Transverse isotropy of the upper mantle in the vicinity of Pacific fracture zones
Abstract Several recent investigations suggest that portions of the Earth's upper mantle behave anisotropically to seismic wave propagation. Since several types of anisotropy can produce azimuthal variations in Pn velocities, it is of particular geophysical interest to provide a framework for the recognition of the form or forms of anisotropy most likely to be manifest in the upper mantle. In this paper upper mantle material is assumed to possess the elastic properties of transversely isotropic media. Equations are presented which relate azimuthal variations in Pn velocities to the direction and angle of tilt of the symmetry axis of a transversely isotropic upper mantle. It is shown that the velocity data of Raitt and Shor taken near the Mendocino and Molokai fracture zones can be adequately explained by the assumption of transverse isotropy with a nearly horizontal symmetry axis.