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Full‐wave effects on shear wave splitting
Author(s) -
Lin YuPin,
Zhao Li,
Hung ShuHuei
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2013gl058742
Subject(s) - shear wave splitting , anisotropy , seismic anisotropy , geology , shear (geology) , shear waves , geophysics , seismic wave , observable , seismology , physics , mantle (geology) , optics , petrology , quantum mechanics
Seismic anisotropy in the mantle plays an important role in our understanding of the Earth's internal dynamics, and shear wave splitting has always been a key observable in the investigation of seismic anisotropy. To date the interpretation of shear wave splitting in terms of anisotropy has been largely based on ray‐theoretical modeling of a single vertically incident plane SKS or SKKS wave. In this study, we use sensitivity kernels of shear wave splitting to anisotropic parameters calculated by the normal‐mode theory to demonstrate that the interference of SKS with other phases of similar arrival times, near‐field effect, and multiple reflections in the crust lead to significant variations of SKS splitting with epicentral distance. The full‐wave kernels not only widen the possibilities in the source‐receiver geometry in making shear wave splitting measurements but also provide the capability for tomographic inversion to resolve vertical and lateral variations in the anisotropic structures.