The Alaskan earthquake of July 22, 1937*

1940 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-376
Author(s):  
John N. Adkins
Keyword(s):  
Travel Time ◽  
Epicentral Distance ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Time Curve ◽  
Arrival Times ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Geographical Latitude ◽  
The World ◽  
First Motion ◽  
First Arrival

Summary The study of the Alaskan earthquake of July 22, 1937, is based on the examination of original seismograms and photographic copies from seismological observatories throughout the world. The arrival times of P at 71 stations were used in locating the epicenter. By Geiger's method and the use of Jeffreys' travel times, the position of the epicenter was found to be: geographical latitude, 64.67±.04° N, longitude, 146.58±.12° W, and the time of occurrence to be 17h 9m 30.0±.25s, U.T. The epicenter lies in the Yukon-Tanana upland in central Alaska, which is not a region of frequent major earthquakes. The disagreement caused by the apparently early arrivals at College and Sitka was reduced by replacing the standard travel-time curve of P by a linear travel-time curve in the interval of epicentral distance 0° to 16° and by interpreting the first arrival at College as P. It was possible to determine the direction of the first motion of P for 51 stations. The observed distribution of first motion and the geological trends in the region of the epicenter are consistent with the earthquake's having been caused by movement along a fault with strike between N 30° E and N 37° E, and dip between 64° and 71° to the southeast, in which the southeast side of the fault was displaced relatively northeastward with the line of movement pitching between 12° and 16° northeast. A wave designated F (for “false S”) was found to precede S on the records by 20 to 55 seconds, depending on the epicentral distance. The wave is longitudinal in type and the arrival times define a linear travel-time curve. It is suggested that this wave may be a longitudinal surface wave, of the type proposed by Nakano, produced at the surface of the earth by the arrival of a transverse wave which has been reflected at a surface of discontinuity within the earth. The records show two impulses near the time when S is expected. The average time interval between the two impulses is 11.3 sec. The first, called S1, has a plane of vibration intermediate in direction between the plane of propagation and the normal thereto. The second impulse, called S2, is nearly pure SH movement. The writer wishes to express his indebtedness to Professor Perry Byerly for invaluable suggestions and criticism during the course of the investigation.

On the question of dispersion in the first preliminary seismic waves1

1931 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Henrietta Sommer
Keyword(s):  
Continuous Function ◽  
Least Squares ◽  
Travel Time ◽  
Epicentral Distance ◽  
Anomalous Dispersion ◽  
Method Of Least Squares ◽  
Time Curve ◽  
Least Squares Adjustment ◽  
First Motion

Abstract Summary By use of the Byerly-Jeffreys travel-time curve for P, and Geiger's method of least-squares adjustment, the epicenter of the Alaskan earthquake of October 24, 1927, was placed at 5 7 ° 26 ' ± 5 0 ' N . 13 7 ° 03 ' ± 1 9 ' W . and the time of occurrence was placed at 15h 59m 55s ± 2s, G.M.C.T. A second solution was obtained using Mohorovičić's multiple travel-time curves for P. The co-ordinates of the epicenter were the same as those given above, but the time of occurrence was found to be 16h00m, G.M.C.T. It has been held by some seismologists that anomalous dispersion can be observed in the first preliminary waves; i.e., that shorter periods travel faster than long ones. Investigations of periods were made with a view to testing this hypothesis, with the following results: The general conclusion is that observation of periods gives no evidence for dispersion in waves of longitudinal type. It is shown that, if dispersion did exist, the travel time of the beginning would be a continuous function of epicentral distance, and, therefore, Mohorovičić's curves are not evidence for dispersion. The observations of the epicentral distances at which P2, P1, and Pn are most frequently recorded first are contrary to dispersion. In the Alaskan earthquake the distribution of first motion (condensation or rarefaction) is very complicated. Dispersion offers no explanation for this fact, and it is believed that complex movements at the source are responsible for the observed distribution.

