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Attenuation of High-Frequency Seismic Waves in Eastern Iran

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Abstract

We investigated the frequency-dependent attenuation of the crust in Eastern Iran by analysis data from 132 local earthquakes having focal depths in the range of 5–25 km. We estimated the quality factor of coda waves (Q c) and body waves (Q p and Q s) in the frequency band of 1.5–24 Hz by applying the single backscattering theory of S-coda envelopes and the extended coda-normalization method, respectively. Considering records from recent earthquakes (Rigan M w 6.5, 2010/12/20, Goharan M w 6.2, 2013/5/11 and Sirch M w 5.5, 2013/1/21), the estimated values of Q c, Q p and Q s vary from 151 ± 49, 63 ± 6, and 93 ± 14 at 1.5 Hz to 1,994 ± 124, 945 ± 84 and 1,520 ± 123 at 24 Hz, respectively. The average frequency-dependent relationships (Q = Q o f n) estimated for the region are Q c = (108 ± 10)f (0.96±0.01), Q p = (50 ± 5)f (1.01±0.04), and Q s = (75 ± 6)f (1.03±0.06). These results evidenced a frequency dependence of the quality factors Q c, Q p, and Q s, as commonly observed in tectonically active zones characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity, and the low value of Q indicated an attenuative crust beneath the entire region.

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Acknowledgments

The author thanks the editor and anonymous reviewers for considering the manuscript and providing helpful comments. The author also is thankful to the International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES) and the Building and Housing Research Center for providing the required data.

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  1. Science and Research Branch, Department of Geophysics, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

    M. Mahood

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Mahood, M. Attenuation of High-Frequency Seismic Waves in Eastern Iran. Pure Appl. Geophys. 171, 2225–2240 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-014-0788-9

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