Shear Wave Velocity Anisotropy Research Articles

3-D Shear wave velocity and azimuthal anisotropy structure in the shallow crust of Binchuan Basin in Yunnan, SW China, from ambient noise tomography

The Binchuan Basin in northwest Yunnan, SW China, is a rift basin developed at the intersection of the Red River Fault and Chenghai Fault, where active faults developed and historical earthquakes occurred. Understanding the fine velocity structure of the shallow crust in this region is crucial for comprehending earthquake occurrences and mechanisms and for improving earthquake location accuracy. Using the continuous waveform data recorded by 381 dense array stations in 2017, we obtained 7915 Rayleigh-wave phase velocity dispersion curves in the period band of 0.2-6 s from ambient noise cross-correlation functions after rigorous data processing and quality control. We determined 3-D isotropic and azimuthally anisotropic shear wave velocity models at depths above 6 km in the shallow crust based on the direct surface wave azimuthal anisotropic tomography method. The isotropic model reveals a strong correspondence between the S-wave velocity structure at depths of 0-1 km and the regional topography and lithology. The Binchuan depocenter, Zhoucheng depocenter, Xiangyun Basin, and Xihai Rift Basin are primarily composed of Quaternary deposits, which show low-velocity anomalies, while the regions with the Paleozoic shale, limestone, and basalt exhibit high-velocity anomalies. The nearly N-S orientation of fast directions from azimuthal anisotropy models are mainly controlled by the active Binchuan Fault with N-S strike as well as the NNW oriented primary compressive stress.

Shear wave anisotropy response characteristics of laminated shale and its correction methods

Laminated shale exhibits strong anisotropic characteristics in horizontal wells, significantly affecting the application of shear wave travel time data. Using equivalent medium theory and the elastic wave equation, we constructed a physical model for laminated shale, simulating the impact of lamination angle and lamination density on shear wave velocity and shear wave anisotropy coefficient. We established the relationship between the shear wave anisotropy coefficient and the cosine of the lamination angle. The simulation results indicate that shear wave velocity decreases with an increase in lamination angle and density, while the shear wave anisotropy coefficient gradually decreases with an increase in lamination angle and initially increases and then decreases with an increase in lamination density. Moreover, it exhibits a power exponential relationship with the cosine of the lamination angle. After correction, the minimum horizontal principal stress and fracture pressure calculated from shear wave data show an average relative error reduction of 6.72% and 7.77%, respectively, compared to measured data. This demonstrates that the correction method effectively eliminates the impact of laminated shale anisotropy on shear waves.

Shear-wave splitting associated with fluid processes beneath Styra, South Euboea: First results

The intense and persistent seismic activity on the Island of Euboea (or Evia) was a unique opportunity to study anisotropy in a region without any notable prior seismicity. The study area is located in the central-western Aegean Sea and constitutes the endpoint where the North Aegean Trough and four parallel dextral strike-slip fault branches terminate against the Greek mainland, along with their sinistral counterparts. Even though seismicity has been recorded around the island, the affected area close to the town of Styra has no known reported earthquakes. In 2022, surprising activity was initiated by two moderate earthquakes (ML 4.8 and ML 5.0) that occurred on 29 November and were felt as far as Athens. The activity continued well into the second quarter of 2023, with over 1000 microearthquakes being recorded. A pre-planned nearby temporary installation of a broadband instrument (GR27), in the context of the AdriaArray project, offered recordings of the activity. Here, we investigated the occurrence and cause of shear-wave splitting beneath Styra. Based on focal mechanisms of local earthquakes we inferred the stress axes. A fully automated process was used to analyze data for shear-wave splitting and determine the polarization direction of the Sfast (φ), the time-delay (td) and the normalized time-delay (tn). A total of 272 acceptable results showcased a unimodal distribution of φ with an average of N68°E and a mean td of 80 ms. We observed temporal variations of splitting parameters, associated with outbursts of seismicity, not with individual events. The determination of the shear-wave velocity anisotropy, jointly with observations of other splitting parameters, led us to hypothesize that anisotropy is the result of along-fault fluid processes. However, this would require a convincing selection of the NE-SW nodal plane as the preferred fault orientation. Further enrichment of the catalogue and an increase in splitting results is required to draw more robust conclusions.

