Upper mantle anelasticity and tectonic evolution of the western United States from surface wave attenuation

1991 ◽  
Vol 96 (B11) ◽  
pp. 18129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanan H. Al-Khatib ◽  
Brian J. Mitchell
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Surface Wave ◽  
Upper Mantle ◽  
Tectonic Evolution ◽  
Wave Attenuation ◽  
Western United States

Short-period P-wave attenuation along various paths in North America as determined from P-wave spectra of the SALMON nuclear explosion

1976 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 1609-1622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoltan A. Der ◽  
Thomas W. McElfresh
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
North America ◽  
Wave Attenuation ◽  
Nuclear Explosion ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Western United States ◽  
Source Spectrum ◽  
Wave Spectra ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Q Values

abstract Average Q values were determined for ray paths to various LRSM stations from the SALMON nuclear explosion by taking ratios of observed P-wave spectra to the estimated source spectrum. Most Q values for P-wave paths throughout eastern North America are in the range 1600 to 2000 while those crossing over into the western United States are typically around 400 to 500. These differences in Q for intermediate distances can sufficiently explain the differences in the teleseismic event magnitudes observed, 0.3 to 0.4 magnitude units, in the western versus the eastern United States, if one assumes that the low Q layer under the western United States is located at depths less than 200 km.

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