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Importance of anelasticity in the interpretation of seismic tomography
Author(s) -
Karato Shunichiro
Publication year - 1993
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 - 10.1029/93gl01767
Subject(s) - anharmonicity , mantle (geology) , geology , geophysics , amplitude , shear (geology) , seismic wave , seismic velocity , seismology , seismic tomography , shear waves , physics , petrology , condensed matter physics , quantum mechanics
Temperature dependence of seismic wave velocities comes both from anharmonicity and anelasticity. The contribution from anelasticity is shown to be important in the Earth's mantle particularly for shear waves. In the low Q (Qµ∼100) regions in the upper mantle, the correction due to anelasticity will roughly double the temperature derivatives due to anharmonicity alone. The correction for anelasticity will also be important in the deep mantle where Q is larger, if temperature derivatives due to anharmonicity will decrease significantly with pressure. These results imply that the temperature anomalies associated with low velocity anomalies in the mantle will be significantly smaller than previously considered on the basis of anharmonic effect alone and that the amplitude of velocity anomalies will be significantly larger for shear waves than for compressional waves.