Crustal shear wave velocity and radial anisotropy beneath the Mississippi embayment from ambient noise tomography

Imaging of shallow multiple basins and middle to lower crustal structure beneath the Mississippi embayment is still limited. No tomography studies have delineated multiple basins as effectively as those from reflection and drilling experiments. Several studies have constructed different velocity models for the middle to lower crust. We take advantage of the Northern Embayment Lithosphere Experiment dataset and long-term deployment of 277 3-component broadband stations installed from 1990 to 2018 to image crustal shear wave velocity and radial anisotropy in the Mississippi embayment. We first construct 5–40s group velocity maps for Rayleigh wave and 5–30s ones for Love wave. In the 5 s group velocity map, we observe that low velocity features correlate spatially with the sediment thickness from the Crust 1.0 model. High velocity anomalies are associated with the Ozark uplift and the Nashville Dome. In the 32 s group velocity map, high-low velocity boundaries align with 40 km crustal thickness contours from the Crust 1.0 model. We then invert Rayleigh and Love group velocity dispersion for shear wave velocity and radial anisotropy at each grid point and construct a 3D model accordingly. At the depth of 0–5 km of the model, we find that low velocity features characterize the Mississippi Valley Graben, Rough Creek Graben, Black Warrior Basin, and coastal flood plain. High velocity features mark thinly sedimented regions, like the Ozark uplift and the Nashville Dome. Regions with high gravity anomalies are characterized with negative anisotropies. At the depth of 5–12 km, we observe low velocity features in the Missouri Batholith, centering around 10 km. This region is characterized with negative radial anisotropy (Vsh < Vsv), inferring possible intrusions. High-low velocity boundaries correlate with the Appalachian-Ouachita thrust front. At the depth of 12–24 km, the Mississippi Valley Graben is filled with high velocity material, which may be related to the formation of the graben due to isostatic equilibrium. At the depth of 24–43 km, high velocity anomalies characterize the lower crust of the Mississippi embayment, consistent with high density features from the inversion of free air anomaly. The high velocity anomaly might be responsible for the formation of the embayment due to isostatic adjustment. The average velocity in the lower crust is approximately 4.3 km/s. Mafic Pikwitonei granulite is a possible material, indicating relative strong lower crust. This work provides useful information to explain earthquake occurrence in the New Madrid Seismic Zone and regional tectonic settings.

3-D crustal shear wave velocity and azimuthally anisotropic structure of the Pearl River Delta onshore-offshore area and its tectonic implications

The Pearl River Delta (PRD) onshore-offshore area lies in the transition zone between South China and northern continental margin of the South China Sea. To better understand the tectonic and deformation patterns at depth, we developed a 3-D high-resolution crustal shear wave velocity (Vs) and azimuthal anisotropy model by ambient noise tomography in this region. The data sets comprise ∼30 days of seismic ambient noise recorded by 124 land seismic stations and 28 Ocean Bottom Seismometers (OBS). Our results reveal a significant lateral contrast in azimuthal anisotropy in the crust. The fast axes of the azimuthal anisotropy in land show an approximately NW-SE direction, which may be mainly controlled by the regional stress field. In the offshore PRD, however, the fast axes of anisotropy strike nearly in the NE-SW direction, likely dominated by the shearing of the littoral fault zone. Combined with other previous results, the anisotropic model reveals three major crustal deformation processes in this region since the Yanshanian. Furthermore, an upper-middle crustal frozen mafic magma chamber with high Vs (∼3.85–4.0 km/s) is imaged beneath Shenzhen, Zhuhai, and Hong Kong. It is interpreted as a source of intense magmatic activities in and around Hong Kong during the late Mesozoic. Our new model provides important constraints for understanding the crustal architecture and the multistage deformation processes in and around the PRD onshore-offshore area.

