VARIATIONS IN THE LgQ SEISMIC ATTENUATION

Subhadeep Roy (14MS171)

Department of Earth Sciences
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata
Supervisor: Dr. Kajaljyoti Borah
Date: 20/11/2018
 Background & Objectives

Lg attenuation is generally seen in the continental part and not oceanic

The areas where active tectonics is going on (Himalayan regions), the LgQ values
are found to be relatively higher; whereas, the presence of craton makes the LgQ
values very low

Earlier studies have found out that high attenuation zone is correlated with increase
in electrical conductivity and decrease in mid-crustal S velocity, indicating a possible
presence of aqueous fluids/partial melting zone, associated with the underthrusting of
Indian lithosphere

Earlier research at the Bengal basin shows that, based on the configuration of the
MOHO, the crust is more likely to be continental in nature in the western and middle
parts of the basin and significantly thinned continental crust is indicated in the
eastern and south-eastern parts

Carry out studies of the LgQ attenuation and tomography of the regions from the
Tarim basin to Central Tibet till Bengal basin
 AREA OF STUDY
Tarim Basin to Central Tibet to Bengal Basin regions


MCT – Main
Stations Central Thrust

MBT – Main
Boundary Thrust

ATF – Altun Tagh
Fault

QB – Qaidam Block
Fault Lines 
BNS - Bangong–
Nujiang Suture

SGT - Songpan-
Ganzi Terrane

KF - Kunlun Fault

KKF - Karakoram
Fault

IZS - Indus-Zangbo
Suture
What are Love waves (Lg)?
What is Attenuation?
 WHAT IS LgQ ATTENUATION ?

Love Waves Quality Factor Reduction of the Amplitude of a Signal

Q = (2πE) / (ΔE)

Study of the decay of the amplitude (the energy loss) of the love waves as they propagate,
quantified by a dimensionless parameter called the quality or attenuation factor
 DATA

Downloaded from IRIS (Incorporated
Research Institutions for Seismology)
database with epicentral distance <
30°, Mb > 4.5 and depth < 100 km

The sampling rate is 20 s-1

Events
Stations

INDEPTH (International
Deep Profiling of Tibet and
the Himalaya) - III profile
STATIONS INDEPTH III profile

Mb: 5.3
EVENT Latitude: 24.935°N
Longitude: 93.716°E
Depth: 31.2 Km
Date: 05/04/1999
Time: 22:32:52 hrs
Data Processing
Record Section
ST09
ST18
ST28
ST40

All Stations
 METHODOLOGY

Δ : Epicentral Distance
➢
Two-Station Method 
A : Amplitude

f : Frequency R(f) = (Δi1/2 / Δj1/2) [Ai(f) / Aj(f)]

i, j : Stations
 VLg : Mean Lg group wave velocity

η : Power law frequency dependence
 Q0 : Quality factor P(f) = (V / πΔ ) ln(R(f)) = (f (1 – η)
/ Q0)
Lg i,j

ln[(VLg / πΔi,j) ln(R(f))] = (1 – η) ln(f) - ln(Q0)

Least square fit using the

Figure showing (a) ideal geometry for applying above equation and its
two station method for Q measurement and (b) a intercept gives us the Q0
more practical geometry where source to station value and the slope gives η
azimuths vary by an amount δθ (maximum 15°)
15 - POINTS MOVING AVERAGE

ST10
ST10 - ST20
RESULTS
 Variation in Lg-Q values
ST40
Stations

ST01
 FUTURE PROSPECTS
Tarim Basin


Carry out the LgQ tomography of the areas
under study

Study of the LgQ attenuation and tomography
of the Bengal and Tarim Basin regions

Interpretation of the results obtained from the
Q values and the tomography

Bengal Basin

The triangles represent the Stations

 References

Xie, J., R. Gok, J. Ni, and Y. Aoki (2004), J. Geophys. Res., 109, B10308,
doi:10.1029/2004JB002988

Lg Attenuation Characteristics across the Indian Shield, Chandrani Singh,
Arun Singh, Sagarika Mukhopadhyay, M. Shekar, and R. K. Chadha, Bulletin
of the Seismological Society of America, Vol. 101, No. 5, pp. 2561–2567,
October 2011, doi: 10.1785/0120100239

Frequency-Dependent Lg Attenuation in the Indian Platform, by S. Mitra, K.
Priestley, V. K. Gaur, and S. S. Rai, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of
America, Vol. 96, No. 6, pp. 2449–2456, December 2006, doi:
10.1785/0120050152

Lg Attenuation Characteristics across the Indian Shield, by Chandrani Singh,
Arun Singh, Sagarika Mukhopadhyay, M. Shekar, and R. K. Chadha, Bulletin
of the Seismological Society of America, Vol. 101, No. 5, pp. 2561–2567,
October 2011, doi: 10.1785/0120100239