Abstract
Abstract We estimate Q s values (quality factor for S-wave) of the slab near the southern Kurile trench by using seismic data observed at ocean bottom seismometer (OBS) stations from selected local earthquakes. The seismic rays pass mainly through the slab and this enable us to directly estimate the slab Q s values. The spectral inversion and coda normalization method are applied to these data. The estimated Q s values from the two methods are nearly the same and increase with frequencies. However, these Q s values are not high enough to explain the abnormal distribution of ground motion that has been recognized as abnormal distribution of seismic intensities at the Japanese arc. Thus we propose a two-layer Q s structure of the slab to explain the both facts, our slab Q s values and the abnormal distribution of ground motion. The two-layer Q s structure consists of the upper layer with not so high Q s values (39f 1.0) and lower layer with very high Q s values (500f 1.0); the upper layer has a thickness of about 50 km. Seismic activity is restricted only within the upper layer of the two-layer Q s structure. This may mean that the two-layer Q s structure reflects the different material property between the upper and lower layer of the slab.
Highlights
It is well known that there exists the anomalous upper mantle structure beneath island-arc regions; the high Q and high velocity zone, that is, the descending plate or slab sinks into the low Q and low velocity upper mantle (e.g., Utsu, 1967)
We estimate the slab Qs values (Q values for S-wave) near the southern Kurile trench by using the seismic data recorded at ocean bottom stations
The two-layer Qs structure consists of the upper layer with not so high Qs values and the lower layer with very high Qs values; the upper layer has a thickness of about 50 km
Summary
It is well known that there exists the anomalous upper mantle structure beneath island-arc regions; the high Q and high velocity zone, that is, the descending plate or slab sinks into the low Q and low velocity upper mantle (e.g., Utsu, 1967). We estimate the slab Qs values (Q values for S-wave) near the southern Kurile trench by using the seismic data recorded at ocean bottom stations. Applying the least-squares method to plots of logarithm of coda normalized amplitude (left-hand side of Eq (5)) against the S-wave travel time (ti j ) for many earthquakes, we can estimate the Qs value from a slope of the linear regression line.
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