The crust is the outer-most layer of the earth with thickness up to 80 km. Massive seismic waveform data have enabled imaging fine crustal structures with the aid of new imaging techniques. In this thesis, I develop seismic imaging techniques to take full advantage of the expanding dataset as well as apply the imaging techniques to understand crustal seismic structures. First, I apply receiver function techniques to image the crustal thickness and average Vp/Vs in Northeast China. I found an uplifted Moho in eastern flank of the Songliao Basin and the Changbaishan region and suggest that dynamic mantle upwelling might be the cause of the observed uplift. With accumulated waveform data available, it becomes possible to extract more subtle structural information from receiver function. Second, I develop a new technique to robustly estimate seismic azimuthal anisotropy with radial and transverse receiver functions. I apply this technique to estimate the crustal anisotropy in Southeast Yunnan region and found that the significant crustal anisotropy may be caused by lower crust flow in this region. Full-wave based imaging techniques such as reverse time migration and full-wave inversion does not assume flat interfaces or infinite frequency rays as that the receiver function techniques do and are desirable in imaging more complex crustal structures. However, their high computational cost is one of the issues that prevent their practical applications. In the last part, I developed an effective waveform modeling technique to efficiently simulate wave propagation in acoustic media. With this novel modeling technique, the full-wave based imaging techniques are accelerated by a factor up to 400%.

The crust and upper mantle seismic structure beneath southwestern Mexico was investigated using several techniques including teleseismic tomography using 3D raytracing, a joint tomographic inversion of teleseismic and regional data that included relocation of regional seismicity, and a P to S converted wave study. The data used in these studies came from a broadband seismic deployment called MARS. The seismic deployment lasted 1.5 years from January 2006 to June 2007 and the stations covered much of Jalisco and Colima states as well as the western part of Michoacan states. At depth less than 50 km, P-wave receiver function images show a clear dipping slow velocity anomaly above a fast velocity layer. The slow anomaly convertor seen in receiver functions is directly above a fast dipping seismic anomaly seen in regional tomography results. The slow velocity with high Vp/Vs ratio is interpreted as a high pore fluid pressure zone within the upper layer of subducting oceanic crust. Regional seismicity was located using the double difference technique and then relocated in a tomography inversion. The seismicity is located very close to the slow dipping boundary to depths of 30-35 km and thus along the plate interface between the subducted and overlying plate. Deeper events are below the slow layer and thus are intraplate. Receiver function results also show a weaker continental Moho signal above the dipping slab that I interpret as a region of mantle serpentinization in the mantle wedge. Inland of the subduction zone, a clear Moho is observed with a maximum thickness of near 42 km although it thins to near 36 km depth towards the north approaching the Tepic-Zacoalco Rift. Using H-K analysis to examine Vp/Vs ratios in the crust, I find a band of very high Vp/Vs along the Jalisco Volcanic lineament as well as beneath the Michoacan-Guanajuato volcanic field. These observations suggest the continental crust is warm and possibly partially molten over broad areas associated with these two magmatic regions and not just locally beneath the volcanoes. I also found seismicity associated with the Jalisco Volcanic Lineament but it was trenchward of the volcanoes. This may indicate extension in this region is part of the explanation for this magmatic activity. At depths below 100 km, the tomography results show clear fast anomalies, about 0.3 km/s faster than the reference model, dipping to the northeast that I interpret as the subducting Rivera and Cocos plates. Tomography models show that the Rivera slab is dipping much steeper than the Cocos plate at depth. Below 150 km depth, the Rivera plate shows an almost vertical dip supporting the interpretation that the slab has steepened through time beneath Jalisco leading to a coastward migration of young volcanism with mixed geochemical signatures. The location of the young volcanism of the Jalisco Volcanic Lineament is just at the edge of the steeply dipping slab seen in the tomography. The magmatism is thus likely a nascent arc. The models also display evidence of a gap between the Rivera and Cocos plates that increases in width with depth marking the boundary between the two plates. The gap lies just to the west of Colima graben and allows asthenosphere to rise above the plates feeding Colima volcano. Another interesting finding from this study is a possibility of a slab tear along the western edge of the Cocos plate at a depth of about 50 km extending 60 km horizontally. The tear is coincident with a lack of seismicity in this region although there are events below and above the tear. / text

