Characteristics of S-wave Envelope Broadening in the Changbaishan Tianchi Volcano

High-frequency S-wave seismogram envelopes of microearthquakes broaden with increasing travel distance,a phenomenon known as S-wave envelope broadening. Multiple forward scattering and diffraction for the random inhomogeneities along the seismic ray path are the main causes of S-wave envelope broadening,so the phenomenon of S-wave envelope broadening is used to study the inhomogeneity of the medium. The peak delay time of an S-wave,which is defined as the time lag from the direct S-wave onset to the maximum amplitude arrival of its envelope,is accepted to quantify S-wave envelope broadening. 204 small earthquake records in Changbaishan Tianchi volcano were analyzed by the S-wave envelope broadening algorithm. The results show that S-wave envelope broadening in the Changbaishan Tianchi volcano is obvious,and that the peak delay time of S-wave has a positive correlation with the hypocenter distance and frequency of the S-wave. The relationships between the S-wave peak delay time and the hypocenter distance for different frequency bands were obtained using the statistics method. The results are beneficial to the understanding of the S-wave envelope broadening phenomena and the quantitative research on the inhomogeneities of the crust medium in the Changbaishan Tianchi volcano region.