Automated shear-wave splitting analysis for single- and multi- layer anisotropic media

Shear-wave velocity anisotropy is present throughout the earth. The strength and orientation of anisotropy can be observed by shear-wave splitting (birefringence) accumulated between earthquake sources and receivers. Seismic deployments are getting ever larger, increasing the number of earthquakes detected and the number of source-receiver pairs. Here, we present a new Python software package, SWSPy, that fully automates shear-wave splitting analysis, useful for large datasets. The software is written in Python, so it can be easily integrated into existing workflows. Furthermore, seismic anisotropy studies typically make a single-layer approximation, but in this work we describe a new method for measuring anisotropy for multi-layered media, which is also implemented. We demonstrate the performance of SWSPy for a range of geological settings, from glaciers to Earth's mantle. We show how the package facilitates interpretation of an extensive dataset at a volcano, and how the new multi-layer method performs on synthetic and real-world data. The automated nature of SWSPy and the discrimination of multi-layer anisotropy will improve the quantification of seismic anisotropy, especially for tomographic applications. The method is also relevant for removing anisotropic effects, important for applications including full-waveform inversion and moment magnitude analysis.

Mapping of stress and structure controlled upper crustal anisotropy in Kumaon-Gharwal Himalaya

Shear wave splitting analysis of local earthquakes provides valuable insights into the structure and stress controlled upper crustal anisotropy signatures. We examine these signatures at the Kumaon-Garhwal Himalaya and provides an excellent example of anisotropic crustal structure in the ongoing continent-continent collision settings between Indian and the Eurasian plates. A total of 256 local earthquakes were selected for the analysis (1.0 ≤ M ≤ 5.4) between January 2017 and February 2021, recorded at a dense network of 51 broadband stations. The result indicates the observed crustal anisotropy is parallel to stress-aligned micro-cracks far from the major Himalayan fault zones and structure parallel near the fault zones. The dominant fast polarization directions (FPD) in the Inner Lesser Himalaya (ILH) and Higher Himalaya, are consistent with the maximum compressive horizontal stress directions (SHmax), essentially influenced by the local stress field. Whereas in the Outer Lesser Himalaya (OLH) and Sub Himalaya, fast directions are sub-parallel to the structural trends, suggesting that the anisotropy is associated with the shear fabric from recent deformation episodes related to structural induced anisotropy. The computed normalized delay times show a mean value of 1 ms/km, within the OLH and Sub-Himalaya, while in ILH and Higher Himalaya, this value increases up to 5.3 ms/km. The associated crack densities are 0.0038 and 0.0207, with shear wave velocity anisotropy of 0.38% and 2.07% respectively. Significant scatter within the depth range of 10–15 km is observed in normalized delay times, suggesting the source of anisotropy within the upper crust.

Shear-Wave Anisotropy Measurements in the Crust from Receiver Functions: An Interplay of Lower and Upper Crustal Anisotropy

We report a study using teleseismic P-wave receiver functions to infer the orientation of the maximum horizontal principal stress from the direction of upper crustal shear-wave velocity anisotropy. We apply an inverse approach using the Neighborhood Algorithm to conduct a nonlinear search, attaining a best-fitting crustal model that includes shear velocity anisotropy. Unlike previous methods reported in the literature, this method is able to distinguish anisotropy in the upper, brittle crust from that in the lower, ductile crust in certain instances. We apply this method to teleseismically recorded earthquakes in the Central Valley of California, the Permian Basin, Texas, northern Oklahoma and sites near the San Andreas Fault in California. Of the forty-one stations to which we apply this method, twenty have a good apparent signal. A misfit calculation is performed by calculating a zero-lag cross-correlation coefficient for each modeled receiver function with the data for a given back azimuth range. While the fast polarization direction in the upper crust of some of these stations aligns with independent indicators of the direction of the maximum horizontal principal stress, the fast direction in the upper crust at other stations does not, apparently indicating that the anisotropy was resulting from a different mechanism.

