On the interpretation of mantle discontinuities

Seismic discontinuities in the mantle are conventionally interpreted to be caused by phase transformations observed in the individual mineral species (including, to some extent, solid solution). Recent investigations, however, indicate that there are many difficulties in interpreting these discontinuities in terms of phase transformations alone. It is suggested that some of the seismic discontinuities in the mantle are due to phase transformations in the individual minerals, some due to interactions between the minerals, and still others due to compositional changes.     

Seismic anisotropy reveals the long route of the slab through the western-central Mediterranean mantle

In the south-eastern corner of the Tyrrhenian basin, in the central Mediterranean Sea, a tight alignment of earthquakes along a well-defined Benioff zone marks one of the narrowest active trenches worldwide, where one of the last fragment of the former Tethys ocean is consumed. Seismic tomography furnishes snapshot images of the present-day position of this slab, and seismic anisotropy allows to reconstruct the past kinematics of the subduction process. Using seismic anisotropy fast directions as a proxy for the present and past mantle flow, we look backward for the seismic traces of the slab motion through the western-central Mediterranean mantle, from the starting locus of subduction toward its present day position. The result of combining independent data sets provides a coherent pattern of anisotropy that illustrates an example of slab rollback from its initiation point to its present-day position.     

The upper mantle discontinuities in western Canada fromPs conversions

We have investigated variations in the travel times ofPs converted phases from the upper mantle 410 and 660 km discontinuities recorded on the western stations of the Canadian National Seismograph Network using a variant of the technique introduced byVinnik (1977). Clear and unambiguous signals for both discontinuities are observed at 8 of the 11 stations considered and exhibit variations which correlate well with regional tectonic setting. Stations located in regions which are currently tectonically active are characterized by largerPs arrival times relative to directP than those situated on the North American craton. In addition the difference in arrival times between the 410 and 660Ps phases suggest that most of the variation is the result of structure above the transition zone but below the Moho. Stations located in the Cascadia subduction zone generally exhibit poorer signal quality than those elsewhere, a feature that may result from upper mantle velocity heterogeneity, discontinuity topography or a combination of both. A detailed investigation of possible lateral variations in discontinuity topography associated with subduction awaits the compilation of a more comprehensive data set which will permit the monitoring of an azimuthal dependence in signal.     

Seismic wave velocities in the lower mantle

Summary The vertical velocity variations of longitudinal and transverse waves in the earth's interior in the depth range of 413 to 2800 km are put into mathematical form. Expressions of the velocities in terms of power functions of the radius are found to conform closely to the given velocities, as well as to be very simple in applications. Examples of the use of such formulas are given, including calculations of travel times and of radial velocity gradients.     

Seismic hazard of the Eastern Mediterranean

Earthquake hazard parameters such as maximum magnitude, annual mean seismic activity rate, and the Gutenberg-Richter parameter, have been evaluated for the Hellenic and Cyprean Arc regions of the Eastern Mediterranean. The applied maximum likelihood procedure permits the combination of both historical and instrumental data. The collected data from different sources cover earthquakes with magnitude ≥ 3.5 throughout the last two centuries. The historical part of the catalogue only contains the strongest events, whereas the complete part can be divided into several subcatalogues, each assumed complete above a specific threshold of magnitude. The hazard parameters assessment is performed for the two study regions. The Hellenic Arc region was found to be of higher seismicity level than the Cyprean Arc region. The number of annually expected earthquakes with magnitude ≥ 3.5 is much larger in the Hellenic Arc (56±2) than in the Cyprean Arc (35±2). The maximum magnitude calculated in the Hellenic Arc zone is 7.8±0.4 for the time period equal to the length of the catalogue, i.e., 210 years. For the Cyprean Arc zone, the maximum possible magnitude is 6.8±0.4 for the time span of 330 years.     

宁夏地区上地幔地震各向异性特征

利用宁夏6个三分向宽频带数字地震台记录的震中距在85°—110°,震级大于6级的远震SKS波震相作了偏振分析,采用Silver-Chan方法求得了分裂参数,获得了宁夏地区上地幔各向异性图像.结果表明,宁夏地区上地幔各向异性普遍存在,本区盐池台(YCI)所在的鄂尔多斯块体下方的各向异性可归结为化石各向异性,其它地区的各向异性特征则反映了正在进行的构造运动,由此可为贺兰山脉东西两侧复杂的运动图像提供深部证据.最后推测本区的青藏高原东北缘—阿拉善块体及银川断陷区壳、幔的运动是耦合的,而鄂尔多斯块体地区壳、幔的运动型式尚不明朗.     