Die Eifel ist eines der jüngsten vulkanischen Gebiete Mitteleuropas. Die letzte Eruption ereignete sich vor ungefähr 11000 Jahren. Bisher ist relativ wenig bekannt über die tieferen Mechanismen, die für den Vulkanismus in der Eifel verantwortlich sind. Erdbebenaktivität deutet ebenso darauf hin, dass die Eifel eines der geodynamisch aktivsten Gebiete Mitteleuropas ist. In dieser Arbeit wird die Receiver Function Methode verwendet, um die Strukturen des oberen Mantels zu untersuchen. 96 teleseismische Beben (mb > 5.2) wurden ausgewertet, welche von permanenten und mobilen breitbandigen und kurzperiodischen Stationen aufgezeichnet wurden. Das temporäre Netzwerk registrierte von November 1997 bis Juni 1998 und überdeckte eine Fläche von ungefähr 400x250 km². Das Zentrum des Netzwerkes befand sich in der Vulkaneifel. <br /> Die Auswertung der Receiver Function Analyse ergab klare Konversionen von der Moho und den beiden Manteldiskontinuitäten in 410 km und 660 km Tiefe, sowie Hinweise auf einen Mantel-Plume in der Region der Eifel. Die Moho wurde bei ungefähr 30 km Tiefe beobachtet und zeigt nur geringe Variationen im Bereich des Netzwerkes. Die beobachteten Variationen der konvertierten Phasen der Moho können mit lateralen Schwankungen in der Kruste zu tun haben, die mit den Receiver Functions nicht aufgelöst werden können. Die Ergebnisse der Receiver Function Methode deuten auf eine Niedriggeschwindigkeitszone zwischen 60 km bis 90 km in der westlichen Eifel hin. In etwa 200 km Tiefe werden im Bereich der Eifel amplitudenstarke positive Phasen von Konversionen beobachtet. Als Ursache hierfür wird eine Hochgeschwindigkeitszone vorgeschlagen, welche durch mögliches aufsteigendes, dehydrierendes Mantel-Material verursacht wird. Die P zu S Konversionen an der 410 km Diskontinuität zeigen einen späteren Einsatz als nach dem IASP91-Modell erwartet wird. Die migrierten Daten weisen eine Absenkung der 410 km Diskontinuität um bis zu 20 km Tiefe auf, was einer Erhöhung der Temperatur von bis zu etwa 140° Celsius entspricht. Die 660 km Diskontinuität weist keine Aufwölbung auf. Dies deutet darauf hin, dass kein Mantelmaterial direkt von unterhalb der 660 km Diskontinuität in der Eifel-Region aufsteigt oder, dass der Ursprung des Eifel-Plumes innerhalb der Übergangszone liegt. / The upper mantle in the region of the Eifel, Germany, analyzed with the <i>receiver function</i> method: <br /> The Eifel is the youngest volcanic area of Central Europe. The last eruption occurred approximately 11000 years ago. Little is known about the deep origin and the mechanism responsible for the Eifel volcanic activity. Earthquake activity indicates that the Eifel is one of the most geodynamically active areas of Central Europe. <br /> In this work the <i>receiver function</i> method is used to investigate the upper mantle structure beneath the Eifel. Data from 96 teleseismic events (mb > 5.2) that were recorded by both permanent stations and a temporary network of 33 broadband and 129 short period stations had been analyzed. The temporary network was operating from November 1997 till June 1998 and covered an area of approximately 400x250 km² centered on the Eifel volcanic fields. <br /> The <i>receiver function</i> analysis reveals a clear image of the Moho and the mantle discontinuities at 410 km and 660 km depth. Average Moho depth is approximately 30 km and it shows little variation over the extent of the network. The observed variations of converted waveforms are possibly caused by lateral variations in crustal structure, which could not resolved by it <i>receiver functions</i>. Inversions of data and migrated it receiver functions from stations of the central Eifel array suggest that a low velocity zone is present at about 60 to 90 km depth in the western Eifel region. There are also indications for a high velocity zone around 200 km depth, perhaps caused by dehydration of the rising plume material. The results suggest that P-to-S conversions from the 410-km discontinuity arrive later than in the IASP91 reference model. The migrated data show a depression of the 410 km discontinuity of about 20 km, which correspond to an increase of temperature of about 140° Celsius. The 660 km discontinuity seems to be unaffected. This indicates that no mantel material rises up from directly below the 660 km discontinuity in the Eifel region or the Eifel-Plume has its origin within the transition zone.