The Hebgen Lake, Montana, earthquake of August 18, 1959: P waves

1962 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-271
Author(s):  
Alan Ryall
Keyword(s):  
Travel Time ◽  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Fault Plane ◽  
Time Curve ◽  
P Waves ◽  
Arrival Times ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
First Motion ◽  
Plane Solution ◽  
The Pacific Ocean

ABSTRACT The instrumental epicenter of the Hebgen Lake earthquake is found to lie within the region of surface faulting. The depth of focus had a maximum value of 25 kilometers. Times of P are studied in detail for epicentral distances less than 13 degrees. The apparent scatter of arrival times from 700 to 1400 kilometers can be explained by variations of the velocity of Pn between the physiographic provinces of the western United States. A comparison of observations for the Hebgen Lake earthquake with published times for blasts in Nevada and Utah indicates that the velocity of Pn in the central and eastern Basin and Range is about 7.5 km/sec, and that the crust in that region thickens toward the east and thins toward the south. A comparison of apparent velocities in northern California, in directions parallel and transverse to the structure, indicates that the crust thins by about 19 kilometers, from the edge of the Sierra Nevada to the Pacific Ocean. A discontinuity is observed in the travel-time curve at a distance of 24–25 degrees. Arrivals of P waves in the range 65–128 degrees fall on two parallel travel-time branches; this multiplicity in the travel-time curve may be related to repeated motion at the source. Travel-times of PKIKP appear to deviate from published curves. The fault-plane solution for the Hebgen Lake earthquake, together with a consideration of the first motion at Bozeman, Montana, indicates a focal mechanism of the dipole, or fault, type. The strike and dip of the instrumental fault plane agree well with observed ruptures at the surface.

Pulse distortion and Hilbert transformation in multiply reflected and refracted body waves

1975 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
George L. Choy ◽  
Paul G. Richards
Keyword(s):  
Phase Shift ◽  
Travel Time ◽  
Body Waves ◽  
Wave Form ◽  
Distorted Wave ◽  
Arrival Times ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Frequency Independent ◽  
Wave Forms ◽  
First Arrival

abstract Many seismic body waves are associated with rays which are not minimum travel-time paths. Such arrivals contain pulse deformation due to a phase shift in each frequency component. For sufficiently high frequencies, the phase shift each time a ray touches an internal caustic is π/2 and frequency-independent. The distorting effect of a frequency-independent phase shift is successfully observed in seismograms from events in several regions. The data examined are long-period (T > 9 sec). They include deep earthquakes (depth > 500 km), in which a series of well-separated S phases (S, sS, SS and sSS) are available. These show that the wave form of SS, which has been distorted in propagation through the Earth, can be derived from the wave form of sS, which is not distorted. Shallow events, in which multiple S phases overlap, also exhibit behavior predicted by phase distortion. Rays supercritically reflected or refracted at a discontinuity in the Earth also suffer a constant phase shift, which in general can have any value. An important case is SKKS: its undistorted wave form resembles that of SKS, which has a minimum travel-time path. Without exception, all the distorted wave forms bear little or no resemblance to the original wave form. That is, neither the first arrival of energy nor the subsequent relative position of peaks and troughs on a distorted wave form appear at the ray theoretical times. Thus, T-Δ curves constructed by choosing arrival times to correspond to the first arrival of energy may be biased. Similarly, doubt is cast on differential travel times chosen from first motions, or from averaging several points on what appear to be corresponding peaks and troughs of two wave forms. Some of the rays most important to seismology, in which the distortion phenomenon occurs, include P and S (where d2T/dΔ2 > 0), PKPAB, PP, SS, and SKKS. Removal of phase distortion in the data is computationally straightforward. By exploiting the resulting wave forms to full advantage in correctly picking arrival times, we may hope to improve velocity models of the Earth. It is shown that matched filtering to obtain differential travel times is appropriate for certain pairs of body waves if they are phase-corrected.

A P Travel-Time Model for the Canadian Shield obtained by a Joint Epicenter Determination Method

1974 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 611-618 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Hashizume
Keyword(s):  
Travel Time ◽  
Canadian Shield ◽  
Time Model ◽  
Time Curve ◽  
Origin Time ◽  
Arrival Times ◽  
Shallow Earthquakes ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Order Polynomial

The P arrival-times for nine very shallow earthquakes under the Canadian Shield and the surrounding area were studied. P arrival-times were assumed to be a function of the hypocenter, origin-time, and specified travel-time curve. Using as starting point the hypocenters and origin times taken from the Preliminary Determination of Epicenters (PDE) listings and the travel-time curve from the "Seismological Tables for P Phases" by Herrin et al. (1968), calculations were conducted so as to minimize the residuals between the observed P arrival-times and the calculated travel-times in a search for the best hypocenters, origin-times, and travel-time curve. The deviations from the travel-time curve were assumed to be represented by a sixth-order polynomial. The differences of the new epicenters from those of the PDE listings are small and generally less than about 10 km. The significant result is that the new travel-time curve obtained by this technique is similar to those obtained from seismic explosion studies in the eastern part of North America.