Seismic wave velocities in the lower mantle — Part II

Summary In an earlier paper the author developed mathematical expressions for the longitudinal and transverse wave velocities in the lower mantle in the form of power functions of the radius. In the present paper we shall instead develop the velocities as power series or polynomials of the radius. The two procedures are compared with regard to accuracy and convenience in applications. The power series expansion can permit higher accuracy in the representation of the velocities, but often entails greater complications in applications.     

Seismic anisotropy of upper mantle in eastern China

Based on the polarization analysis of teleseismic SKS waveform data recorded at 65 seismic stations which respectively involved in the permanent and temporary broadband seismograph networks deployed in eastern China, the SKS fast-wave direction and the delay time between the fast and slow shear waves at each station were determined by use of SC method and the stacking analysis method, and then the image of upper mantle anisotropy in eastern China was acquired. In the study region, from south to north, the fast-wave polarization directions are basically EW in South China, gradually clockwise rotate to NWW-SEE in North China, then to NW-SE in Northeast China. The delay time falls into the interval [0.41 s, 1.52 s]. Anisotropic characteristics in eastern China indicate that the upper mantle anisotropy is possibly caused by both the collision between the Indian and Eurasian Plates and the subduction from the Pacific and Philippine Sea Plates to the Eurasian Plate. The collision between two plates made the crust of western China thickening and uplifting and the material eastwards extruding, and then caused the upper mantle flow eastwards and southeastwards. The subduction of Pacific Plate and Philippine Sea Plate has resulted in the lithosphere and the asthenosphere deformation in eastern China, and made the alignment of upper mantle peridotite lattice parallel to the deformation direction. The fast-wave polarization direction is consistent with the direction of lithosphere extension and the GPS velocity direction, implying that the crust-upper mantle deformation is possibly a vertically coherent deformation. Supported by Special Project for the Fundamental R & D of Institute of Geophysics, China Earthquake Administration (Grant No. DQJB06B06), Special Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (Grant No. 2006FY110100), China Digital Earthquake Observation Network Project “North China Seismic Array”, and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40334041 and 40774037)     

缅甸弧中部俯冲带下方地幔间断面起伏形态研究

新生代以来,印度板块和欧亚板块发生碰撞形成了喜马拉雅造山带和青藏高原,印度板片在喜马拉雅东构造结处缅甸弧俯冲带进入深部地幔.开展缅甸弧俯冲带下方地幔间断面的研究有助于认识印度大陆岩石圈的碰撞-俯冲过程及其对上地幔结构的影响.本文选用了发生于缅甸弧地区的3个中源地震事件,获取了欧洲和美国阿拉斯加地区多个密集地震台网/台阵记录的高质量宽频带波形,利用N次根倾斜叠加方法（N=1,4）提取了缅甸弧中部俯冲带下方地幔间断面处产生的次生SdP转换震相.通过研究我们发现：（1）410-km间断面的深度范围为392~407 km,平均深度为400 km;相比于IASP91模型,410-km间断面的平均抬升幅度为10 km.我们推测印度板片在缅甸弧中部俯冲带下方已经穿过410-km间断面并进入到地幔转换带,410-km间断面的抬升与冷俯冲板片的影响有关;（2）X间断面深度在289~314 km之间,平均深度为306 km,推测该间断面可能与大陆地壳深俯冲背景下形成的超高压变质岩中柯石英（coesite）到斯石英（stishovite）的相变有关.

     

西北太平洋俯冲带大地幔楔及地幔过渡带各向异性证据和特征

地震层析成像研究清晰给出了地球深部俯冲板片的大尺度形态,但与俯冲过程相关的地幔流动特征仍不明确.在俯冲地幔楔系统中,前人观测到了与海沟平行和垂直的快波偏振方向.本文研究了西北太平洋俯冲板片在地幔过渡带中停滞形成的"大地幔楔"中的各向异性特征.对具有长期稳定观测数据的MDJ台站SKS震相和区域深源地震的直达S波震相进行了...     

上海及其邻近地区上地幔间断面接收函数的研究

利用上海及其邻近地区地震台网两个剖面上自2002年以来256个远震记录,提取得到高质量的接收函数,通过对这些接收函数的共转换点叠加得到研究区的间断面的分布及形态.研究结果表明,剖面上的上地幔间断面410 km,660 km间断面没有明显的起伏变化,从而证实了西太平洋俯冲带对中国东部的影响在东北、华北和华东有显著差别.     