Ambient Noise Tomography of Jinan: The Migration of Groundwater and the Formation of Geothermal Water

AbstractJinan is an important city in eastern China, with rich groundwater in the region. There are four famous springs in the urban area and an abundance of geothermal water in the northern part, which makes the migration of groundwater in this area a very important issue. To study the shallow shear wave velocity structure and groundwater migration in Jinan, we utilized almost a month of continuous waveform data from 175 short period seismometers deployed by the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, in order to calculate the cross‐correlation function. We picked 7749 group dispersion curves and 6117 phase dispersion curves with a period range of 0.2–2 s. Through inversion, we obtained the fine three‐dimensional shear wave velocity and azimuthal anisotropy structure (0–2.4 km). Combining the results with local geological and hydrological data, the following conclusions were reached. (1) There are widespread high velocity anomalies in the region between the Qianfoshan and Wenhuaqiao faults, as well as to the east of the Wenhuaqiao Fault, which may be related to the intrusive gabbro known as the Jinan Intrusive Rock. (2) The two distinct high velocity anomalies in our model (referred to as west and east Jinan Intrusive Rock in this paper) may indicate that the Jinan Intrusive Rock was broken through crustal movement. (3) There is an obvious low velocity layer under the intrusive rock, which could be the channel of groundwater migration. The precipitation in the southern mountain region seeps down into the ground, then is blocked by the Jinan Intrusive Rock and can only progress downwards to a deeper part, where the groundwater is heated by the geothermal gradient. The heated water finally arrives at the northern part and forms geothermal water. (4) The depth of the low velocity layer beneath the Jinan Intrusive Rock varies laterally, which may indicate that the depth of the groundwater migration is different beneath the west and east Jinan Intrusive Rock. (5) There is strong azimuthal anisotropy in southern Jinan, with nearly E‐W fast orientation, which may be related to the tilt limestone layering structure.

Restricted lithospheric extrusion in the SE Tibetan Plateau: Evidence from anisotropic Rayleigh-wave tomography

Constraining variations of lithospheric structure and deformation across southeastern Tibet and the surrounding region are crucial for understanding the lateral growth of the plateau. Using data from two dense seismic arrays in the SE Tibetan Plateau, we obtained fine-scale Rayleigh-wave phase velocity maps by Eikonal tomography, and further inverted for 3-D shear wave velocity and azimuthal anisotropy of the crust and upper mantle. High velocities and weak lithospheric anisotropy are revealed under Dianzhong Block (DZB), where is covered by the relics of the Emeishan Large Igneous Province, while strong anisotropy is imaged around. We propose that the DZB strengthened by the paleo igneous activity plays an essential role in the evolution along the southeastern plateau margin. On the one hand, the DZB obstructs the migration of plateau material to the southeast. On the other hand, strong deformation is localized along the DZB margins, while the stress due to the plate expansion is transferred further to the Xiaojiang fault, which induced significant deformation within the Yangtze Craton. Furthermore, the lithosphere of DZB deflects the mantle flow driven by the eastward Indian subduction under the northern Indochina block.

