Upper mantle structure along a profile from Oslo (NORESS) to Helsinki to Leningrad, based on explosion seismology

1990 ◽  
Vol 80 (6B) ◽  
pp. 2194-2213
Author(s):  
Vladislav Ryaboy

Abstract Waveforms from the NORESS array were analyzed for 147 industrial explosions during the 1985 to 1988 period, along a profile running east from Oslo (NORESS) to Helsinki to Leningrad (OHL profile). The events were 250 to 1300 km from NORESS and had local magnitude in the range 2.0 to 3.5. Event locations and origin times constrained by the University of Helsinki's regional seismic network provide a reliable basis for travel-time estimation at NORESS. We also used data recorded by NORSAR in 1979 for three shots on the FENNOLORA north-south, long-range seismic profile, which were near the OHL profile. Analysis of mantle P-wave signals from the explosions showed that first arrivals could be traced continuously to a distance of 750 to 800 km, where there is a cutoff and shift of approximately 2.0 to 2.5 sec in the travel-time curve and an increase in average apparent velocity. Interpretation of the observed travel times and waveforms for this profile suggests a low-velocity zone from approximately 105 to 135 km depth. Combined analysis of the seismic data with a Bouguer gravity map indicates the presence in the upper mantle of a high-velocity, high-density body of linear extent approximately from 200 to 300 to 500 to 600 km east of the NORESS array. It is postulated that this body may represent the root of an ancient volcanic system, in which lighter, silicic constituents were depleted from the upper mantle during the eruptive phase.

1978 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Ram ◽  
R. F. Mereu ◽  
D. H. Weichert

There is broad agreement among various seismological studies that the upper mantle has two regions where very high positive velocity gradients or transition zones exist. In most cases, the presence of these zones implies that two major triplications are likely to exist in the body-wave travel-time curve for distances less than 30°. Because of the difficulties in observing and identifying later arrivals belonging to the various travel-time branches, the inversion of the seismic data is often very difficult. In this paper an adaptive processing technique was employed to examine the variations in slowness that occur along the first 36 s of the short-period P-wave trains recorded at the Yellowknife medium aperture seismic array. Over 100 earthquakes from the Alaska Peninsula and California regions were selected. From the California results we were able to clearly observe the 12–13 s/deg slowness branch as a later arrival out to distances as great as 26°. Other later arrival branches as well as cusps associated with the 400 and 650 km discontinuities were not well defined even though the cross-over point as determined from slowness measurements on first arrivals were clearly located. An inversion of the data showed that the '650 km' transition zone occurred at a much shallower depth west of the array compared to the corresponding region to the south.


1998 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Plomerová ◽  
V. Babuska ◽  
R. Scarpa

Jeffreys-Bullen (absolute) and relative P-wave travel-time residuals were analyzed over Italy and its surrounding using P arrival times from the ISC bulletins supplemented by the data from local observatories. We analyzed the travel-time station corrections by two independent methods to obtain information on lateral variations of the velocity structure over the area and a view of possible upper mantle anisotropy. In the first method, the station corrections are computed as a constant and two cosine terms with appropriate phase shifts. Besides a static term, the second method allows us to study the relative residuals in dependence both on azimuths and incidence angles and thus to investigate their spatial variations and to map lateral variations of anisotropic structure of the subcrustal lithosphere. The high and low-velocity directions inferred from the spatial distribution of the relative residuals as well as the high- and low-velocity upper mantle heterogeneities reflect the geodynamic development of the region, governed by the collision between the African and Eurasian plates


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 2975
Author(s):  
Huiyan Shi ◽  
Tonglin Li ◽  
Rongzhe Zhang ◽  
Gongcheng Zhang ◽  
Hetian Yang

It is of great significance to construct a three-dimensional underground velocity model for the study of geodynamics and tectonic evolution. Southeast Asia has attracted much attention due to its complex structural features. In this paper, we collected relative travel time residuals data for 394 stations distributed in Southeast Asia from 2006 to 2019, and 14,011 seismic events were obtained. Then, teleseismic tomography was applied by using relative travel time residuals data to invert the velocity where the fast marching method (FMM) and subspace method were used for every iteration. A novel 3D P-wave velocity model beneath Southeast Asia down to 720 km was obtained using this approach. The tomographic results suggest that the southeastern Tibetan Plateau, the Philippines, Sumatra, and Java, and the deep part of Borneo exhibit high velocity anomalies, while low velocity anomalies were found in the deep part of the South China Sea (SCS) basin and in the shallow part of Borneo and areas near the subduction zone. High velocity anomalies can be correlated to subduction plates and stable land masses, while low velocity anomalies can be correlated to island arcs and upwelling of mantle material caused by subduction plates. We found a southward subducting high velocity body in the Nansha Trough, which was presumed to be a remnant of the subduction of the Dangerous Grounds into Borneo. It is further inferred that the Nansha Trough and the Dangerous Grounds belong to the same tectonic unit. According to the tomographic images, a high velocity body is located in the deep underground of Indochina–Natuna Island–Borneo–Palawan, depth range from 240 km to 660 km. The location of the high velocity body is consistent with the distribution range of the ophiolite belt, so we speculate that the high velocity body is the remnant of thee Proto-South China Sea (PSCS) and Paleo-Tethys. This paper conjectures that the PSCS was the southern branch of Paleo-Tethys and the gateway between Paleo-Tethys and the Paleo-Pacific Ocean. Due to the squeeze of the Australian plate, PSCS closed from west to east in a scissor style, and was eventually extinct under Borneo.


