3D attenuation image of fluid storage and tectonic interactions across the Pollino fault network

Summary The Pollino range is a region of slow deformation where earthquakes generally nucleate on low-angle normal faults. Recent studies have mapped fault structures and identified fluid-related dynamics responsible for historical and recent seismicity in the area. Here, we apply the coda-normalization method at multiple frequencies and scales to image the 3D P-wave attenuation (QP) properties of its slowly-deforming fault network. The wide-scale average attenuation properties of the Pollino range are typical for a stable continental block, with a dependence of QP on frequency of $Q_P^{-1}=(0.0011\pm 0.0008) f^{(0.36\pm 0.32)}$. Using only waveforms comprised in the area of seismic swarms, the dependence of attenuation on frequency increases ($Q_P^{-1}=(0.0373\pm 0.0011) f^{(-0.59\pm 0.01)}$), as expected when targeting seismically-active faults. A shallow very-low-attenuation anomaly (max depth of 4-5 km) caps the seismicity recorded within the western cluster 1 of the Pollino seismic sequence (2012, maximum magnitude MW = 5.1). High-attenuation volumes below this anomaly are likely related to fluid storage and comprise the western and northern portions of cluster 1 and the Mercure basin. These anomalies are constrained to the NW by a sharp low-attenuation interface, corresponding to the transition towards the eastern unit of the Apennine Platform under the Lauria mountains. The low-seismicity volume between cluster 1 and cluster 2 (maximum magnitude MW = 4.3, east of the primary) shows diffuse low-to-average attenuation features. There is no clear indication of fluid-filled pathways between the two clusters resolvable at our resolution. In this volume, the attenuation values are anyway lower than in recognized low-attenuation blocks, like the Lauria Mountain and Pollino Range. As the volume develops in a region marked at surface by small-scale cross-faulting, it suggests no actual barrier between clusters, more likely a system of small locked fault patches that can break in the future. Our model loses resolution at depth, but it can still resolve a 5-to-15-km-deep high-attenuation anomaly that underlies the Castrovillari basin. This anomaly is an ideal deep source for the SE-to-NW migration of historical seismicity. Our novel deep structural maps support the hypothesis that the Pollino sequence has been caused by a mechanism of deep and lateral fluid-induced migration.

Study of P and S Wave Quality Factor (Qα and Qβ) Around Mt. Jailolo

Mt. Jailolo is a B type volcano that has never erupted after 1600. Seismic activities around Mt. Jailolo have never been recorded until the swarm in November 2015. Several studies have been done to determine thecause of the swarm, but it is not certain whether the cause of the swarm is tectonic or volcanic activities. The study of attenuation characteristics has never been carried out in the area around Mt. Jailolo. Attenuation characteristics are important to provide the medium information which seismic waves pass through and it can also be applied to the volcanic areas as preliminary disaster mitigation. The main objective of this study is to analyze attenuation characteristics often expressed by Quality factor (Q-factor) of P and S seismic wave (Qα and Qβ), which are inversely proportional to attenuation factor (1/Q). Calculations of Qα and Qβ are obtained using coda normalization method. The study area location is around Mt. Jailolo at 127.3◦ - 127.6◦E and 0.9◦ - 1.2◦ N. Data have been collected with 12 Short Period temporary 7G sensors network belongs to GFZ and BMKG. This study uses 147 swarm events from the sensors with a threshold magnitude of Mw< 5.0, during April 2017. The study obtains Qα(f) = 9.61814f 1.12981 and Qβ(f) = 19.10690f 1.22843. The current analysis concludes that the attenuation beneath Mt. Jailolo corresponds to the volcanic swarms which may have been triggered by its deeper layer’s magmatic activity.

Seismic attenuation tomography using body-wave energy normalised by the heterogeneous coda

&lt;p&gt;Seismic waves lose energy during propagation in heterogeneous Earth media. Their decrease of amplitude, defined as seismic attenuation, is central in the description of seismic wave propagation. The attenuation of coherent waves can be described by the total quality factor, &lt;em&gt;Q&lt;/em&gt;, and it is defined as the fractional energy lost per cycle, controlling the decay of the energy density spectrum with lapse time. The coda normalization (CN) method is a method to measure the attenuation of P- or S-waves by taking the ratio of the direct wave energy and late coda wave energy in order to remove the source and site effects from P- and S-wave spectra. One of the main assumptions of the CN method is that coda attenuation, i.e. the decay of coda energy with lapse time measured by the coda quality factor &lt;em&gt;Q&lt;sub&gt;c&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/em&gt; is constant. However, several studies showed that Q&lt;sub&gt;c&lt;/sub&gt; is not uniform in the crust for the lapse times considered in most attenuation studies. In this work, we propose a method to overcome this assumption, measuring coda attenuation for each source-station path and evaluating the effect of different scattering regimes on the corresponding imaging. The data consists of passive waveforms from the fault network in the Pollino Area (Southern Italy) and Mount St. Helens volcano (USA).&lt;/p&gt;

