S-wave velocity structure inferred from receiver function inversion in Tengchong volcanic area

Tengchong volcanic area is located near the impinging and underthrust margin of India and Eurasia plates. The volcanic activity is closely related to the tectonic environment. The deep structure characteristics are inferred from the receiver function inversion with the teleseismic records in the paper. The results show that the low velocity zone is influenced by the NE-trending Dayingjiang fault. The S-wave low velocity structure occurs obviously in the southern part of the fault, but unobviously in its northern part. There are low velocity zones in the shallow po-sition, which coincides with the seismicity. It also demonstrates that the low velocity zone is directly related to the thermal activity in the volcanic area. Therefore, we consider that the volcano may be alive again.

Smooth constraint inversion technique in genetic algorithms and its application to surface wave study in the Tibetan Plateau

Smooth constraint is important in linear inversion, but it is difficult to apply directly to model parameters in genetic algorithms. If the model parameters are smoothed in iteration, the diversity of models will be greatly suppressed and all the models in population will tend to equal in a few iterations, so the optimal solution meeting requirement can not be obtained. In this paper, an indirect smooth constraint technique is introduced to genetic inversion. In this method, the new models produced in iteration are smoothed, then used as theoretical models in calculation of misfit function, but in process of iteration only the original models are used in order to keep the diversity of models. The technique is effective in inversion of surface wave and receiver function. Using this technique, we invert the phase velocity of Raleigh wave in the Tibetan Plateau, revealing the horizontal variation of S wave velocity structure near the center of the Tibetan Plateau. The results show that the S wave velocity in the north is relatively lower than that in the south. For most paths there is a lower velocity zone with 12-25 km thick at the depth of 15-40 km. The lower velocity zone in upper mantle is located below the depth of 100 km, and the thickness is usually 40-80 km, but for a few paths reach to 100 km thick. Among the area of Ando, Maqi and Ushu stations, there is an obvious lower velocity zone with the lowest velocity of 4.2-4.3 km/s at the depth of 90-230 km. Based on the S wave velocity structures of different paths and former data, we infer that the subduction of the Indian Plate is delimited nearby the Yarlung Zangbo suture zone.

Inversion of teleseismic waves at Shidao Seismographic Station

Teleseismic datasets at the Shidao Seismographic Station, located in the northwestern South China Sea, are used to determine the earth anisotropy and the vertical distribution pattern of the shear wave velocity by inversion approaches. The rotated correction function is applied to analyzing high quality SeS records from five earthquakes at distance of 25°-35° to obtain shear wave splitting parameters of the lithosphere. The result from the deepest earthquake among the five events indicates that the polarization of the fast shear wave is N94°E, which means the direction of extensional stress or the moving of the upper mantle mass in Xisha Islands is nearly west to east and confirms that the crust in this region is a transitional one and the driving force beneath the crust is from the moving mass consistent with the Eurasian plate. The anisotropy effective thickness is estimated about 100 km based on the time delay of 1.3 s between the fast and slow shear waves. The receiver function is applied to analyzing high quality P wave records from nine earthquakes at distance of 20°- 60° to obtain the vertical distribution pattern of shear wave velocity beneath the station. The result indicates that the crust could be divided into three layers： the uppermost crust （5 km above） is a velocity gradient zone consisting of several small layers, where the shear wave velocity increases from 1.5 to 3.5 km/s gradually; the 5 - 16 km depth interval also consiss of several small layers of which the mean velocity is about 3.8 km/s; and the lower crust （ 16.0 - 26. 5 km） is an obvious low velocity layer with a velocity of about 3.6 km/s. The buried depth of the Moho discontinuity is 26.5 kin, the mean velocity of the layers beneath the Moho is about 4.7 km/s and there is an obvious low velocity layer just beneath the Moho. Moreover, analysis of the arrival time of converted waves and the swinging variation of velocity around the initial model suggests that smaller layers in the model maybe are not reliable but the low velocity layer between 16 and 26.5 km maybe is the real one that implies the plasticity of the lower crust.

