Ultralow-velocity zone geometries resolved by multidimensional waveform modelling

Abstract

Ultralow-velocity zones (ULVZs) are thin patches of material with strongly reduced seismic wave speeds situated on top of the core-mantle boundary (CMB). A common phase used to detect ULVZs is SPdKS (SKPdS), an SKS wave with a short diffracted P leg along the CMB. Most previous efforts have examined ULVZ properties using 1-D waveform modelling approaches.We presentwaveformmodelling results using the 2.5-D finite-difference algorithm PSVaxi allowing us better insight into ULVZ structure and location. We characterize ULVZ waveforms based on ULVZ elastic properties, shape and position along the SPdKS ray path. In particular, we vary the ULVZ location (e.g. source or receiver side), ULVZ topographical profiles (e.g. boxcar, trapezoidal or Gaussian) and ULVZ lateral scale along great circle path (2.5°, 5°, 10°). We observe several waveform effects absent in 1-D ULVZ models and show evidence for waveform effects allowing the differentiation between source and receiver side ULVZs. Early inception of the SPdKS/SKPdS phase is difficult to detect for receiver-side ULVZswith maximum shifts in SKPdS initiation of3° in epicentral distance,whereas sourceside ULVZs produce maximum shifts of SPdKS initiation of 5°, allowing clear separation of source- versus receiver-side structure. We present a case study using data from up to 300 broad-band stations in Turkey recorded between 2005 and 2010. We observe a previously undetected ULVZ in the southern Atlantic Ocean region centred near 45°S, 12.5°W, with a lateral scale of 3°, VP reduction of 10 per cent, VS reduction of 30 per cent and density increase of 10 per cent relative to PREM.