In this study, we present results from teleseismic receiver functions, in order to investigate the crustal thickness and Vp/Vs ratio beneath northern Peru. A total number of 981 receiver functions were analyzed, from data recorded by 28 broadband seismic stations from the Peruvian permanent seismic network, the regional temporary SisNort network and one CTBTO station. The Moho depth and average crustal Vp/Vs ratio were determined at each station using the H-k stacking technique to identify the arrival times of primary P to S conversion and crustal reverberations (PpPms, PpSs + PsPms). The results show that the Moho depth correlates well with the surface topography and varies significantly from west to east, showing a shallow depth of around 25 km near the coast, a maximum depth of 55-60 km beneath the Andean Cordillera, and a depth of 35-40 km further to the east in the Amazonian Basin. The bulk crustal Vp/Vs ratio ranges between 1.60 and 1.88 with the mean of 1.75. Higher values between 1.75 and 1.88 are found beneath the Eastern and Western Cordilleras, consistent with a mafic composition in the lower crust. In contrast values vary from 1.60 to 1.75 in the extreme flanks of the Eastern and Western Cordillera indicating a felsic composition. We find a positive relationship between crustal thickness, Vp/ Vs ratio, the Bouguer anomaly, and topography. These results are consistent with previous studies in other parts of Peru (central and southern regions) and provide the first crustal thickness estimates for the high cordillera in northern Peru.

Teleseismic data recorded by broad-band seismic stations in the Swedish National Seismic Network (SNSN) have been used in a suite of studies of seismic wave conversion in order to assess the structure of the crust and upper mantle beneath the Baltic Shield. Signals of seismic waves converted between P and S at seismic discontinuities within the Earth carry information on the velocity contrast at the converting interface, on the depth of conversion and on P and S velocities above this depth. The conversion from P to S at the crust-mantle boundary (the Moho) provides a robust tool to constrain crustal thicknesses. Results of such analysis for the Baltic Shield show considerable variation of Moho depths and significantly improve the Moho depth map. Analysis of waves converted from S to P in the upper mantle reveals a layered lithosphere with alternating high and low velocity bodies. It also detects clear signals of a sharp velocity contrast at the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary at depths around 200 km. Delay times of P410s, the conversion from P to S at the upper mantle discontinuity at 410 km depth, were used in a tomographic inversion to simultaneously determine P and S velocities in the upper mantle. The polarisation of P410s was also used to study anisotropy of the upper mantle. Results of these analyses are found to be in close agreement with independently derived results from arrival time tomography and shear-wave splitting analysis of SKS. The results presented in this thesis demonstrate the ability of converted wave analysis as a tool to detect and image geological boundaries that involve sharp contrasts in seismic properties. The results also show that this analysis can provide means of studying aspects of Earth’s structure that are conventionally studied using other types of seismic data.

<p>Teleseismic data recorded by broad-band seismic stations in the Swedish National Seismic Network (SNSN) have been used in a suite of studies of seismic wave conversion in order to assess the structure of the crust and upper mantle beneath the Baltic Shield. Signals of seismic waves converted between P and S at seismic discontinuities within the Earth carry information on the velocity contrast at the converting interface, on the depth of conversion and on P and S velocities above this depth. </p><p>The conversion from P to S at the crust-mantle boundary (the Moho) provides a robust tool to constrain crustal thicknesses. Results of such analysis for the Baltic Shield show considerable variation of Moho depths and significantly improve the Moho depth map. Analysis of waves converted from S to P in the upper mantle reveals a layered lithosphere with alternating high and low velocity bodies. It also detects clear signals of a sharp velocity contrast at the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary at depths around 200 km. </p><p>Delay times of P410s, the conversion from P to S at the upper mantle discontinuity at 410 km depth, were used in a tomographic inversion to simultaneously determine P and S velocities in the upper mantle. The polarisation of P410s was also used to study anisotropy of the upper mantle. Results of these analyses are found to be in close agreement with independently derived results from arrival time tomography and shear-wave splitting analysis of SKS.</p><p>The results presented in this thesis demonstrate the ability of converted wave analysis as a tool to detect and image geological boundaries that involve sharp contrasts in seismic properties. The results also show that this analysis can provide means of studying aspects of Earth’s structure that are conventionally studied using other types of seismic data.</p>

