Abstract
We studied spatial and temporal characteristics of seismic attenuation inCentral Italy using S- and coda- waves recorded by the MarchesanSeismograph Network from earthquakes located in the epicentral area ofthe 1997 Umbria-Marche sequence. The amplitude decay of the S waveswith distance was defined calculating empirical attenuation functions at 15frequencies between 1 and 25 Hz. We analyzed separately foreshocks andaftershocks and we found the same attenuation functions, suggesting thatthe possible temporal variations could be confined in a small area. Thefrequency dependence of Q S was approximated by the equation Q S=18 · f 2.0between 1 and 10 Hz. At higher frequencies (10–25 Hz), the frequencydependence of Q s weakens, having an average value of Q S=990. We also estimated Q from coda waves (Q C) using the single-scattering models of Aki andChouet (1975) and Sato (1977). We found that Q C=77 · f 0.6, (between 2 and 20Hz) at the western side of the mountain chain, using either foreshocks oraftershocks. This relation is consistent with previous estimates of Q Creported for the Central Apennines. For a volume sampling the Colfioritobasin, the Apennines and the Marche region we found that Q C=55 · f 0.8,indicating highattenuation below the mountain belt. To detect small temporal changes ofQ, we calculated spectral ratios of 5 temporal doublets located in theepicentral area and recorded at the closest station. We found temporalchanges of Q that vary from 27% to 56%, depending on the locationof the doublets. This variability suggests that the temporal change ofattenuation may depend on the spatial variation of Q and perhaps on thespatial distribution of tectonic stress in the epicentral area.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abercrombie, R.E., 1995, Earthquake source scaling relationships from-1 to 5 ML using seismograms recorded at 2.5 km depth, J. Geophys. Res. 100, 24,015–24,036.
Aki, K. and Chouet, B., 1975, Origin of coda waves: Source, attenuation, and scattering effects. J. Geophys. Res. 80, 3322–3342.
Aki, K., 1980, Scattering and attenuation of shear waves in the lithosphere, J. Geophys. Res. 85, 6496–6504.
Anderson, J.G. and Quaas, R., 1988, The Mexico earthquake of September 19, 1985: effect of magnitude on the character of strong ground motion: an example from the Guerrero, Mexico strong motion network, Earthquake Spectra 4, 635–646.
Anderson, J.G. and Lei, Y., 1994, Nonparametric description of peak acceleration as a function of magnitude, distance and site in Guerrero, Mexico, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 84, 1003–1017.
Amato, A., Azzara, R., Chiarabba, C., Cimini, G.B., Cocco, M., DiBona, M., Margheriti, L., Mazza, S., Mele, F., Selvaggi, G., Basili, A., Boschi, E., Courboulex, F., Deschamps, A., Gaffet, S., Bittarelli, G., Chiaraluce, L., Piccinini, D. and Ripepe, M., 1998, The 1997 Umbria-Marche, Italy, earthquake sequence: a first look of the main shock and aftershock, Geophys. Res. Lett. 25, 2861–2864.
Bott, J. and Wong, I., 1995, The 1986 Crested Butte earthquake swarm and its implications for seismogenesis in Colorado, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 85, 1495–1500.
Camassi, R., Galli, P., Molin, D., Monachesi, G. and Morelli, G., 1997, Rilievo macrosismico preliminare del terremoto Umbro-Marchegiano di settembre-ottobre 1997, Ingenieria Sismica XIV(3), 22–26.
Castro, R.R., Anderson, J.G. and Singh, S.K., 1990, Site response, attenuation and source spectra of S waves along the Guerrero, Mexico, subduction zone, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 80, 1481–1503.
Castro, R.R., Pacor, F., Sala, A. and Petrungaro, C., 1996, S wave attenuation and site effects in the region of Friuli, Italy, J. Geophys. Res. 101, 22,355–22,369.
Castro, R.R., Monachesi, G., Mucciarelli, M., Trojani, L. and Pacor, F., 1999a, P and S-wave attenuation in the region of Marche, Italy, Tectonophysics 302, 123–132.
Castro, R.R., Mucciarelli, M., Monachesi, G., Pacor, F. and Berardi, R., 1999b, A review of nonparametric attenuation functions computed for different regions of Italy, Ann. Di Geofisica 42, 735–748.
Castro, R.R., Trojani, L., Monachesi, G., Mucciarelli, M. and Cattaneo, M., 2000, The spectral decay parameter in the region of Umbria-Marche, Italy, J. Geophys. Res. 105, 23,811–23,823.
Cattaneo, M., Michelini, A., Milana, G., Monachesi, G., and XGUMS, 1998, Utilizzo congiunto di reti temporanee e locali per l'analisi della sequenza Umbro-Marchigiana del 1997, 17°. Convegno Nazionale, CNR, Gruppo Nazionale di Geofisica della Terra Solida, pp. 104–105.
Cattaneo, M., Augliera, P., DeLuca, G., Gorini, A., Govoni, A., Marcucci, S., Michelini, A., Monachesi, G., Spallarossa, D., Trojani, L. and XGUMS, 2000, The 1997 Umbria-Marche (Italy) earthquake sequence: analysis of the data recorded by the local and temporary networks, J. of Seismology 4, 401–414.