Crustal structure beneath the northeastern margin of the Tibetan plateau and its surrounding regions revealed by direct surface wave radial anisotropy tomography

We assemble the continuous waveform data recorded by 571 broadband temporary seismic stations from 2014 to 2015 in the northeastern (NE) margin of the Tibetan plateau and its surrounding regions. Rayleigh and Love wave phase velocity dispersion curves (T = 5–50 s) are obtained by the image transformation technique. Then the phase velocity dispersion data are used to jointly invert the 3-D shear wave velocity (Vs) and radial anisotropy (ξ) models in the study region with the direct surface wave radial anisotropy tomography (DRadiSurfTomo) method. The ξ is negative and positive in the upper crust and mid-to-lower crust, respectively, indicating that the crustal deformation pattern is depth-dependent. The middle crust beneath the NE margin of the Tibetan plateau generally exhibits positive ξ. Two low-velocity zones (LVZs) are detected beneath the Songpan-Garzê block and the western Qinling orogen as well as the northern Qilian orogen. High-velocity zone (HVZ) and positive ξ are characterized in the mid-to-lower crust beneath both the Alxa block and the Ordos basin. Combining with the previous results, we propose these two blocks, as a whole belonging to a part of the North China Craton (NCC), effectively restrict the northeastward growth of the Tibetan plateau. The uneven crustal deformation along the boundary between the NE margin of the Tibetan plateau and its surrounding regions is likely to be affected by the far-field stress originating from the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates.

Radial anisotropy and S-wave velocity depict the internal to external zone transition within the Variscan orogen (NW Iberia)

Abstract. The cross-correlation of ambient noise records registered by seismic networks has proven to be a valuable tool to obtain new insights into the crustal structure at different scales. Based on 2 to 14 s period Rayleigh and Love dispersion data extracted from the seismic ambient noise recorded by 20 three-component broadband stations belonging to two different temporary experiments, we present the first (i) upper-crustal (1–12 km) high-resolution shear wave velocity and (ii) radial anisotropy variation models of the continental crust in NW Iberia. The area of study represents one of the best-exposed cross sections along the Variscan orogen of western Europe, showing the transition between the external eastern zones towards the internal areas in the west. Both the 2-D maps and an E–W transect reveal a close correspondence with the main geological domains of the Variscan orogen. The foreland fold-and-thrust belt of the orogen, the Cantabrian Zone, is revealed by a zone of relatively low shear wave velocities (2.3–3.0 km s−1), while the internal zones generally display higher homogeneous velocities (&gt; 3.1 km s−1). The boundary between the two zones is clearly delineated in the models, depicting the arcuate shape of the orogenic belt. The velocity patterns also reveal variations of the elastic properties of the upper crust that can be linked to major Variscan structures, such as the basal detachment of the Cantabrian Zone, the stack of nappes involving pre-Variscan basement, or sedimentary features such as the presence of thick syn-orogenic siliciclastic wedges. Overall, the radial anisotropy magnitude varies between −5 % and 15 % and increases with depth. The depth pattern suggests that the alignment of cracks is the main source of anisotropy at &lt; 8 km depths, although the intrinsic anisotropy seems to be significant in the West Asturian–Leonese Zone, the low-grade slate belt adjacent to the Cantabrian Zone. At depths &gt; 8 km, widespread high and positive radial anisotropies are observed, which we attribute to the presence of subhorizontal alignments of grains and minerals in relation to the pre- or syn-orogenic deformation associated with the Variscan orogenesis.

First-principles calculations of high-pressure physical properties anisotropy for magnesite

The first-principles calculations based on density functional theory with projector-augmented wave are used to study the anisotropy of elastic modulus, mechanical hardness, minimum thermal conductivity, acoustic velocity and thermal expansion of magnesite (MgCO3) under deep mantle pressure. The calculation results of the phase transition pressure, equation of state, elastic constants, elastic moduli, elastic wave velocities and thermal expansion coefficient are consistent with those determined experimentally. The research results show that the elastic moduli have strong anisotropy, the mechanical hardness gradually softens with increasing pressure, the conduction velocity of heat in the [100] direction is faster than that in the [001] direction, the plane wave velocity anisotropy first increases and then gradually decreases with increasing pressure, and the shear wave velocity anisotropy increases with the increase of pressure, the thermal expansion in the [100] direction is greater than that in the [001] direction. The research results are of great significance to people’s understanding of the high-pressure physical properties of carbonates in the deep mantle.