Interpretation of S-wave data from Tai′anXinzhou DSS profile and its relationship with Xingtai earthquakes

On the basis of S wave information from Tai′an Xinzhou DSS profile and with reference to the results from P wave interpretation, the 2 D structures , including S wave velocity V s, ratio γ between V p and V s; and Poisson′s ratio σ , are calculated; the structural configuration of the profile is presented and the relevant inferences are drawn from the above results. Upwarping mantle districts (V s≈4.30 km/s)and sloping mantle districts (V s≈4.50 km/s) of the profile with velocity difference about 4% at the top of upper mantle are divided according to the differences of V s , γ and σ in different media and structures, also with reference to the information of their neighbouring regions; the existence of Niujiaqiao Dongwang high angle ultra crustal fault zone is reaffirmed; the properties of low and high velocity blocks(zones) including the crust mantle transitionalzone and the boudary indicators of North China rift valley are discussed. A comprehensive study is conducted on the relation of the interpretation results with earthquakes. It is concluded that the mantle upwarps, thermal material upwells through the high angle fault, the primary hypocenter was located at the crust mantle juncture 30.0～33.0 km deep, and additional stress excited the M S=6.8 and M S=7.2 earthquakes at specific locations around 9.0 km below Niujiaqiao Dongwang, the earthquakes took place around the high angle ultra crustal fault and centered in the brittle media and rock strata with low γ and low σ values.

Inversion of waveforms from Xiangtang borehole seismic array for soil dynamic property

In order to understand the site soil response of the Xiangtang borehole seismic array under real strong ground motion, reveal the site response, verify the technique of borehole exploration, and improve the precision of in-situ test and laboratory test, this paper presents a new approach, which is composed of two methods. One is the layered site seismic response method, whose layer transform matrix is always real. The other is a global-local optimization technique, which uses genetic algorithm （GA）-simplex method. An inversion of multi-component waveforms of P, SV and SH wave is carried out simultaneously. By inverting the records of three moderate and small earthquakes obtained from the Xiangtang borehole array （2^#） site, the soil dynamic characteristic parameters, including P velocity, damping ratio and frequency-dependent coefficient b, which has not been given in previous literatures, are calculated. The results show that the soil S wave velocity of the Xiangtang 2^# borehole is generally greater than that obtained from the 1994 in-situ test, and is close to the velocity of the 3^# borehole, which is more than 200 m away from the 2^# borehole. Meanwhile, perceptible soil nonlinear behavior under peak ground motion of about 60×10^-2 m/s^2 is detected by the inversion analysis. The presented method can be used for studying the soil response of other borehole array sites.

Three-dimensional velocity structure and tectonic characteristics of earthquake area in Yibin

In this study,on the basis of absolute first-arrival times of 84756 P-and S-waves from 6085 earthquakes recorded at 56 fixed stations in Yibin and surrounding areas in China from January 2009 to January 2019,focal parameters and three-dimensional(3 D)body-wave high-resolution velocity structures at depths of 0–30 km were retrieved by double-difference tomography.Results show that there is a good correspondence between the spatial distribution of the relocated earthquakes and velocity structures,which were concentrated mainly in the high-velocity-anomaly region or edge of high-velocity region.Velocity structure of P-and S-waves in the Yibin area clearly shows lateral inhomogeneity.The distribution characteristics of the P-and S-waves near the surface are closely related to the geomorphology and geologic structure.The low-velocity anomaly appears at the depth of 15–25 km,which is affected by the lower crust current.The Junlian–Gongxian and Gongxian–Changning earthquake areas,which are the two most earthquake-prone areas in the Yibin region,clearly differ in earthquake distribution and tectonic characteristics.We analyzed the structural characteristics of the Junlian–Gongxian and Gongxian–Changning earthquake areas on the basis of the 3 D bodywave velocity structures in the Yibin region.We found that although most seismicity in the Yibin area is caused by fluid injection,the spatial position of seismicity is controlled by the velocity structures of the middle and upper crust and local geologic structure.Fine-scale 3 D velocity structures in the Yibin area provide important local reference information for further understanding the crustal medium,seismogenic structure,and seismicity.

A study on deep structure using teleseismic receiver function in Western Yunnan

s Western Yunnan is located at the boundary of collision or underthrusting zone of Eurasian plate and is influenced by many times tectonic movements. With very complex geological environment and tectonic background, it is one of the seismically active areas. In the paper, the teleseismic records were selected from 16 national, local and mo-bile stations, including 4 very-wide-band mobile stations of PASSCAL. And nearly 2 000 receiver functions were extracted. Two measuring lines are 650 km and 450 km, respectively and across some major tectonic units in Western Yunnan. It is indicated that Nujiang might be a seam characterized by underthrusting. The western and eastern boundaries of Sichuan-Yunnan rhombus block, i.e., Honghe and Xiaojiang faults, might be an erection seam or collision belt. Panxi tectonic zone still has the characteristics of continental rift valley, that is, the surface is hollow and the upper mantle is upwarping. The tectonic situation in Western Yunnan is of certain regulation with the interlacing distribution of orogenic zone and seam. The crustal thickness decreases gradually from the north to the south and the S wave velocity is globally lower here.