Crustal and upper-mantle structure in the Eastern Mediterranean from the analysis of surface wave dispersion curves

The dispersive properties of surface waves are used to infer earth structure in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Using group velocity maps for Rayleigh and Love waves from 7100 s, we invert for the best 1D crust and uppermantle structure at a regular series of points. Assembling the results produces a 3D lithospheric model, along with corresponding maps of sediment and crustal thickness. A comparison of our results to other studies finds the uncertainties of the Moho estimates to be about 5 km. We find thick sediments beneath most of the Eastern Mediterranean basin, in the Hellenic subduction zone and the Cyprus arc. The Ionian Sea is more characteristic of oceanic crust than the rest of the Eastern Mediterranean region as demonstrated in particular by the crustal thickness. We also find significant crustal thinning in the Aegean Sea portion of the backarc, particularly towards the south. Notably slower Swave velocities are found in the uppermantle, especially in the northern Red Sea and Dead Sea Rift, central Turkey, and along the subduction zone. The low velocities in the uppermantle that span from North Africa to Crete, in the Libyan Sea, might be an indication of serpentinized mantle from the subducting African lithosphere. We also find evidence of a strong reverse correlation between sediment and crustal thickness which, while previously demonstrated for extensional regions, also seems applicable for this convergence zone

An Analysis of the Mt. Meron Seismic Array

We have performed a quick analysis of the Mt. Meron seismic array to monitor regional seismic events in the Middle East. The Meron array is the only current array in the Levant and Arabian Peninsula and, as such, might be useful in contributing to event location, identification, and other analysis. Here, we provide a brief description of the array and a review of the travel time and array analysis done to assess its performance

Crustal thinning between the Ethiopian and East African Plateaus from modeling Rayleigh wave dispersion

The East African and Ethiopian Plateaus have long been recognized to be part of a much larger topographic anomaly on the African Plate called the African Superswell. One of the few places within the African Superswell that exhibit elevations of less than 1 km is southeastern Sudan and northern Kenya, an area containing both Mesozoic and Cenozoic rift basins. Crustal structure and uppermost mantle velocities are investigated in this area by modeling Rayleigh wave dispersion. Modeling results indicate an average crustal thickness of 25 {+-} 5 km, some 10-15 km thinner than the crust beneath the adjacent East African and Ethiopian Plateaus. The low elevations can therefore be readily attributed to an isostatic response from crustal thinning. Low Sn velocities of 4.1-4.3 km/s also characterize this region

Reconciling data using Markov Chain Monte Carlo: An application to the Yellow Sea - Korean Peninsula region

In an effort to build seismic models that are most consistent with multiple data sets, we have applied a new probabilistic inverse technique. This method uses a Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm to sample models from a prior distribution and test them against multiple data types to generate a posterior distribution. While computationally expensive, this approach has several advantages over a single deterministic model, notably the reconciliation of different data types that constrain the model, the proper handling of uncertainties, and the ability to include prior information. We also benefit from the advantage of forward modeling rather than inverting the data. Here, we use this method to determine the crust and upper mantle structure of the Yellow Sea and Korean Peninsula (YSKP) region. We discuss the data sets, parameterization and starting model, outline the technique and its implementation, observe the behavior of the inversion, and demonstrate some of the advantages of this approach

Preliminary Definition of Geophysical Regions in Western Eurasia

The authors present a regionalized crustal model of Western Eurasia, WEA. The model is constructed using results from published studies and maps of geological and geophysical parameters in this region, and was developed in conjunction with the updated regionalization of Middle East and North Africa by Walter et al.[2000]. As this is the first realization of the Eurasian modeling effort, they have limited themselves to only twelve broad regions. Particular attention has been given to identifying the boundaries for each region. The main use of this model will be to assist in monitoring the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Specifically, this model will help them to calibrate and predict the travel time and amplitudes of various regional seismic phases and to locate events accurately. The model based approach allows them to readily calibrate both the seismic and the aseismic parts of western Eurasia. Each region is specified by an one-dimensional model of compressional and shear velocities, densities and layer thicknesses. Further improvements to this model will involve, but not be limited to, increasing the spatial coverage toward the east and west of Eurasia, identify sub-regions based on their distinct physical properties and the use of new and improved body wave and surface wave datasets. In the future, they expect to use this model and its successors to be the baseline model for calibration techniques, e.g., kriging, to improve their capability to detect, locate and discriminate different seismic events in Eurasia

SPE 1 Data Quicklook report

Abstract not provide

The Prospect of using Three-Dimensional Earth Models To Improve Nuclear Explosion Monitoring and Ground Motion Hazard Assessment

The last ten years have brought rapid growth in the development and use of three-dimensional (3D) seismic models of earth structure at crustal, regional and global scales. In order to explore the potential for 3D seismic models to contribute to important societal applications, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) hosted a 'Workshop on Multi-Resolution 3D Earth Models to Predict Key Observables in Seismic Monitoring and Related Fields' on June 6 and 7, 2007 in Berkeley, California. The workshop brought together academic, government and industry leaders in the research programs developing 3D seismic models and methods for the nuclear explosion monitoring and seismic ground motion hazard communities. The workshop was designed to assess the current state of work in 3D seismology and to discuss a path forward for determining if and how 3D earth models and techniques can be used to achieve measurable increases in our capabilities for monitoring underground nuclear explosions and characterizing seismic ground motion hazards. This paper highlights some of the presentations, issues, and discussions at the workshop and proposes a path by which to begin quantifying the potential contribution of progressively refined 3D seismic models in critical applied arenas

Tomography and Methods of Travel-Time Calculation for Regional Seismic Location

We are developing a laterally variable velocity model of the crust and upper mantle across Eurasia and North Africa to reduce event location error by improving regional travel-time prediction accuracy. The model includes both P and S velocities and we describe methods to compute travel-times for Pn, Sn, Pg, and Lg phases. For crustal phases Pg and Lg we assume that the waves travel laterally at mid-crustal depths, with added ray segments from the event and station to the mid crustal layer. Our work on Pn and Sn travel-times extends the methods described by Zhao and Xie (1993). With consideration for a continent scale model and application to seismic location, we extend the model parameterization of Zhao and Xie (1993) by allowing the upper-mantle velocity gradient to vary laterally. This extension is needed to accommodate the large variation in gradient that is known to exist across Eurasia and North African. Further, we extend the linear travel-time calculation method to mantle-depth events, which is needed for seismic locators that test many epicenters and depths. Using these methods, regional travel times are computed on-the-fly from the velocity model in milliseconds, forming the basis of a flexible travel time facility that may be implemented in an interactive locator. We use a tomographic technique to improve upon a laterally variable starting velocity model that is based on Lawrence Livermore and Los Alamos National Laboratory model compilation efforts. Our tomographic data set consists of approximately 50 million regional arrivals from events that meet the ground truth (GT) criteria of Bondar et al. (2004) and other non-seismic constraints. Each datum is tested to meet strict quality control standards that include comparison with established distance-dependent travel-time residual populations relative to the IASPIE91 model. In addition to bulletin measurements, nearly 50 thousand arrival measurements were made at the national laboratories. The tomographic method adjusts Pn velocity, mantle gradient, and a node-specific crustal slowness correction for optimized travel-time prediction