Radial anisotropy in the crust beneath Fujian and the Taiwan strait from direct surface-wave tomography

The Fujian-Taiwan Strait-Taiwan area has undergone multiple periods of alternate compressional and extensional tectonic events, forming a complex geological structure. The underground structure and deformation characteristics, reflected by three-dimensional velocity structure and anisotropy, are the basis for analyzing the influences of different geological processes. In this study, utilizing 2 years of continuous waveform data from more than 100 permanent stations in Fujian and Taiwan, we extracted Rayleigh and Love wave dispersion data based on the cross-correlation of vertical and tangential components. A direct inversion method was employed to obtain the 3-D shear wave velocity and radial anisotropy structure of the crust. Vertical and horizontal polarized shear wave velocity structures were also inverted separately, and then used to calculate another radially anisotropic velocity model for comparison. The results show that the middle and lower crust of Fujian and the Taiwan Strait are dominated by positive radial anisotropy attributed to the near-horizontal alignment of minerals caused by extension. Although in an extension environment, most of the shallow crust exhibits weak anisotropy due to the vertical cutting of fractures and fissures, except for the strait area covered by horizontal sedimentary layers leading to strong positive radial anisotropy. In addition to the influence of faults and other shallow structures, the stress distribution caused by metamorphism also plays an important role; thus, the upper crust of the marine metamorphic belt shows negative radial anisotropy. Different from the strong positive anisotropy in other parts of the lower crust, relatively weak anisotropy appears beneath the Penghu area, which is related to two-stage Cenozoic extension.

Smart Ultrasound Device for Non-Invasive Real-Time Myocardial Stiffness Quantification of the Human Heart.

Quantitative assessment of myocardial stiffness is crucial to understand and evaluate cardiac biomechanics and function. Despite the recent progresses of ultrasonic shear wave elastography, quantitative evaluation of myocardial stiffness still remains a challenge because of strong elastic anisotropy. In this paper we introduce a smart ultrasound approach for non-invasive real-time quantification of shear wave velocity (SWV) and elastic fractional anisotropy (FA) in locally transverse isotropic elastic medium such as the myocardium. The approach relies on a simultaneous multidirectional evaluation of the SWV without a prior knowledge of the fiber orientation. We demonstrated that it can quantify accurately SWV in the range of 1.5 to 6 m/s in transverse isotropic medium (FA < 0.7) using numerical simulations. Experimental validation was performed on calibrated phantoms and anisotropic ex vivo tissues. A mean absolute error of 0.22 m/s was found when compared to gold standard measurements. Finally, in vivo feasibility of myocardial anisotropic stiffness assessment was evaluated in four healthy volunteers on the antero-septo basal segment and on anterior free wall of the right ventricle (RV) in end-diastole. A mean longitudinal SWV of 1.08 ± 0.20 m/s was measured on the RV wall and 1.74 ± 0.51 m/s on the septal wall with a good intra-volunteer reproducibility (±0.18 m/s). This approach has the potential to become a clinical tool for the quantitative evaluation of myocardial stiffness and diastolic function.

3‐D Crustal Azimuthal Anisotropy Reveals Multi‐Stage Deformation Processes of the Sichuan Basin and Its Adjacent Area, SW China

