of P-wave travel-time indicative of possible anisotropy of upper mantle elastic properties down to depths of the order of several hundred kilometers.     

Regional travel-time and slowness measurements for P-waves in the distance range 40–57°

A method for analysing travel times measured at a large array or a network of seismographs from many earthquakes within a specific region has been developed. Approximate relative station corrections are calculated from the residuals on a least-squares line or least-squares quadratic form fitted through the times for each earthquake, and may be improved by iteration after a preliminary travel-time curve has been derived. Accurate relative baseline corrections for each earthquake are also calculated iteratively, and an optimum slowness-distance curve is determined from the combined corrected travel times from all earthquakes using a trade-off procedure. Calculations using synthetic travel-time data suggest that abrupt changes in slowness of ～ 0.4 s deg^?1 due to the presence of triplications are generally resolvable, provided that the effects of lateral variations are small, even with random epicentre mislocations in the range ± 0.5°. Slowness measurements at a network of temporary stations deployed across Australia do not show any discontinuities in slowness greater than 0.2 s deg^?1 in the distance range 45–54°. Similar measurements at the Warramunga array from the same source regions, however, suggest the presence of complexity in the slowness curve at distances close to 50°. Relative arrival times at the temporary network generally have standard deviations less than 0.25 s, thus suggesting that details of structure finer than those derived from conventional travel-time studies can be resolved.     

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.     

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.