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Regional variation and frequency dependence of Q_ß in the crust of the United States

DEPARTMENT OF EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY, ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI 63103

Abstract

Approximate Lg attenuation coefficient values are determined for paths in eastern North America at periods between 2 and 4 sec where no data were previously available. These new data, together with reported values at a period of 1 sec, are consistent with values predicted by a frequency-dependentent Q_ß of the crust in which Q_ß varies as ^0.2. The new data are inconsistent with values which would be predicted by models having prominent maxima or minima in Q_ß^–1 within the period range 1 to 5 sec.

Lg attenuation coefficients were computed for the frequency-independent crustal Q_ß models of Cheng and Mitchell (1981) for the Basin and Range Province and Colorado Plateau of the Western United States. The predicted values at 1 sec for the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range Province are about twice as large, and three times as large, respectively, as those predicted for the Eastern United States. Recently reported values of Q for 1-sec Lg in those regions are consistent with the attenuation coefficients and Q values of Lg predicted by the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range Province models. A model with a small degree of frequency dependence of Q_ß would be consistent, but is not required by the data.

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