ALBERT

Description: We use traveltime data of local earthquakes and controlled sources observed by a large, temporary, amphibious seismic network to reveal the anatomy of the southcentral Chilean subduction zone (37–39°S) between the trench and the magmatic arc. At this location the giant 1960 earthquake (M = 9.5) nucleated and ruptured almost 1000 km of the subduction megathrust. For the three-dimensional tomographic inversion we used 17,148 P wave and 10,049 S wave arrival time readings from 439 local earthquakes and 94 shots. The resolution of the tomographic images was explored by analyzing the model resolution matrix and conducting extensive numerical tests. The downgoing lithosphere is delineated by high seismic P wave velocities. High v p/v s ratio in the subducting slab reflects hydrated oceanic crust and serpentinized uppermost oceanic mantle. The subducting oceanic crust can be traced down to a depth of 80 km, as indicated by a low velocity channel. The continental crust extends to approximately a 50-km depth near the intersection with the subducting plate. This suggests a wide contact zone between continental and oceanic crust of about 150 km, potentially supporting the development of large asperities. Eastward the crustal thickness decreases again to a minimum of about a 30-km depth. Relatively low v p/v s at the base of the forearc does not support a large-scale serpentinization of the mantle wedge. Offshore, low v p and high v p/v s reflect young, fluid-saturated sediments of forearc basins and the accretionary prism.

Description: Providing quantitative microzonation results that can be taken into account in urban land-use plans is a challenging task that requires collaborative efforts between the seismological and engineering communities. In this study, starting from the results obtained by extensive geophysical and seismological investigations, we propose and apply an approach to the Gubbio basin (Italy) that can be easily implemented for cases of moderate-to-low ground motion and that takes into account not only simple 1D, but also more complicated 3D effects. With this method, the sites inside the basin are classified by their fundamental resonance frequencies, estimated from the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio applied to noise recordings (HVNSR). The correspondence between estimates of the fundamental frequency from this method and those derived from earthquake recordings was verified at several calibration sites. The amplification factors used to correct the response spectra are computed by the ratio between the response spectra at sites within the basin and the response spectra at a hard-rock site using data from two seismic transects. Empirical amplification functions are then assigned to the fundamental frequencies after applying an interpolation technique. The suitability of the estimated site-specific correction factors for response spectra was verified by computing synthetic response spectra for stations within the basin, starting from the synthetic recording at a nearby rock station, and comparing them with observed ones.

Description: The passive margin of the South Atlantic shows typical features of a rifted volcanic continental margin, encompassing seaward dipping reflectors, continental flood basalts and high-velocity/density lower crust at the continent–ocean transition, probably emplaced during initial seafloor spreading in the Early Cretaceous. The Springbok profile offshore western South Africa is a combined transect of reflection and refraction seismic data. This paper addresses the analysis of the seismic velocity structure in combination with gravity modelling and isostatic modelling to unravel the crustal structure of the passive continental margin from different perspectives. The velocity modelling revealed a segmentation of the margin into three distinct parts of continental, transitional and oceanic crust. As observed at many volcanic margins, the lower crust is characterised by a zone of high velocities with up to 7.4 km/s. The conjunction with gravity modelling affirms the existence of this body and at the same time substantiated its high densities, found to be 3100 kg/m3. Both approaches identified the body to have a thickness of about 10 km. Yet, the gravity modelling predicted the transition between the high-density body towards less dense material farther west than initially anticipated from velocity modelling and confirmed this density gradient to be a prerequisite to reproduce the observed gravity signal. Finally, isostatic modelling was applied to predict average crustal densities if the margin was isostatically balanced. The results imply isostatic equilibrium over large parts of the profile, smaller deviations are supposed to be compensated regionally. The calculated load distribution along the profile implies that all pressures are hydrostatic beneath a depth of 45 km.