scholarly journals On supposed discontinuities in the mantle of the Earth

1931 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 216-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Gutenberg ◽  
C. F. Richter
Keyword(s):  
Travel Time ◽  
Glassy State ◽  
Time Curve ◽  
P Waves ◽  
S Waves ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Straight Line

Summary Investigations of the Mexican shocks of January 2, 15, and 17, 1931, as recorded at stations in California have shown that the travel-time curve of the P-waves at distances between 9° and 15° is nearly a straight line. At these distances the amplitudes of the P-waves are very small, as is to be expected from theory. At greater distances dt/dΔ decreases, and the amplitudes are larger. The data are not sufficient to decide whether the changes are abrupt or not. No S-waves could be found between 9° and 15°. The calculated velocities of the P-waves are near 8.2 kilometers per second at depths between 40 and 100 kilometers, increasing slightly with greater depths. It is possible that the velocity decreases very slightly at some depths between 40 and 80 kilometers, but there is no sign of any discontinuity at depths between 40 and more than 500 kilometers. The S-waves seem to be affected a little more at depths between 40 and 100 kilometers than the P-waves. It is not impossible that at some depth between 40 and 80 kilometers there is a transition from the crystalline to the glassy state.

scholarly journals An analysis of the first-arrival times picked on the DSS and wide-angle seismic section recorded in Italy since 1968

2009 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
L. De Luca ◽  
R. De Franco ◽  
G. Biella ◽  
A. Corsi ◽  
R. Tondi
Keyword(s):  
Travel Time ◽  
Velocity Model ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Wide Angle ◽  
Seismic Section ◽  
Arrival Times ◽  
First Arrival ◽  
Time Offset ◽  
Refraction Data ◽  
1D Velocity Model

We performed an analysis of refraction data recorded in Italy since 1968 in the frame of the numerous deep seismic sounding and wide-angle reflection/refraction projects. The aims of this study are to construct a parametric database including the recording geometric information relative to each profile, the phase pickings and the results of some kinematic analyses performed on the data, and to define a reference 1D velocity model for the Italian territory from all the available refraction data. As concerns the first goal, for each seismic section we picked the P-wave first-arrival-times, evaluated the uncertainties of the arrival-times pickings and determined from each travel time-offset curve the 1D velocity model. The study was performed on 419 seismic sections. Picking was carried out manually by an algorithm which includes the computation of three picking functions and the picking- error estimation. For each of the travel time-offset curves a 1D velocity model has been calculated. Actually, the 1D velocity-depth functions were estimated in three different ways which assume: a constant velocitygradient model, a varying velocity-gradient model and a layered model. As regards the second objective of this work, a mean 1D velocity model for the Italian crust was defined and compared with those used for earthquake hypocentre locations and seismic tomographic studies by different institutions operating in the Italian area, to assess the significance of the model obtained. This model can be used in future works as input for a next joint tomographic inversion of active and passive seismic data.

The Texas earthquake of August 16, 1931*

1934 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-99
Author(s):  
Perry Byerly
Keyword(s):  
Travel Time ◽  
Travel Times ◽  
Time Curve ◽  
P Waves ◽  
First Order ◽  
First Motion ◽  
Order Discontinuity

Summary The travel-time curve of P for the Texas earthquake of August 16, 1931, shows that there is a definite break in the travel-time curve near Δ = 16°. This is interpreted as indicating a first-order discontinuity at a depth of about 300 kilometers. Another break in the travel-time curve at Δ = 25° is strongly suggested. Beyond Δ = 75° the curve has two branches, the lower following most existing curves, the upper following the Montana curve which latter seems to be a usual one for American earthquakes. This part of the curve is interpreted as indicating that the discontinuity at depth about 2,400 kilometers is a first-order one at which the speed of P waves drops discontinuously. From the direction of first motion on the records it is concluded that a sufficient source would have been motion on a fault of strike about N 35° W, the movement being up on the easterly side and down on the westerly side. The travel times of all waves read on the records are plotted on graphs. The scattering of all waves after P is marked.

scholarly journals Travel times, apparent velocities and amplitudes of body waves