Solid Earth ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 425-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Silvennoinen ◽  
Elena Kozlovskaya ◽  
Eduard Kissling

Abstract. The POLENET/LAPNET (Polar Earth Observing Network) broadband seismic network was deployed in northern Fennoscandia (Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Russia) during the third International Polar Year 2007–2009. The array consisted of roughly 60 seismic stations. In our study, we estimate the 3-D architecture of the upper mantle beneath the northern Fennoscandian Shield using high-resolution teleseismic P wave tomography. The P wave tomography method can complement previous studies in the area by efficiently mapping lateral velocity variations in the mantle. For this purpose 111 clearly recorded teleseismic events were selected and the data from the stations hand-picked and analysed. Our study reveals a highly heterogeneous lithospheric mantle beneath the northern Fennoscandian Shield though without any large high P wave velocity area that may indicate the presence of thick depleted lithospheric “keel”. The most significant feature seen in the velocity model is a large elongated negative velocity anomaly (up to −3.5 %) in depth range 100–150 km in the central part of our study area that can be followed down to a depth of 200 km in some local areas. This low-velocity area separates three high-velocity regions corresponding to the cratonic units forming the area.


2018 ◽  
Vol 499 ◽  
pp. 157-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Civiero ◽  
Vincent Strak ◽  
Susana Custódio ◽  
Graça Silveira ◽  
Nicholas Rawlinson ◽  
...  

1977 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 693-711 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles A. Langston ◽  
David E. Blum

abstract Simultaneous modeling of source parameters and local layered earth structure for the April 29, 1965, Puget Sound earthquake was done using both ray and layer matrix formulations for point dislocations imbedded in layered media. The source parameters obtained are: dip 70° to the east, strike 344°, rake −75°, 63 km depth, average moment of 1.4 ± 0.6 × 1026 dyne-cm, and a triangular time function with a rise time of 0.5 sec and falloff of 2.5 sec. An upper mantle and crustal model for southern Puget Sound was determined from inferred reflections from interfaces above the source. The main features of the model include a distinct 15-km-thick low-velocity zone with a 2.5-km/sec P-wave-velocity contrast lower boundary situated at approximately 56-km depth. Ray calculations which allow for sources in dipping structure indicate that the inferred high contrast value can trade off significantly with interface dip provided the structure dips eastward. The effective crustal model is less than 15 km thick with a substantial sediment section near the surface. A stacking technique using the instantaneous amplitude of the analytic signal is developed for interpreting short-period teleseismic observations. The inferred reflection from the base of the low-velocity zone is recovered from short-period P and S waves. An apparent attenuation is also observed for pP from comparisons between the short- and long-period data sets. This correlates with the local surface structure of Puget Sound and yields an effective Q of approximately 65 for the crust and upper mantle.


1982 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. 1551-1566
Author(s):  
Peter M. Shearer ◽  
David H. Oppenheimer

abstract Relative Pn arrival times across an array of stations at The Geysers-Clear Lake region in northern California indicates that the upper mantle velocity is 8.0 km/sec, and that the Moho dips 5.3° at 57° to the northeast in this area, reflecting thickening of the crust toward the continent. These results agree with regional trends in the Bouguer gravity field. The travel-time residuals with respect to the dipping model suggest a crustal low-velocity zone beneath Mt. Hannah, consistent with reported teleseismic delays, and the low-velocity zone is interpreted as representing partial melt. No delays are observed in The Geysers, precluding the existence of an extensive magma body beneath the steam production area. Azimuthal variations in apparent velocity may reflect upper mantle azimuthal velocity anisotropy, but such an interpretation is uncertain due to the limited azimuthal distribution of earthquakes.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcel Paffrath ◽  
Wolfgang Friederich ◽  

<p>We perform a teleseismic P-wave travel time tomography to examine geometry and slab structure of the upper mantle beneath the Alpine orogen. Vertical component data of the extraordinary dense seismic network AlpArray are used which were recorded at over 600 temporary and permanent broadband stations deployed by 24 different European institutions in the greater Alpine region, reaching from the Massif Central to the Pannonian Basin and from the Po plain to the river Main. Mantle phases of 347 teleseismic events between 2015 and 2019 of magnitude 5.5 and higher are evaluated automatically for direct and core diffracted P arrivals using a combination of higher-order statistics picking algorithms and signal cross correlation. The resulting database contains over 170.000 highly accurate absolute P picks that were manually revised for each event. The travel time residuals exhibit very consistent and reproducible spatial patterns, already pointing at high velocity slabs in the mantle.</p><p>For predicting P-wave travel times, we consider a large computational box encompassing the Alpine region up to a depth of 600 km within which we allow 3D-variations of P-wave velocity. Outside this box we assume a spherically symmetric earth and apply the Tau-P method to calculate travel times and ray paths. These are injected at the boundaries of the regional box and continued using the fast marching method. We invert differences between observed and predicted travel times for P-wave velocities inside the box. Velocity is discretized on a regular grid with an average spacing of about 25 km. The misfit reduction reaches values of up to 75% depending on damping and smoothing parameters.</p><p>The resulting model shows several steeply dipping high velocity anomalies following the Alpine arc. The most prominent structure stretches from the western Alps into the Apennines mountain range reaching depths of over 500 km. Two further anomalies extending down to a depth of 300 km are located below the central and eastern Alps, separated by a clear gap below the western part of the Tauern window. Further to the east the model indicates a possible high-velocity connection between the eastern Alps and the Dinarides. Regarding the lateral position of the central and eastern Alpine slabs, our results confirm previous studies. However, there are differences regarding depth extent, dip angles and dip directions. Both structures dip very steeply with a tendency towards northward dipping. We perform various general, as well as purpose-built resolution tests, to verify the capabilities of our setup to resolve slab gaps as well as different possible slab dipping directions.</p>


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