Evidence for P wave velocity discontinuities at depths greater than 650 km in the mantle

The arrival times of seismic P waves recorded at long lines of portable seismographs deployed on the shield region of central Australia show evidence of breaks in the travel-time curve at epicentral distances near 30, 39 and 43°. These breaks are additional to those at about 20 and 24° (associated with the 400- and 650-km discontinuities) and imply that the P wave velocity structure of the mantle does not increase smoothly in the depth range 650–1100 km, but rather consists of regions of nearly constant velocity separated by small but significant velocity increases at depths of approximately 770, 980 and 1080 km. These conclusions are in agreement with those previously inferred from first and later arrivals at the Warramunga Seismic Array.     

Seismic scattering at the top of the mantle Transition Zone

We document strong seismic scattering from around the top of the mantle Transition Zone in all available high resolution explosion seismic profiles from Siberia and North America. This seismic reflectivity from around the 410 km discontinuity indicates the presence of pronounced heterogeneity in the depth interval between 320 and 450 km in the Earth’s mantle. We model the seismic observations by heterogeneity in the form of random seismic scatterers with typical scale lengths of kilometre size (10-40 km by 2-10 km) in a 100-140 km thick depth interval. The observed heterogeneity may be explained by changes in the depths to the α-β-γ spinel transformations caused by an unexpectedly high iron content at the top of the mantle Transition Zone. The phase transformation of pyroxenes into the garnet mineral majorite probably also contributes to the reflectivity, mainly below a depth of 400 km, whereas we find it unlikely that the presence of water or partial melt is the main cause of the observed strong seismic reflectivity. Subducted oceanic slabs that equilibrated at the top of the Transition Zone may also contribute to the observed reflectivity. If this is the main cause of the reflectivity, a substantial amount of young oceanic lithosphere has been subducted under Siberia and North America during their geologic evolution. Subducted slabs may have initiated metamorphic reactions in the original mantle rocks.     

Seismic reflection along the path of the Mediterranean Undercurrent

Seismic reflection profiling is applied to the study of large scale physical oceanographic processes in the Gulf of Cádiz and western Iberian coast, coinciding with the path of the Mediterranean Undercurrent. The multi-channel seismic reflection method provides clear images of thermohaline fine structure with a horizontal resolution approximately two orders of magnitude higher than CTD casting. The seismic data are compared with co-located historical oceanographic data. Three seismic reflectivity zones are identified: North Atlantic Central Water, Mediterranean Water and North Atlantic Deep Water. Seismic evidence for the path of the Mediterranean Undercurrent is found in the near-slope reflectivity patterns, with rising reflectors between about 500 and 1500 m. However, the core of the undercurrent is largely transparent. Seismic images show that central and, particularly, intermediate Mediterranean Waters have fine structure coherent over horizontal distances of several tens of kilometers. However, the intensity of the reflectors, and their horizontal coherence, decreases downstream. This change in seismic reflectivity is probably the result of diminished vertical thermohaline contrasts between adjacent water masses, so that double-diffusion processes become unable to sustain temperature and salinity staircases. Comparison of root-mean-square seismic amplitudes with temperature and salinity differences between the Mediterranean Undercurrent and the overlying central waters suggests a causal relationship between observed thermohaline fine structure and true seismic amplitudes. We estimate that, within this intermediate water stratum, impedance contrasts are mainly controlled by sound speed contrasts (a factor between 3.5 and 10 times larger than density contrasts), which are mainly controlled by temperature contrasts (a factor between 1.5 and 5 times larger than salinity contrasts).     

Seismic performance of R/C frames with overstrength discontinuities in elevation

The paper presents the results of a research study concerning the seismic response and design of r/c frames with overstrength discontinuities in elevation. The discontinuities are obtained assigning overstrengths either to the beams or to the columns of a “regular frame” (assumed as reference). Two “regular frames” are designed: one according to the Eurocode 8 (EC8) medium ductility class (DCM) rules and the other one according to the EC8 high ductility class (DCH) rules. For all frames the criteria of vertical strength irregularity of many international seismic codes are applied. Non linear static and dynamic analyses are performed; mechanical non linearity is concentrated at the element ends. These analyses are carried out according to EC8 provisions: for non linear static analysis the N2 method is applied; in the case of non linear time-history analyses, seven real earthquakes, selected in order to fit on average the elastic design spectrum, are used as input. The seismic response of frames characterised by the assigned overstrength is not very different with respect to the “regular frame” one; furthermore all the frames satisfy the Ultimate Limit State, verified by the application of non linear static and dynamic analyses. This demonstrates that the sensitivity of frames, designed according to EC8 medium and high ductility classes, to overstrength vertical variations is low. Consequently, international code provisions on vertical strength regularity should be reviewed.     

