Seismic imaging of upper-mantle structure with new evidence for a 520-km discontinuity

Stacked images of long-period seismic data reveal many phases, some not previously observed, which are caused by reflections and conversions at discontinuities in the Earth's upper mantle. These images support the existence of discontinuities at 410, 520 and 660km depth, but no evidence is found for a significant interface at 220 km.

[1]  Ichiro Nakanishi,et al.  Reflections of P′P′ from upper mantle discontinuities beneath the Mid-Atlantic Ridge , 1988 .

[2]  Hanneke Paulssen,et al.  Evidence for a sharp 670‐km discontinuity as inferred from P‐to‐S converted waves , 1988 .

[3]  L. P. Vinnik,et al.  Detection of waves converted from P to SV in the mantle , 1977 .

[4]  M. Walck The P-wave upper mantle structure beneath an active spreading centre: the Gulf of California , 1984 .

[5]  Paul G. Richards,et al.  Pulse distortion and Hilbert transformation in multiply reflected and refracted body waves , 1975, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

[6]  Donald V. Helmberger,et al.  Upper mantle structure of the western United States , 1971 .

[7]  E. Ito,et al.  Postspinel transformations in the system Mg2SiO4‐Fe2SiO4 and some geophysical implications , 1989 .

[8]  A. Ringwood Composition and petrology of the earth's mantle , 1975 .

[9]  D. Helmberger,et al.  Upper mantle shear structure , 1974 .

[10]  H. Jeffreys THE STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH DOWN TO THE 20° DISCONTINUITY. , 1936 .

[11]  A. L. Hales,et al.  Evidence for a seismic discontinuity near 200km depth under a continental margin , 1982 .

[12]  Raymond Jeanloz,et al.  Phase transitions and mantle discontinuities , 1983 .

[13]  B. Bolt PdP and PKiKP Waves and Diffracted PcP Waves , 1970 .

[14]  E. Thellier,et al.  Sur l'intensite du champ magnetique terrestre dans le passe historique et geologique , 1959 .

[15]  P. Byerly The Montana earthquake of June 28, 1925, G.M.C.T. , 1926 .

[16]  Y. Fukao Upper mantle P structure on the ocean side of the Japan‐Kurile Arc , 1977 .

[17]  I. S. Sacks,et al.  Precursors to P′P′ re-examined using broad-band data , 1989 .

[18]  J. W. Berg,et al.  Discontinuities in the earth's upper mantle as indicated by reflected seismic energy , 1961 .

[19]  D. L. Anderson,et al.  Transition region of the Earth's upper mantle , 1986, Nature.

[20]  D. L. Anderson,et al.  Reflection of P′P′ seismic waves from discontinuities in the mantle , 1970 .

[21]  Don L. Anderson,et al.  The deep structure of continents , 1979 .

[22]  D. Davies,et al.  Vespa Process for Analysis of Seismic Signals , 1971 .

[23]  D. L. Anderson,et al.  Preliminary reference earth model , 1981 .

[24]  Lane R. Johnson,et al.  Array measurements of P velocities in the upper mantle , 1967 .

[25]  T. Jordan,et al.  A study of mantle layering beneath the western Pacific , 1989 .

[26]  R. Adams Reflections from discontinuities beneath antarctica , 1971, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

[27]  E. A. Flinn,et al.  Seismic Waves Reflected from Discontinuities within Earth's Upper Mantle , 1969, Science.

[28]  D. Helmberger,et al.  Upper mantle shear structure of North America , 1984 .

[29]  Gerhard Müller,et al.  Sp phases from the transition zone between the upper and lower mantle , 1980 .

[30]  Douglas R. Baumgardt,et al.  Structure of the mantle beneath Montana LASA from analysis of long-period, mode-converted phases , 1984 .

[31]  G. Bock,et al.  Short-period S-P conversion in the mantle at a depth near 700 km , 1984 .

[32]  E. Kanasewich,et al.  Velocity Spectral Evidence of Upper Mantle Discontinuities , 1974 .

[33]  G. Bock,et al.  Sp phases from the Australian upper mantle , 1988 .

[34]  S. Ward Long-period reflected and converted upper-mantle phases , 1978, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

[35]  I. Jackson,et al.  Upper mantle seismic anisotropy and lithospheric decoupling , 1981, Nature.

[36]  Satoshi Sasaki,et al.  Single‐crystal elastic properties of the spinel phase of Mg2SiO4 , 1984 .

[37]  A. L. Hales,et al.  A compressional velocity distribution for the upper mantle , 1980 .

[38]  J. Hudson,et al.  S to P scattering at the 650 km discontinuity , 1982 .

[39]  A. C. Lees,et al.  Reflection properties of phase transition and compositional change models of the 670‐km discontinuity , 1983 .

[40]  R. Madariaga,et al.  The origin of precursors to core waves , 1970, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

[41]  D. Simpson,et al.  An array study of P-wave velocities in the upper mantle transition zone beneath northeastern Australia , 1974 .