1968 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 339-366
Author(s):  
Bruce R. Julian ◽  
Don L. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Surface Wave ◽  
Travel Time ◽  
Velocity Gradient ◽  
Body Wave ◽  
Travel Times ◽  
S Waves ◽  
The Earth ◽  
Geometric Spreading ◽  
First Arrival ◽  
Wave Models

abstract Surface wave studies have shown that the transition region of the upper mantle, Bullen's Region C, is not spread uniformly over some 600 km but contains two relatively thin zones in which the velocity gradient is extremely high. In addition to these transition regions which start at depths near 350 and 650 km, there is another region of high velocity gradient which terminates the lowvelocity zone near 160 km. Theoretical body wave travel time and amplitude calculations for the surface wave model CIT11GB predict two prominent regions of triplication in the travel-time curves between about 15° and 40° for both P and S waves, with large amplitude later arrivals. These large later arivals provide an explanation for the scatter of travel time data in this region, as well as the varied interpretations of the “20° discontinuity.” Travel times, apparent velocities and amplitudes of P waves are calculated for the Earth models of Gutenberg, Lehmann, Jeffreys and Lukk and Nersesov. These quantities are calculated for both P and S waves for model CIT11GB. Although the first arrival travel times are similar for all the models except that of Lukk and Nersesov, the times of the later arrivals differ greatly. The neglect of later arrivals is one reason for the discrepancies among the body wave models and between the surface wave and body wave models. The amplitude calculations take into account both geometric spreading and anelasticity. Geometric spreading produces large variations in the amplitude with distance, and is an extremely sensitive function of the model parameters, providing a potentially powerful tool for studying details of the Earth's structure. The effect of attenuation on the amplitudes varies much less with distance than does the geometric spreading effect. Its main effect is to reduce the amplitude at higher frequencies, particularly for S waves, which may accunt for their observed low frequency character. Data along a profile to the northeast of the Nevada Test Site clearly show a later branch similar to the one predicted for model CIT11GB, beginning at about 12° with very large amplitudes and becoming a first arrival at about 18°. Strong later arrivals occur in the entire distance range of the data shown, 1112°. to 21°. Two models are presented which fit these data. They differ only slightly and confirm the existence of discontinuities near 400 and 600 kilometers. A method is described for predicting the effect on travel times of small changes in the Earth structure.

Travel-time study of six central Appalachian earthquakes 1962-1968

1970 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 629-637
Author(s):  
G. A. Bollinger
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Standard Deviation ◽  
Travel Time ◽  
Input Data ◽  
Time Study ◽  
Inverse Slope ◽  
Average Standard Deviation ◽  
Time Curve ◽  
Arrival Times ◽  
Distance Range

abstract Travel time studies are made of the data from six central Appalachian earthquakes that occurred during the period 1962 through 1968 in the states of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and North Carolina. Arrival times from forty-two station-epicenter pairs served as input data for the study. Epicentral locations were obtained for the six events with an average standard deviation for the travel time residuals of 0.5 seconds. Nineteen Pn observations in the distance range of 300 to 800 km yield a composite Pn travel-time curve given by t = ( 8.98 ± 0.14 ) sec + Δ / ( 8.22 ± 0.02 ) km / sec with a 0.19 second standard deviation in the travel-time observations. The inverse slope for the Pg phase was found as 6.24 ± 0.03 km/sec and for the Sg or Lg phases as 3.67 ± 0.02 km/sec. Magnitude determinations using meus of Evernden (1967) are made for two of the five shocks.

Tomography without rays

1993 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 509-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles J. Ammon ◽  
John E. Vidale
Keyword(s):  
Simulated Annealing ◽  
Travel Time ◽  
Velocity Structure ◽  
Random Noise ◽  
Time Inversion ◽  
Arrival Times ◽  
Inversion Technique ◽  
Travel Time Inversion ◽  
First Arrival ◽  
Inversion Procedure

Abstract We present two new techniques for the inversion of first-arrival times to estimate velocity structure. These travel-time inversion techniques are unique in that they do not require the calculation of ray paths. First-arrival times are calculated using a finite-difference scheme that iteratively solves the eikonal equations for the position of the wavefront. The first inversion technique is a direct extension of linearized waveform inversion schemes. The nonlinear relationship between the observed first-arrival times and the model slowness is linearized using a Taylor series expansion and a solution is found by iteration. For a series of two-dimensional numerical tests, with and without random noise, this travel-time inversion procedure accurately reconstructed the synthetic test models. This iterative inversion procedure converges quite rapidly and remains stable with further iteration. The second inversion technique is an application of simulated annealing to travel-time topography. The annealing algorithm is a randomized search through model space that can be shown to converge to a global minimum in well-posed problems. Our tests of simulated annealing travel-time topography indicate that, in the presence of less than ideal ray coverage, significant artifacts may be introduced into the solution. The linearized inversion scheme outperforms the nonlinear simulated annealing approach and is our choice for travel-time inversion problems. Both techniques are applicable to a variety of seismic problems including earthquake travel-time tomography, reflection, refraction/wide-angle reflection, borehole, and surface-wave phase-velocity tomography.

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