Description: In this study we present the new tomographic code ANITA which provides 3-D anisotropic P and isotropic S velocity distribution based on P and S traveltimes from local seismicity. For the P anisotropic model, we determine four parameters for each parameterization cell. This represents an orthorhombic anisotropy with one predefined direction oriented vertically. Three of the parameters describe slowness variations along three horizontal orientations with azimuths of 0°, 60°, and 120°, and one is a perturbation along the vertical axis. The nonlinear iterative inversion procedure is similar to that used in the LOTOS code. We have implemented this algorithm for the updated data set of central Java, part of which was previously used for the isotropic inversion. It was obtained that the crustal and uppermost mantle velocity structure beneath central Java is strongly anisotropic with 7–10% of maximal difference between slow and fast velocity in different directions. In the forearc (area between southern coast and volcanoes), the structure of both isotropic and anisotropic structure is strongly heterogeneous. Variety of anisotropy orientations and highly contrasted velocity patterns can be explained by a complex block structure of the crust. Beneath volcanoes we observe faster velocities in vertical direction, which is probably an indicator for vertically oriented structures (channels, dykes). In the crust beneath the middle part of central Java, north to Merapi and Lawu volcanoes, we observe a large and very intense anomaly with a velocity decrease of up to 30% and 35% for P and S models, respectively. Inside this anomaly E-W orientation of fast velocity takes place, probably caused by regional extension stress regime. In a vertical section we observe faster horizontal velocities inside this anomaly that might be explained by layering of sediments and/or penetration of quasi-horizontal lenses with molten magma. In the mantle, trench parallel anisotropy is observed throughout the study area. Such anisotropy in the slab entrained corner flow may be due to presence of B-type olivine having predominant axis parallel to the shear direction, which appears in conditions of high water or/and melting content.

Description: The North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) below the Sea of Marmara forms a “seismic gap” where a major earthquake is expected to occur in the near future. This segment of the fault lies between the 1912 Ganos and 1999 İzmit ruptures and is the only NAFZ segment that has not ruptured since 1766. To monitor the microseismic activity at the main fault branch offshore of Istanbul below the Çınarcık Basin, a permanent seismic array (PIRES) was installed on the two outermost Prince Islands, Yassiada and Sivriada, at a few kilometers distance to the fault. In addition, a temporary network of ocean bottom seismometers was deployed throughout the Çınarcık Basin. Slowness vectors are determined combining waveform cross correlation and P wave polarization. We jointly invert azimuth and traveltime observations for hypocenter determination and apply a bootstrap resampling technique to quantify the location precision. We observe seismicity rates of 20 events per month for M 〈 2.5 along the basin. The spatial distribution of hypocenters suggests that the two major fault branches bounding the depocenter below the Çınarcık Basin merge to one single master fault below ∼17 km depth. On the basis of a cross-correlation technique we group closely spaced earthquakes and determine composite focal mechanisms implementing recordings of surrounding permanent land stations. Fault plane solutions have a predominant right-lateral strike-slip mechanism, indicating that normal faulting along this part of the NAFZ plays a minor role. Toward the west we observe increasing components of thrust faulting. This supports the model of NW trending, dextral strike-slip motion along the northern and main branch of the NAFZ below the eastern Sea of Marmara.

Description: We examine a 24-hour period of active San Andreas Fault (SAF) tremor and show that this tremor is largely composed of repeated similar events. Utilizing this similarity, we locate the subset of the tremor with waveforms similar to an identified low frequency earthquake (LFE) “master template,” located using P and S wave arrivals to be ∼26 km deep. To compensate for low signal-to-noise, we estimate event-pair differential times at “clusters” of nearby stations rather than at single stations. We find that the locations form a near-linear structure in map view, striking parallel to the SAF and near the surface trace. Therefore, we suggest that at least a portion of the tremor occurs on the deep extension of the fault, likely reflecting shear slip, similar to subduction zone tremor. If so, the SAF may extend to the base of the crust, ∼10 km below the deepest regular earthquakes on the fault.

