Propagation characteristics of Po/So in the lithosphere of the Eastern Atlantic ocean revealed from automatic incoherent ocean bottom array processing
Abstract
Contrary to continental lithosphere, the seismic shear wave anisotropy of the uppermost oceanic mantle is rarely sampled at local scales. Local anisotropy information from ocean bottom stations are often difficult to obtain because of the rare deployments and because of poor signal to noise (SNR) ratio at these stations. In a pilot study in the North Atlantic between Portugal mainland, Madeira and the Azores, we demonstrate that an ocean bottom mid-aperture array at 4-5 km depth allows for automatic retrieval of SHo, SVo and Po velocities from data filtered between 4 and 25 Hz from regional weak earthquakes with Ml < 3 in up to 500 km distance, even if the SNR is poor. We use incoherent array analysis applied to short-term average / long-term average (STA/LTA) characteristic functions. Contrary to conventional methods the array analysis reveals local, absolute velocities beneath the array that are not averages over long travelpaths. Additionally, earthquakes can be located using the backazimuth and So-Po difference times. For instance, we observe seismicity at an aseismic segment of the Gloria transform fault. For our pilot array at 38.4 N 18.38 W we detect and study more than 900 suited earthquakes over a period of 10 months, and retrieve a strong azimuthal anisotropy of SH and SV waves of about 8% with a fast direction striking 90E in accord with the direction of plate motion. Unexpectedly, the azimuthal anisotropy of P waves is small or even absent. We study furthermore the different propagation paths and find strong attenuation of Po and So for paths crossing the Azores hotspot region and attenuation of So only for the region directly west of Portugal. This indicates that Po and So phases are blocked or not generated in the hot upper mantle of active spreading zones The project is funded by the German Research Foundation (Da478/21-1, Kr1935/13-1). DEPAS (AWI, GFZ) and University of Hamburg supported the OBS deployment.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013AGUFMDI11A2176D
- Keywords:
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- 7220 SEISMOLOGY Oceanic crust;
- 7208 SEISMOLOGY Mantle;
- 7215 SEISMOLOGY Earthquake source observations