Coda Q in the Kachchh Basin, Western India Using Aftershocks of the Bhuj Earthquake of January 26, 2001

Abstract

Q _C -estimates of Kachchh Basin in western India have been obtained in a high frequency range from 1.5 to 24.0 Hz using the aftershock data of Bhuj earthquake of January 26, 2001 recorded within an epicentral distance of 80 km. The decay of coda waves of 30 sec window from 186 seismograms has been analysed in four lapse time windows, adopting the single backscattering model. The study shows that Q _c is a function of frequency and increases as frequency increases. The frequency dependent Q _c relations obtained for four lapse-time windows are: Q _c =82 f^1.17 (20–50 sec), Q _c =106 f^1.11 (30–60 sec), Q _c =126f^1.03 (40–70 sec) and Q _c =122f^1.02 (50–80 sec). These empirical relations represent the average attenuation properties of a zone covering the surface area of about 11,000, 20,000, 28,000 and 38,000 square km and a depth extent of about 60, 80, 95, 110 km, respectively. With increasing window length, the degree of frequency dependence, n, decreases marginally from 1.17 to 1.02, whereas Q₀ increases significantly from 82 to 122. At lower frequencies up to 6 Hz, Q _c ⁻¹ of Kachchh Basin is in agreement with other regions of the world, whereas at higher frequencies from 12 to 24 Hz it is found to be low.