Description: On 8 January 2006, an intermediate-depth earthquake occurred at the western part of the Hellenic trench close to the island of Kythera (southern Greece). This is the first intermediate-depth earthquake in the broader Aegean area that has produced such an extensive set of useful recordings, as it was recorded by the main permanent seismological networks and numerous acceleration sensors operating in Greece, as well as by EGELADOS, a large-scale temporary amphibian broadband seismological network deployed in the southern Aegean area. An effort to combine all the available data (broadband velocity and acceleration sensor) was made to study the properties of ground-motion attenuation of this earthquake. The combination of both types of data revealed interesting properties of the earthquake wave field, which would remain hidden if only one type of data was used. Moreover, the data have been used for a validation of existing peak ground-motion empirical prediction relations and the preliminary study of the very inhomogeneous attenuation pattern of the southern Aegean intermediate-depth events at both near- and far-source distances

Description: Teleseismic data recorded during one and a half years are investigated with the receiver function technique to determine the crustal and upper-mantle structures underneath the highly elevated Altiplano and Puna plateaus in the central Andes. A series of converting interfaces are determined along two profiles at 21°S and 25.5°S, respectively, with a station spacing of approximately 10 km. The data provide the highest resolution gained from a passive project in this area, so far. The oceanic Nazca plate is detected down to 120 km beneath the Altiplano whereas beneath the Puna, the slab can unexpectedly be traced down to 200 km depth at longer periods. A shallow crustal low-velocity zone is determined beneath both plateaus exhibiting segmentation. In the case of the Altiplano, the segments present vertical offsets and are separated by inclined interfaces, which coincide with major fault systems at the surface. An average depth to Moho of about 70 km is determined for the Altiplano plateau. A strong negative velocity anomaly located directly below the Moho along with local crustal thinning is interpreted beneath the volcanic arc of the Altiplano plateau between 67°W and 68.5°W. A deep section of the Puna profile reveals thinning of the mantle transition zone. Although poorly resolved, the detected anomaly may suggest the presence of a mantle plume, which may constitute the origin of the anomalous temperatures at the depth of the upper-mantle discontinuities.

Description: To study the applicability of the passive seismic interferometry technique to near-surface geological studies, seismic noise recordings from a small scale 2-D array of seismic stations were performed in the test site of Nauen (Germany). Rayleigh wave Green's functions were estimated for different frequencies. A tomographic inversion of the traveltimes estimated for each frequency from the Green's functions is then performed, allowing the laterally varying 3-D surface wave velocity structure below the array to be retrieved at engineering–geotechnical scales. Furthermore, a 2-D S-wave velocity cross-section is obtained by combining 1-D velocity structures derived from the inversion of the dispersion curves extracted at several points along a profile where other geophysical analyses were performed. It is shown that the cross-section from passive seismic interferometry provides a clear image of the local structural heterogeneities that are in excellent agreement with georadar and geoelectrical results. Such findings indicate that the interferometry analysis of seismic noise is potentially of great interest for deriving the shallow 3-D velocity structure in urban areas.

Description: As part of the DEad Sea Integrated REsearch project (DESIRE) a 235 km long seismic wide-angle reflection/refraction (WRR) profile was completed in spring 2006 across the Dead Sea Transform (DST) in the region of the southern Dead Sea basin (DSB). The DST with a total of about 107 km multi-stage left-lateral shear since about 18 Ma ago, accommodates the movement between the Arabian and African plates. It connects the spreading centre in the Red Sea with the Taurus collision zone in Turkey over a length of about 1 100 km. With a sedimentary infill of about 10 km in places, the southern DSB is the largest pull-apart basin along the DST and one of the largest pull-apart basins on Earth. The WRR measurements comprised 11 shots recorded by 200 three-component and 400 one-component instruments spaced 300 m to 1.2 km apart along the whole length of the E–W trending profile. Models of the P-wave velocity structure derived from the WRR data show that the sedimentary infill associated with the formation of the southern DSB is about 8.5 km thick beneath the profile. With around an additional 2 km of older sediments, the depth to the seismic basement beneath the southern DSB is about 11 km below sea level beneath the profile. Seismic refraction data from an earlier experiment suggest that the seismic basement continues to deepen to a maximum depth of about 14 km, about 10 km south of the DESIRE profile. In contrast, the interfaces below about 20 km depth, including the top of the lower crust and the Moho, probably show less than 3 km variation in depth beneath the profile as it crosses the southern DSB. Thus the Dead Sea pull-apart basin may be essentially an upper crustal feature with upper crustal extension associated with the left-lateral motion along the DST. The boundary between the upper and lower crust at about 20 km depth might act as a decoupling zone. Below this boundary the two plates move past each other in what is essentially a shearing motion. Thermo-mechanical modelling of the DSB supports such a scenario. As the DESIRE seismic profile crosses the DST about 100 km north of where the DESERT seismic profile crosses the DST, it has been possible to construct a crustal cross-section of the region before the 107 km left-lateral shear on the DST occurred.

