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Synthesis of teleseismic P waves from sources near sinking lithospheric slabs

THE INSTITUTE FOR GEOSCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS, RICHARDSON, TEXAS 75080
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCES MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02139

Abstract

A wave theory method is used to determine the effect of a sinking lithospheric slab on short-period and long-period waves. We consider a simplified model of the lithospheric slab with a 10 per cent velocity contrast and compute both short-period and long-period theoretical seismograms from a P-wave source located in or near the slab. For this model, the ray-theoretical amplitude agrees quite well with the short-period amplitude. In the ray-theoretical shadow zone the long-period seismograms (15- to 25-sec dominant period) typically have amplitudes 50 per cent (or greater) of the direct P-wave amplitude and exhibit wave-form broadening. Similar wave-form broadening has been attributed to the dynamics of earthquake faulting. The effect of the lithosphere on long-period waves from nearby sources must be taken into account in studies which utilize the observed variation in wave-form broadening to infer earthquake source dynamics.