AbstractThe collision of the South China Block and the North China Block and the eastward extrusion of the Tibetan Plateau materials have caused complicated tectonic deformation and strong seismicity around the Sichuan Basin (SCB). In order to reveal regional stress distribution and deformation mechanisms, we invert for a 3‐D high‐resolution shear wave velocity and azimuthal anisotropy model from ambient noise tomography with data from 483 broadband seismographs deployed around the SCB. Our results reveal strong lateral contrasts of azimuthal anisotropy in the crust. The western Sichuan depression shows weak deformation. The central Sichuan uplift, used to be a stable microcontinent, shows relatively strong and coherent fossil anisotropy. In contrast, the eastern Sichuan folds shows strong anisotropy, indicating intense regional deformation. The fast axis direction is bifurcated when reaching the Longmenshan fault, which indicates the obstruction of the SCB to the crustal low velocity materials beneath the Songpan‐Ganzi Block. In the east, the rigid SCB and strike‐slip faults may transform the compressive stress to shear deformation in adjacent areas and cause a ring‐shaped anisotropy pattern below 15 km depth. Furthermore, anisotropy patterns display strong contrast at shallow depths in the Weiyuan and Changning regions, which may facilitate the accumulation of strain and more likely induce earthquakes during the shale gas exploration stage. Our new model provides important constraints for understanding the multi‐stage deformation processes in and around the SCB.

Upper mantle radial anisotropy under the Indian Ocean from higher mode surface waves and a hierarchical transdismensional approach

SUMMARYWe investigated the likelihood of radial anisotropy in the shallow and deep upper mantle, including the mantle transition zone (MTZ) under the Indian Ocean. Seismic anisotropy can be an indicator of mantle deformation through lattice preferred orientation of anisotropic crystals in the mantle. It has thus the potential to illuminate Earth’s dynamic interior, but previous seismic tomography studies have not achieved consensus on the existence of radial anisotropy below ∼250 km depth. We developed a fully nonlinear transdimensional hierarchical Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach to invert fundamental and higher mode surface wave dispersion data and applied it to a subset of a global Love and Rayleigh wave data set. We obtained posterior model parameter distributions for shear wave velocity (VS) and radial anisotropy ξ under the Indian Ocean. These posterior model distributions were used to calculate the probability of having radial anisotropy at different depths. We demonstrated that separate inversions of Love and Rayleigh waves yield models compatible with the results of joint inversions within uncertainties. The obtained pattern of VS anomalies agrees with most previous studies. They display negative anomalies along ridges in the uppermost mantle, but those are stronger than for regularized inversions. The Central Indian Ridge and the Southeastern Indian Ridge present velocity anomalies that extend to ∼200 km depth, whereas the Southwestern Indian Ridge seems to have a shallower origin. Weaker, laterally variable velocity perturbations were found at larger depths. The anisotropy models differ more strongly from regularized inversion results and their uncertainties were rather large. We found that anisotropy models from regularized inversions also depend on the chosen parametrization, which is consistent with the existence of a large model null-space. Apart from a fast horizontally polarized shear wave signal in the top 100 km, likely reflecting the horizontal plate motion due to asthenospheric deformation, no clear relation to surface geology was detected in the anisotropy models. We found that, although the anisotropy model uncertainties are rather large, and lateral variations are present, the data generally prefer at least 1 per cent anisotropy in the MTZ with fast vertically polarized shear waves, within errors. Incorporating group velocity data did not help better constrain deep structure by reducing parameter trade-offs. We also tested the effect of prior constraints on the 410- and 660-km topography and found that the undulations of these discontinuities had little effect on the resulting models in our study region.

Crustal Radial Anisotropy of the Iran Plateau Inferred From Ambient Noise Tomography

AbstractThis study presents a three‐dimensional (3D) model of the crustal and uppermost mantle shear wave velocity and radial anisotropy beneath the Iran Plateau constructed by Rayleigh and Love waves from ambient noise. We correlate three years of continuous seismic ambient noise data recorded in 98 stations to obtain cross correlation functions. Then, we measure Rayleigh (8–60 s) and Love (8–50 s) wave dispersion curves from these cross‐correlation functions to generate two‐dimensional dispersion maps using a fast marching surface tomography method. Finally, we build a quasi‐3D shear wave velocity and radial anisotropy model by jointly inverting Rayleigh and Love local phase velocity dispersion curves using a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo inversion method. Observed radial anisotropy beneath Central Iran is weaker than adjacent areas. Negative radial anisotropy is observed in the shallow structures across our study region, which is most likely attributed to vertically aligned cracks in the upper crust. Strong positive radial anisotropy in the middle to the lower crust beneath the Zagros is imaged, which is associated with ductile shear zones in the crust. Radial anisotropy changes from positive values in the crust to negative values in the upper mantle beneath the Zagros, which may be evidence for the decoupling of the crust from the upper mantle beneath the Zagros.

