Teleseismic Surface Wave Study for S-wave Velocity Structures Under an Array: Southern California

Kenton Prindle, & Toshiro Tanimoto

Published August 2006, SCEC Contribution #936

Teleseismic surface wave data from the dense seismographic network in Southern California (CISN, California Integrated Seismic Network) are used to construct S-wave velocity maps for the region. Surface wave phase velocity measurements are achieved by way of a waveform-matching spectral-domain technique that was developed for use within the CISN array. A two-station phase velocity measurement technique was developed, which takes advantage of the fact that, for surface wave arrivals from any azimuth, there are multiple pairs of CISN stations, which are almost exactly on the same great-circle paths. To ensure the validity of this assumption, particle motions were analysed for measured pairs within the network, showing that the deviation between expected backazimuth from ray theory and observed backazimuths are small enough to be analysed by a simple distance correction. This method was applied to 114 large earthquakes for time periods between 1999 and 2002 and led to the retrieval of phase velocity maps for Rayleigh waves between 20 and 55 mHz and for Love waves between 25 and 45 mHz.

Finite frequency effect for propagating surface waves was approximately taken into consideration using a geometrical technique. An ellipse, determined by wavelength and great-circle distance between the source and receiver can describe an influence zone for the finite frequency effect. Phase velocity map reconstructions, using a method which incorporates this effect, show minimal changes in phase velocity maps for our region, but do extend solvable velocity regions.

Inversion for S-wave velocity distribution with depth shows that deep structural contrast across the San Andreas extends into the upper mantle. A slow velocity anomaly is evident under the Southern Sierras and the Salton Sea, the latter region indicating the northward extension of tectonic activity in the Gulf of California. Fast velocity roots that reach 60 km are found under the western part of Transverse Ranges and the Northern Peninsular Ranges. Reconstruction of past location of the Western Transverse Range microplate implies that these two ranges may have been adjacent to one another historically. Both the Western Transverse range fast velocity root and the Peninsular range fast velocity root may be a remnant of old oceanic plate.

Citation
Prindle, K., & Tanimoto, T. (2006). Teleseismic Surface Wave Study for S-wave Velocity Structures Under an Array: Southern California. Geophysical Journal International, 166(2), 601-621. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-246X.2006.02947.x.