The Western U.S. has experienced widespread extension during the past 10’s of millions of years, largely within the Basin and Range and Rio Grande Rift provinces. Tomography results from previous studies revealed narrow fast seismic velocity anomalies in the mantle on either side of the Rio Grande Rift as well as at the western edge of the Colorado Plateau. The fast mantle anomalies have been interpreted as down-welling that is part of small scale mantle convection at the edge of extending provinces. It was also found that crust was thicker than average ab¬¬ove the possible mantle down-welling, indicating that mantle dynamics may influence crustal flow. We present results from P/S conversion receiver functions using SIEDCAR (Seismic Investigation of Edge Driven Convection Associated with the Rio Grande Rift) data to determine crustal and lithospheric structure beneath the east flank of the Rio Grande Rift. Crustal and lithosphere thickness are estimated using P-to-S and S-to-P receiver functions respectively. Receiver function migration methods were applied to produce images of the crust and lithosphere. The results show variable crustal thickness through the region with an average thickness of 45 km. The crust achieves its maximum thickness of 60km at 105W longitude, between 33.5N and 32.2N latitude. This observation confirms previous receiver function results from Wilson et al, 2005. Body wave tomography (Rocket, 2011; Schmandt and Humphreys, 2010) using similar data to what we used for the receiver function analysis, shows mantle downwelling closely associated with the thickened crust. We believe that the thickened crust might be due to lower crustal flow associated with mantle downwelling or mantle delamination at the edge of the Rio Grande Rift. In this model the sinking mantle pulls the crust downward causing a pressure gradient within the crust thus causing the flow. Our S-P images show signal from the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) with an average LAB thickness of 100 km but with a sharp transition at about 1050 W from 75 km to over 100 km. The region with abnormally thick crust overlies a region where the lithosphere appears to have a break. We interpret our results as showing that lower lithosphere has and is delaminating near the edge of the Great Plains accompanied by lower crustal flow in some places determined by lower crustal viscosity. / text

No description available.

This thesis describes a passive-source seismic mapping project in the Nechako Basin of central British Columbia (BC), Canada, with the ultimate goal of assessing the hydrocarbon and mineral potential of the region. The Nechako Basin has been the focus of limited hydrocarbon exploration since the 1930s. Twelve exploratory wells were drilled; oil stains on drill chip samples and the evidence of gas in drill stem tests attest to some hydrocarbon potential. Seismic data collected in the 1980s were of variable quality due mainly to effects of volcanic cover in this region. For the present study, an array of nine seismic stations was deployed in 2006 and 2007 to sample a wide area of the Nechako Basin and map the sediment thickness, crustal thickness, and overall geometry of the basin. This study utilizes recordings of about 40 distant earthquakes from 2006 to 2008 to calculate receiver functions, and construct S-wave velocity models for each station using the Neighbourhood Algorithm inversion. The surface sediments are found to range in thickness from about 0.8 to 2.7 km, and the volcanic layer below ranges in thickness from 2.3 to 4.7 km. Both sediments and volcanic cover are thickest in the central part of the basin. The average crustal thickness across the basin is about 30-32 km; it is thicker in the northern and western parts of the basin, and thinner in the southern and eastern parts. This study complements other research in this region, such as independent active-source seismic studies and magnetotelluric measurements, by providing site-specific images of the crustal structure down to the Moho and detailed constraints on the S-wave velocity structure.

