Ultralow-velocity zones (ULVZs) have been studied using a variety of seismic phases; however, their physical origin is still poorly understood. Short period ScP (S wave converted to, and reflected as, P wave from the core-mantle boundary) waveforms are extensively used to infer ULVZ properties because they may be sensitive to all ULVZ elastic moduli. However, ScP waveforms are additionally complicated by the effects of path attenuation, coherent noise, and source-time function (STF) complexity. To address these complications, we developed a hierarchical Bayesian inversion method that allows us to invert ScP waveforms from multiple events simultaneously and accounts for path attenuation and correlated noise. The inversion method is tested with synthetic predictions which show that the inclusion of attenuation is imperative to recover ULVZ parameters and that the ULVZ thickness and S-wave velocity decrease (δVS) are most reliably recovered. Utilizing multiple events reduces the effects of coherent noise and STF complexity, which in turns allows for the inclusion of more data to be used in the analyses. We next applied the method to ScP data recorded in Australia for 291 events that sample the CMB beneath the Coral Sea. Our results indicate that S-wave velocity across the region is ~-14% in average, but there is a greater variability in the south than that in the north. P-wave velocity reductions and density perturbations are mostly below 10%. These ScP data show more than one ScP post-cursor in some areas which may indicate complex 3-D ULVZ structures. Seismic data are provided for 291 earthquakes in Northern Territory, Australia.

Last modified

• 06/03/2024

Creator

• Pachhai, Surya
• Thorne, Michael S.

Subject

• Geology
• Seismology
• Geophysics

Language

• English

Identifier

• https://doi.org/10.7278/S50d-a67s-y717

Keyword

• seismology
• mantel phases
• ULVZ
• short period ScP waveforms

Date created

• 2005-01-01 to 2021-12-30.

Location

• Northern Territory, Northern Territory, Australia

Resource type

• Dataset

Source

• NASA Thesaurus

License

• Public Domain – This data is free of copyright restrictions (e.g. government sponsored data).