Upper Mantle Anisotropic Shear Velocity Structure at the Equatorial Mid‐Atlantic Ridge Constrained by Rayleigh Wave Group Velocity Analysis From the PI‐LAB Experiment

AbstractThe evolution of ocean lithosphere and asthenosphere are fundamental to plate tectonics, yet high resolution imaging is rare. We present shear wave velocity and azimuthal anisotropy models for the upper mantle from Rayleigh wave group velocities from local earthquake and ambient noise at 15–40‐s period recorded by the Passive Imaging of the Lithosphere Asthenosphere Boundary experiment at the equatorial Mid‐Atlantic Ridge covering 0–80‐Myr‐old seafloor. We find slow velocities along the ridge, with faster velocities beneath older seafloor. We image a fast lid (25–30‐km thick) beneath the ridge that increases to 50–60 km beneath older seafloor. Punctuated, ∼100 km wide low velocity anomalies exist off‐axis. There are multiple layers of azimuthal anisotropy, including (i) a lithosphere (20–40 km depth) characterized by strong anisotropy (4.0%–7.0 %) with fast‐axes that rotate from ridge subparallel toward the absolute plate motion/spreading direction at distances &gt;60 km from the ridge, and (ii) weak anisotropy (1.0%–2.0%) at &gt;40 km depth. Our results are consistent with conductive cooling of lithosphere, although with some complexities. Thickened lithosphere beneath the ridge supports lateral conductive cooling beneath slow‐spreading centers. Undulations in lithospheric thickness and slow asthenospheric velocities are consistent with small scale convection and/or partial melt. Lithospheric anisotropy can be explained by vertical flow and a contribution from either fluid or mineral filled cracks organized melt beneath the ridge and plate motion induced strain off axis. Deep azimuthal anisotropy is suggestive of upwelling beneath the ridge and three‐dimensional flow possibly caused by small scale convection off‐axis.

Evidence for radial anisotropy in the lower crust of the Apennines from Bayesian ambient noise tomography in Europe

SUMMARYProbing seismic anisotropy of the lithosphere provides valuable clues on the fabric of rocks. We present a 3-D probabilistic model of shear wave velocity and radial anisotropy of the crust and uppermost mantle of Europe, focusing on the mountain belts of the Alps and Apennines. The model is built from Love and Rayleigh dispersion curves in the period range 5–149 s. Data are extracted from seismic ambient noise recorded at 1521 broad-band stations, including the AlpArray network. The dispersion curves are first combined in a linearized least squares inversion to obtain 2-D maps of group velocity at each period. Love and Rayleigh maps are then jointly inverted at depth for shear wave velocity and radial anisotropy using a Bayesian Monte Carlo scheme that accounts for the trade-off between radial anisotropy and horizontal layering. The isotropic part of our model is consistent with previous studies. However, our anisotropy maps differ from previous large scale studies that suggested the presence of significant radial anisotropy everywhere in the European crust and shallow upper mantle. We observe instead that radial anisotropy is mostly localized beneath the Apennines while most of the remaining European crust and shallow upper mantle is isotropic. We attribute this difference to trade-offs between radial anisotropy and thin (hectometric) layering in previous studies based on least-squares inversions and long period data (&amp;gt;30 s). In contrast, our approach involves a massive data set of short period measurements and a Bayesian inversion that accounts for thin layering. The positive radial anisotropy (VSH &amp;gt; VSV) observed in the lower crust of the Apennines cannot result from thin layering. We rather attribute it to ductile horizontal flow in response to the recent and present-day extension in the region.