Chouet, B., 1979, Temporal variation in the attenuation of earthquake coda near Stone Canyon, California, Geophys. Res. Lett. 6, 143–146.
Del Pezzo, E. and Zollo, A., 1984, Attenuation of coda waves and turbidity coefficient in Central Italy, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 74, 2665–2659.
Del Pezzo, E. and Scarcella, G., 1986, Three component coda Q in the Abruzzi-Molise region, Central Appenines, Annales Geophysicae 5, 589–592.
Ekstrom, G., Morelli, A., Boschi, E. and Dziewonski, A.M., 1998, Moment tensor analysis of the Central Italy earthquake sequence of September-October 1997, Geophys. Res. Lett. 25, 1971–1974.
Evernden, J.F., 1969, Identification of earthquakes and explosions by use of teleseismic data, J. Geophys. Res. 74, 3828–3856.
Gao, L.S., Lee, L.C., Biswas, N.N. and Aki, K., 1983, Comparison of the effects between single and multiple scattering on coda waves for local earthquakes, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 73, 377–389.
Got, J.L., Poupinet, G. and Frechet, J., 1990, Changes in source and site effects compared to coda temporal variations using microearthquakes doublets in California, Pure and Appl. Geophys. 134, 195–228.
Gusev, A.A. and Lemzikov, U.K., 1985, Properties of scattered elastic waves in the lithosphere of Kamchatka: parameters and temporal variations, Tectonophysics 112, 137–153.
Hoshiba, M., 1991, Simulation of multiple scattered coda wave excitation based on the energy conservation law, Phys. Earth planet. Inter. 67, 123–136.
Hoshiba, M., 1997, Seismic coda wave envelope in depth dependent S-wave velocity structure, Phys. Earth planet. Inter. 104, 15–22.
Jin, A. and Aki, K., 1986, Temporal change in coda Q before the Tangshan earthquake of 1976 and the Haicheng earthquake of 1975, J. Geophys. Res. 91, 665–673.
Leary, P.C. and Abercrombie, R.E., 1994, Frequency-dependent crustal scattering and absorption at 5–160 Hz from coda decay observed at 2.5 km depth, Geophys. Res. Lett. 21, 971–974.
Li, Y.G., Ellsworth, W.L., Thurber, C.H., Malin, P.E. and Aki, K., 1997, Fault-zone guided waves from explosions in the San Andreas fault at Parkfield and Cienega Valley, California, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 87, 210–221.
Li, Y.G., Aki, K., Vidale, J.E. and Xu, F., 1999, Shallow structure of the Landers fault zone from explosion-generated trapped waves, J. Geophys. Res. 104, 20,257–20,275.
Lockner, D., Walsh, J.B. and Byerlee, J., 1977, Changes in seismic velocity and attenuation during deformation of granite, J. Geophys. Res. 82, 5374–5378.
Margerin, L., Campillo, M., and van Tiggelen, B., 1998, Radiative transfer and diffusion of waves in a layered medium: new insight into coda Q, Geophys. J. Int. 134, 596–612.
Mele, G., Rovelli, A., Seber, D. and Barazangi, M., 1996, Lateral variations of Pn propagation in Italy: Evidence for a high-attenuation zone beneath the Apennines, Geoph. Res. Lett. 23, 709–712.
Mele, G., Rovelli, A., Seber, D. and Barazangi, M., 1997, Shear wave attenuation in the lithosphere beneath Italy and surrounding regions: Tectonic implications. J. Geophys. Res. 102, 11,863–11,875.
Novelo-Casanova, D.A., Berg, E., Hsu, V. and Helsley, C.E., 1985, Time-space variation of seismic S wave coda attenuation (Q C -1 and magnitude distribution (b-values) of the Petatlan earthquake, Geophys. Res. Lett. 12, 789–792.
Pulli, J.J., 1984, Attenuation of coda waves in New England, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 74, 1149–1166.
Ron, H., Beroza, G. and Nur, A., 2001, Simple model explains complex faulting, EOS, Trans. Am. Geoph. Union 82, 125–128.
Sato, H., 1977, Energy propagation including scattering effects: Single isotropic scattering approximation, J. Phys. Earth 25, 27–41.
Sato, H., 1986, Temporal change in attenuation intensity before and after the Eastern Yamanashi earthquake of 1983 in Central Japan, J. Geophys. Res. 91, 2049–2061.
Sato, H., Shomahmadov, M., Khalturin, V.I. and Rautian, T.G., 1998, Temporal change in spectral coda attenuation Q -1 associated with the k = 13.3 earthquake of 1983 near Garm, Tadjikistan region in Soviet central Asia, Zisin 41, 39–46.
Sato, H. and Fehler, M.C., 1998, Seismic wave propagation and scattering in the heterogeneous Earth, Modern Acoustics and Signal Processing, AIP Press, Springer-Verlag, New York, Inc.
Su, F. and Aki, K., 1990, Temporal and spatial variation on coda associated with the North Palm Springs earthquake of July 8, 1986, Pure and Appl. Geoph. 133, 23–52.
Wyss, M., 1985, Precursors to large earthquakes, Earthquake Predict. Res. 3, 519–543.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Castro, R.R., Monachesi, G., Trojani, L. et al. An attenuation study using earthquakes from the 1997 Umbria-Marche sequence. Journal of Seismology 6, 43–59 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014245406628
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014245406628