Methodologies for estimating t*(f) from short-period body waves and regional variations of t*(f) in the United States

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

Summary. In this paper we discuss some aspects of estimating t* from shortperiod body waves and present some limits on t* (f) models for the central and south-western United States (CUS and SWUS). We find that for shortperiod data, with frequencies above 1 or 2Hz, while the average spectral shape is stable, the smaller details of the spectra are not; thus, only an average t*, and not a frequency-dependent t*, can be derived from such information. Also, amplitudes are extremely variable for short-period data, and thus a great deal of data from many stations and azimuths must be used when amplitudes are included in attenuation studies. The predictions of three pairs of models for t*(f) in the central and south-western United States are compared with time domain observations of amplitudes and waveforms and frequency domain observations of spectral slopes to put bounds on the attenuation under the different parts of the country. A model with the t* values of the CUS and SWUS converging at low frequencies and differing slightly at high frequencies matches the spectral domain characteristics, but not the time domain amplitudes and waveforms of short-period body waves. A model with t* curves converging at low frequencies, but diverging strongly at high frequencies, matches the time domain observations, but not the spectral shapes. A model with nearly-parallel t* (f) curves for the central and south-western United States satisfies both the time and frequency domain observations. We conclude that use of both time and frequency domain information is essential in determining t*(f) models. For the central and south-western United States, a model with nearly-parallel t*(f) curves, where At* - 0.2 s, satisfies both kinds of data in the 0.3-2 Hz frequency range.