Description: The lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary corresponds to the base of the “rigid” plates – the depth at which heat transport changes from advection in the convecting deeper upper mantle to conduction in the shallow upper mantle. Although this boundary is a fundamental feature of the Earth, mapping it has been difficult because it does not correspond to a sharp change in temperature or composition. Various definitions of the lithosphere and asthenosphere are based on the analysis of different types of geophysical and geological observations. The depth to the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary determined from these different observations often shows little agreement when they are applied to the same region because the geophysical and geological observations (i.e., seismic velocity, strain rate, electrical resistivity, chemical depletion, etc.) are proxies for the change in rheological properties rather than a direct measure of the rheological properties. In this paper, we focus on the seismic mapping of the upper mantle high velocity lid and low velocity zone and its relationship to the lithosphere and asthenosphere. We have two goals: (a) to examine the differences in how teleseismic body-wave travel-time tomography and surface-wave tomography image upper mantle seismic structure; and (b) to summarise how upper mantle seismic velocity structure can be related to the structure of the lithosphere and asthenosphere. Surface-wave tomography provides reasonably good depth resolution, especially when higher modes are included in the analysis, but lateral resolution is limited by the horizontal wavelength of the long-period surface waves used to constrain upper mantle velocity structure. Teleseismic body-wave tomography has poor depth resolution in the upper mantle, particularly when no strong lateral contrasts are present. If station terms are used, features with large lateral extent and gradual boundaries are attenuated in the tomographic image. Body-wave models are not useful in mapping the thickness of the high velocity upper mantle lid because this type of analysis often determines wave speed perturbations from an unknown horizontal average and not absolute velocities. Thus, any feature which extends laterally across the whole region beneath a seismic network becomes invisible in the Teleseismic body-wave tomographic image. We compare surface-wave and body-wave tomographic results using southern Africa as an example. Surface-wave tomographic images for southern Africa show a strong, high velocity upper mantle lid confined to depths shallower than ~200 km, whereas body-wave tomographic images show weak high velocity in the upper mantle extending to depths of ~300 km or more. However, synthetic tests show that these results are not contradictory. The absolute seismic velocity structure of the upper mantle provided by surface wave analysis can be used to map the thermal lithosphere. Priestley and McKenzie (Priestley, K., McKenzie, D., 2006. The thermal structure of the lithosphere from shear wave velocities. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 244, 285–301.) derive an empirical relationship between shear wave velocity and temperature. This relationship is used to obtain temperature profiles from the surfacewave tomographic models of the continental mantle. The base of the lithosphere is shown by a change in the gradient of the temperature profiles indicative of the depth where the mode of heat transport changes from conduction to advection. Comparisons of the geotherms determined from the conversion of surface-wave wave speeds to temperatures with upper mantle nodule-derived geotherms demonstrate that estimates of lithospheric thickness from Vs and from the nodule mineralogy agree to within about 25 km. The Lithospheric thickness map for Africa derived from the surface-wave tomographic results shows that thick lithosphere underlies most of the Archean crust in Africa. The distribution of diamondiferous kimberlites provides an independent estimate of where thick lithosphere exists. Diamondiferous kimberlites generally occur where the lower part of the thermal lithosphere as indicated by seismology is in the diamond stability field.