Parametric studies of physical conditions in the Earth's upper mantle

Abstract

Seismic body-wave and surface-wave data indicate the existence of a substantial lowvelocity, low- Q zone in the upper mantle beneath western North America. Conditions in this zone are distinctively different from those that are typical of the upper mantle in shield regions. The present study, using Walsh's model for partially melted rock, suggests a common mechanism for low-velocity and low- Q zones. This parametric study also indicates that the pronounced low-velocity, low- Q zone and anomalous travel-time delays of both P and S waves in the Basin and Range Province are consistent with the combined effects of high temperature, chemical composition, phase changes, and partial melting. The observed low P n velocity in this region is consistent with high temperature, chemical composition, and the presence of a partially molten layer within the upper mantle, but the observed teleseismic delay times result principally from the thickness of the lowvelocity zone. The teleseismic delay-time variations are therefore related to the seismic Q distribution in the asthenosphere. Conditions a few kilometers beneath the Moho boundary influence the P n velocity; however, the observed correlation among the teleseismic signal amplitudes, travel-time delays, and the upper mantle Q indicates that the P n velocity is a better indicator of upper mantle Q than suggested by the P n path alone. This knowledge of the upper mantle seems to account for the anomalous effects of the Basin and Range Province and other regions of similar tectonic nature on observations of teleseismic events. This will provide a practical technique for comparing seismic observations made in unstable tectonic regions with observations made in shield areas.