Utilizamos neste trabalho duas metodologias distintas, a função do receptor com ondas P e a função do receptor com ondas S, para mapear variações da crosta e interfaces do manto (litosfera-astenosfera, 410 km e 660 km) em diferentes estações sismográficas na placa Sul-Americana. No estudo da interface litosfera-astenosfera, por ser o primeiro realizado nesta região, utilizamos as estações temporárias do IAG/USP em conjunto com as estações permanentes da rede mundial cobrindo toda a placa Sul-Americana. O estudo para as outras interfaces (Crosta-Manto, 410 km e 660 km) foi feito com caráter regional, buscando detalhar características da crosta e manto na região estável da placa. Para ambos os métodos os traços (sismogramas) foram rotacionados para o sistema LQT, deconvolvidos, agrupados por pontos de perfuração e por estações, e finalmente empilhados. Nos traços empilhados as fases convertidas de interesse (Ps, Ppps, Ppss+Psps e Sp) foram identificadas e interpretadas. Para a parte estável da placa obtivemos um valor médio de espessura da crosta de 39.4±0.6 km, variando desde 31.0±0.5 km para a província Borborema, até 41.3±1.0 km para a bacia do Paraná, onde aplicamos uma correção para descontar o efeito do sedimento. A razão de velocidade para a crosta, Vp/Vs, apresentou valores mais altos para a bacia do Paraná (~1.75±0.08) e região litorânea oriental (>1.74), enquanto que as regiões cratônicas (cráton São Francisco e Amazônico) apresentaram valores de Vp/Vs baixos (<1.72), chegando até 1.68. O valor médio de Vp/Vs para todas as estações analisadas foi de 1.73±0.02. As variações dos tempos para as interfaces do manto mostraram boa correlação com resultados de tomografia sísmica de outros trabalhos, indicando alterações de até 5% na velocidade das ondas sísmicas para o manto superior sob os crátons, uma deflexão de até 15 km na interface de 660 km para a região Sul da bacia do Paraná e se mostraram bem correlacionadas com as médias globais para as outras região estudadas. Por fim, a espessura da litosfera apresentou valores desde ~40 km, sob as regiões de ilhas oceânicas, até ~160 km, sob as regiões mais estáveis. Para as regiões oceânicas a espessura da litosfera se mostra correlacionada com a idade da placa. À medida que adentramos a parte continental, o limite litosfera-astenosfera se torna menos proeminente, atingindo profundidades maiores no interior dos continentes e menores para as regiões marginais. Para a zona de subducção, observamos duas possíveis litosferas, uma oceânica, subduzindo junto com a placa de Nazca, e outra pertencente à parte continental. / Two distinct methodologies, the P- and S-wave receiver functions, are used to map variations in the crustal parameters (thickness and Vp/Vs) and mantle interfaces (lithosphere-asthenosphere, 410 km and 660 km) on a number of different seismograph stations located in the South American plate. The results of the S receiver function for the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary are the first of this kind ever performed in South American continent and showed the large scale variations of this interface. To perform this study we analyze data from various global permanent stations together with all available data from temporary stations operated by the IAG/USP during the last15 years. For both methods the traces (seismograms) were rotated to the LQT system, deconvolved, grouped by piercing points and stations, and finally stacked. In the stacked traces, the converted phases (Ps, Ppps, Ppss+Psps and Sp) were identified and interpreted. Inside the stable part of the plate we found a mean crustal thickness of 39.4±0.6 km, ranging from 31.0±0.5 km in Borborema Province up to 41.3±1.0 km in the Paraná Basin, where we applied a correction to remove the sediment effects on the crustal estimates. The crustal velocity ratios, Vp/Vs, showed higher values for the Paraná Basin (~1.75±0.08) and Ribeira belt (>1.74), while the cratonic regions (São Francisco and Amazon cratons) showed low values of Vp/Vs (<1.72), down to 1.68. The average Vp/Vs obtained for all stations was equal to 1.73±0.02. The observed times of the converted mantle phases presented a good correlation with other tomographic studies, indicating that the upper mantle for the cratonic roots may be characterized by a variation up to 5% in seismic velocities, a 15 km deflection in the South Paraná 660 km discontinuity (probably due to a decreased temperature caused by the subducted slab); for other regions the converted times were close to the global average. As a final result, the lithospheric thickness presented values ranging from ~40 km under oceanic islands, to ~160 km under the stable continental regions. We found that for the oceanic islands the thickness of the lithosphere is correlated with the age of the plate. When we go further inside the continents, the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary becomes less sharp, reaching larger depths inside the continents and shallower depths near the continental margin. In the Andean subduction area, we observed two possibles lithospheres, one oceanic, subducting together with the Nazca plate, and another belonging to the Continent, parallel to the crust interface.