Seismic anisotropy of upper mantle in Sichuan and adjacent regions

Based on the polarization analysis of teleseismic SKS waveform data recorded at 94 broadband seis-mic stations in Sichuan and adjacent regions, the SKS fast-wave direction and the delay time between the fast and slow shear waves were determined at each station using the grid searching method of minimum transverse energy and the stacking analysis method, and the image of upper mantle anisot-ropy was acquired. The fast-wave polarization directions are mainly NW-SE in the study area, NWW-SEE to its northeast and NS to its west. The delay time falls into the interval [0.47 s, 1.68 s]. The spatial variation of the fast-wave directions is similar to the variation of GPS velocity directions. The anisotropic image indicates that the regional tectonic stress field has resulted in deformation and flow of upper mantle material, and made the alignment of upper mantle peridotite lattice parallel to the di-rection of material deformation. The crust-upper mantle deformation in Sichuan and adjacent regions accords with the mode of vertically coherent deformation. In the eastern Tibetan Plateau, the crustal material was extruded to east or southeast due to SE traction force of the upper mantle material. The extrusion might be obstructed by a rigid block under the Sichuan Basin and the crust has been de-formed. After a long-term accumulation of tectonic strain energy, the accumulative energy suddenly released in Yingxiu town of the Longmenshan region, and Wenchuan MS8.0 earthquake occurred.     

Seismic structure of the upper mantle beneath the western Philippine Sea

We investigate the seismic structure of the western Philippine Sea using two sets of seismological observations: ScS reverberations, which provide the layering framework for a regional upper mantle model, and observations of frequency-dependent phase delays for direct S waves, surface-reflected phases (sS, SS, sSS), and surface waves (R₁, G₁), which constrain the velocity and anisotropy structure within the layers. The combined data set, comprising 17 discontinuity amplitudes and layer travel times from the ScS-reverberation stack and more than 1000 frequency-dependent phase delays, was inverted for a path-averaged, radially anisotropic model. Mineralogical estimates of the bulk sound velocity and density are incorporated as complementary constraints. The final model, PHB3, is characterized by a 11.5-km thick crust, an anisotropic lid bounded by a sharp negative G discontinuity at 89 km, an anisotropic low-velocity layer extending to 166 km, a subjacent high-gradient region, and transition-zone discontinuities at depths of 408 km, 520 km and 664 km. The lid is slower than in a comparable model for the Tonga–Hawaii corridor (PA5), but also significantly thicker, requiring a compositional variation between the two regions. We explore the hypothesis that the thickness of the oceanic lid is controlled by the melting depth at the spreading centers during crust formation, and that the thicker crust and lid in the Philippine Sea results from deeper melting owing to a higher potential temperature and perhaps a higher water content in the upper mantle.     

青藏高原东北缘上地幔各向异性研究

通过分析位于青藏高原东北缘的区域数字地震台网30个台站的远震SKS波形资料,采用最小切向能量的网格搜索法和叠加分析方法求得每一个台站的SKS快波偏振方向和快、慢波的时间延迟,获得了青藏高原东北缘上地幔各向异性图像.从得到结果看,青藏高原东北缘的各向异性快波方向基本上呈NW-SE方向,并有一顺时针旋转趋势,快、慢波时间延迟是0.70～1.51 s.青藏高原东北缘的SKS快波偏振方向与区域内主要构造断裂走向基本一致;各向异性快波偏振方向变化与区域内最小平均主压应力方向变化相似,也与由GPS测量得到的速度场方向变化相似.研究表明青藏高原东北缘上地幔物质在区域构造应力场的作用下,发生了顺时针旋转的形变以至流动,使得上地幔中橄榄岩的晶格排列方向平行于物质形变或流动方向,上地幔变形和上覆地壳变形可能存在垂直连贯变形特征.     

Topography of the mantle discontinuities beneath the South Pacific superswell as inferred from broadband waveforms on seafloor

We analyzed seismic waveforms recorded by the broadband ocean bottom seismographs deployed in the South Pacific superswell to determine the depths of the mantle discontinuities using a receiver function method. We estimated the thickness of the mantle transition zone (MTZ) to be 245 km on average beneath the superswell region, which is close to the global average. The MTZ is found to be thinned locally beneath the Society hot spot by 30 km. Temperature anomalies computed from the thinned transition zone and the Clapeyron slope of the olivine phase transformations are 150–200 K beneath the Society hot spot. Previous studies, using land-based data, suggested the presence of a hot MTZ beneath the Pitcairn hot spot. The locally hot transition zone beneath the hot spots is attributed to narrow mantle plumes probably rising from the lower mantle. The normal average thickness obtained from the present study indicates that there is no broad upwelling across the transition zone beneath the entire superswell region at present.