ISSN:
1365-246X
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Geosciences
Notes:
Examples of Gräfenberg-array data showing anomalous P-waves which typically arrive 3–5 s after the direct P-wave and which have a slowness 0.7–0,8 s deg-1 smaller than direct P are presented. This additional phase is most frequently observed for events located in the NE portion of the southern Kurile Island subduction zone 73°-80° from Gräfenberg, but systematically disappears for events in the SW portion of this zone.Because of the magnitude of the slowness difference, these observations cannot be attributed to a complex source rupture process nor to multipathing through the descending slab. Likewise, they may not be accounted for by near-receiver structure because these phases are not seen for all Kurile events. If present they appear at all stations of the array but they follow direct P too closely to be a multiple from the Mono. Therefore, we conclude they are very likely caused by lower mantle velocity structure.The most likely explanation is the presence of a P velocity jump of about 3 per cent approximately 290km above the core-mantle boundary, since such a reflector in the lowermost mantle not only gives a good fit of traveltimes and slowness but is also able to model the waveform and the amplitudes of this additional P phase. the distribution of bounce points on this reflector for the Kurile events indicates a lateral extension of this velocity anomaly under northern Siberia of about 150 km by at least 200 km. the best fitting S-wave model has a reflector in the same depth, but the velocity contrast seems to be only about 2 per cent suggesting a different behaviour of the P and S velocity in D″.Few events from other regions in this distance range are suitable for a definitive analysis of this kind. From among this group some observations indicate a lower mantle anomaly under the Lomonosow Ridge and under northern Greenland; but since the lower mantle under western Siberia, northern Novaya Zemlya, the Azores Islands region and the USSR-Afghanistan border region does not produce an additional phase in the Gräfenberg recordings it is very unlikely that such a velocity anomaly in the lowermost mantle is a global feature.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.1990.tb00544.x