3-D seismic attenuation structure of Long Valley caldera: looking for melt bodies in the shallow crust

SUMMARY Unrest at Long Valley caldera (California) during the past few decades has been attributed to the ascent of hydrothermal fluids or magma recharge. The difference is critical for assessing volcanic hazard. To better constrain subsurface structures in the upper crust and to help distinguish between these two competing hypotheses for the origin of unrest, we model the 3-D seismic attenuation structure because attenuation is particularly sensitive to the presence of melt. We analyse more than 47 000 vertical component waveforms recorded from January 2000 through November 2016 obtained from the Northern California Earthquake Data Center. We then inverted the S-to-coda energy ratios using the coda normalization method and obtained an average Q of 250. Low attenuation anomalies are imaged in the fluid-rich western and eastern areas of the caldera, one of which corresponds to the location of an earthquake swarm that occurred in 2014. From a comparison with other geophysical images (magnetotellurics, seismic tomography) we attribute the high attenuation anomalies to hydrothermal systems. Average to high attenuation values are also observed at Mammoth Mountain (southwest of the caldera), and may also have a hydrothermal origin. A large high attenuation anomaly within the caldera extends from the surface to the depths we can resolve at 9 km. Shallow rocks here are cold and this is where earthquakes occur. Together, these observations imply that the high attenuation region is not imaging a large magma body at shallow depths nor do we image any isolated high attenuation bodies in the upper ≈8 km that would be clear-cut evidence for partially molten bodies such as sills or other magma bodies.

Intrinsic and Scattering Attenuations in the Crust of the Racha Region, Georgia

Three hundred and thirty-five local earthquakes were processed and the attenuation properties of the crust in the Racha region were investigated using the records of seven seismic stations. We have estimated the quality factors of coda waves ([Formula: see text]) and the direct [Formula: see text] waves ([Formula: see text]) by the single back scattering model and the coda normalization methods, respectively. The Wennerberg’s method has been used to estimate relative contribution of intrinsic ([Formula: see text]) and scattering ([Formula: see text]) attenuations in the total attenuation. We have found that [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] parameters are frequency-dependent in the frequency range of 1.5–24[Formula: see text]Hz. [Formula: see text] values increase both with respect to lapse time window from 20[Formula: see text]s to 60[Formula: see text]s and frequency. [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] parameters are nearly similar for all frequency bands, but are smaller than [Formula: see text]. The obtained results show that the intrinsic attenuation has more significant effect than scattering attenuation in the total attenuation. The increase of [Formula: see text] with lapse time shows that the lithosphere becomes more homogeneous with depth.

Frequency dependent attenuation of seismic waves for Delhi and surrounding area, India

<p align="left">The attenuation properties of Delhi &amp; surrounding region have been investigated using 6<em>2</em> local earthquakes recorded at nine stations. The frequency dependent quality factors <em>Q</em><em>_a</em> (using P-waves) and <em>Q</em><em>_b</em> (using S-waves) have been determined using the coda normalization method. Quality factor of coda-waves (<em>Q_c</em>) has been estimated using the single backscattering model in the frequency range from 1.5 Hz to 9 Hz. Wennerberg formulation has been used to estimate <em>Q_i</em> (intrinsic attenuation parameter) and <em>Q_s</em> (scattering attenuation parameter) for the region. The values <em>Q</em><em>_a, Q</em><em>_b,Q_c,Q_i and Q_s</em> estimated are frequency dependent in the range of 1.5Hz-9Hz. Frequency dependent relations are estimated as <em>Q</em><em>_a=52f^1.03, Q</em><em>_b=98f^1.07 and Q_c=158f^0.97</em>. <em>Q_c</em> estimates lie in between the values of <em>Q_i</em> and <em>Q_s</em> but closer to <em>Q_i</em> at all central frequencies. Comparison between <em>Q_i </em>and <em>Q_s</em> shows that intrinsic absorption is predominant over scattering for Delhi and surrounding region. </p>