Quantifying the density contrasts of the Earth’s inner core boundary(ICB)is crucial to understand core-mantle coupling and the generation of the geodynamo.The PKiKP/PcP amplitude ratio is commonly used to obtain the ...Quantifying the density contrasts of the Earth’s inner core boundary(ICB)is crucial to understand core-mantle coupling and the generation of the geodynamo.The PKiKP/PcP amplitude ratio is commonly used to obtain the density contrast at the ICB,but its applications are limited by scattered observed data.In this study,we selected the PKiKP and PcP phases reflected at the same region of inner-core and core-mantle boundaries beneath Northeast Asia from different earthquakes for the first time,and the observations suggested that the PKiKP/PcP amplitude ratio is widely scattered.We also compared the PKiKP and PcP amplitudes,which demonstrated that the scatter cannot be attributed only to ICB anomalies but might also arise from raypath differences and heterogeneities throughout the crust and mantle.By fitting the observed PKiKP/PcP amplitude ratio,we obtained a density contrast of approximately 0.65 g cm^(-3) and a compressional velocity contrast of approximately 0.87 km s^(-1) at the ICB beneath Northeast Asia.The larger contrast values indicate the possible occurrence of local crystallization occurring at the inner core surface.展开更多
Clear PKIKP precursors were observed from the Lanzhou CTBTO seismic array.We measured their incident angles,arriving azimuths and differential travel times with respect to the PKIKP arrivals using array analysis techn...Clear PKIKP precursors were observed from the Lanzhou CTBTO seismic array.We measured their incident angles,arriving azimuths and differential travel times with respect to the PKIKP arrivals using array analysis techniques.These measurements allowed us to locate the scatterers that generated the observed precursors.We found that the scatterers are located in the lowermost mantle beneath eastern Tibet,which is featured by a high-velocity anomaly based on previous tomographic studies.The high velocity anomaly was interpreted as the slab remnants of the ancient Tethys subduction.We thus speculate that the observed scatterers are either related or induced by the subducted slab.展开更多
Approaching the distance of 180°, seismic focusing greatly amplifies the normally weak PKIIKP phase(underside reflection from the inner core boundary). Anomalously strong amplitudes of the PKIIKP phase reported p...Approaching the distance of 180°, seismic focusing greatly amplifies the normally weak PKIIKP phase(underside reflection from the inner core boundary). Anomalously strong amplitudes of the PKIIKP phase reported previously at near antipodal distances(at seismic station TAM in North Africa) have been interpreted to infer anomalous structure(s) of the inner core boundary(including a sharp drop of compressional wave speed in the bottommost outer core or a near-zero shear wave speed in the topmost inner core). However,our observations of 12 earthquakes located antipodal to TAM(including the previously cited four events) suggest, for several reasons,that the anomalous PKIIKP energy might be a seismic phase misidentification. The anomalous phase appeared at distances less than 179.6° but not at larger distances(～179.8°). The phase appears consistently from antipode to distances less than 160° and has horizontal slowness similar to the PKIKP phase(going straight through the inner core). Its travel times vary greatly and show a systematic difference between two groups of events at different distances. A simple point scatter provides a good match to the travel times and the systematic variation of the anomalous phase at most stations, suggesting that it could originate from scattering off strong heterogeneities in the mantle wedge above the subducting Tonga slab. The phase misidentification suggests that the previously proposed inner core boundary structure(s) based on the anomalous phase need to be re-evaluated.展开更多
基金supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program(B)of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.XDB18000000)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.41125015)。
文摘Quantifying the density contrasts of the Earth’s inner core boundary(ICB)is crucial to understand core-mantle coupling and the generation of the geodynamo.The PKiKP/PcP amplitude ratio is commonly used to obtain the density contrast at the ICB,but its applications are limited by scattered observed data.In this study,we selected the PKiKP and PcP phases reflected at the same region of inner-core and core-mantle boundaries beneath Northeast Asia from different earthquakes for the first time,and the observations suggested that the PKiKP/PcP amplitude ratio is widely scattered.We also compared the PKiKP and PcP amplitudes,which demonstrated that the scatter cannot be attributed only to ICB anomalies but might also arise from raypath differences and heterogeneities throughout the crust and mantle.By fitting the observed PKiKP/PcP amplitude ratio,we obtained a density contrast of approximately 0.65 g cm^(-3) and a compressional velocity contrast of approximately 0.87 km s^(-1) at the ICB beneath Northeast Asia.The larger contrast values indicate the possible occurrence of local crystallization occurring at the inner core surface.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.40574024)the Basic R&D Fund of Institute of Earthquake Prediction,China Earthquake Administration (Grant No.2009A19)
文摘Clear PKIKP precursors were observed from the Lanzhou CTBTO seismic array.We measured their incident angles,arriving azimuths and differential travel times with respect to the PKIKP arrivals using array analysis techniques.These measurements allowed us to locate the scatterers that generated the observed precursors.We found that the scatterers are located in the lowermost mantle beneath eastern Tibet,which is featured by a high-velocity anomaly based on previous tomographic studies.The high velocity anomaly was interpreted as the slab remnants of the ancient Tethys subduction.We thus speculate that the observed scatterers are either related or induced by the subducted slab.
基金supported by National Science Foundation of China(41774056)the US Nationa Science Foundation(EAR 1620595)
文摘Approaching the distance of 180°, seismic focusing greatly amplifies the normally weak PKIIKP phase(underside reflection from the inner core boundary). Anomalously strong amplitudes of the PKIIKP phase reported previously at near antipodal distances(at seismic station TAM in North Africa) have been interpreted to infer anomalous structure(s) of the inner core boundary(including a sharp drop of compressional wave speed in the bottommost outer core or a near-zero shear wave speed in the topmost inner core). However,our observations of 12 earthquakes located antipodal to TAM(including the previously cited four events) suggest, for several reasons,that the anomalous PKIIKP energy might be a seismic phase misidentification. The anomalous phase appeared at distances less than 179.6° but not at larger distances(～179.8°). The phase appears consistently from antipode to distances less than 160° and has horizontal slowness similar to the PKIKP phase(going straight through the inner core). Its travel times vary greatly and show a systematic difference between two groups of events at different distances. A simple point scatter provides a good match to the travel times and the systematic variation of the anomalous phase at most stations, suggesting that it could originate from scattering off strong heterogeneities in the mantle wedge above the subducting Tonga slab. The phase misidentification suggests that the previously proposed inner core boundary structure(s) based on the anomalous phase need to be re-evaluated.
