Seasonal variations of seismic velocities in the San Jacinto fault area observed with ambient seismic noise.

Author(s)
Gregor Hillers, Yehuda Ben-Zion, Dimitri Zigone
Abstract

We observe seasonal seismic wave speed changes (dv/v) in the San Jacinto fault area and investigate several likely source mechanisms. Velocity variations are obtained from analysis of 6 yr data of vertical component seismic noise recorded by 10 surface and six borehole stations.We study the interrelation between dv/v records, frequency-dependent seismic noise properties, and nearby environmental data of wind speed, rain, ground water level, barometric pressure and atmospheric temperature. The results indicate peak-to-peak seasonal velocity variations of ~0.2 per cent in the 0.5-2 Hz frequency range, likely associated with genuine changes of rock properties rather than changes in the noise field. Phase measurements between dv/v and the various environmental data imply that the dominant source mechanism in the arid study area is thermoelastic strain induced by atmospheric temperature variations. The other considered environmental effects produce secondary variations that are superimposed on the thermal-based changes.More detailed work with longer data on the response of rocks to various known external loadings can help tracking the evolving stress and effective rheology at depth.

Organisation(s)
Department of Meteorology and Geophysics
External organisation(s)
Université Joseph-Fourier (Grenoble-I), University of Southern California
Journal
Geophysical Journal International
Volume
202
Pages
920-932
No. of pages
13
ISSN
0956-540X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggv151
Publication date
08-2015
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
105106 Geodynamics, 105122 Seismic, 105102 General geophysics
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Geochemistry and Petrology, Geophysics
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/seasonal-variations-of-seismic-velocities-in-the-san-jacinto-fault-area-observed-with-ambient-seismic-noise(585fa31a-9f58-49ad-880c-0eee73756a4a).html