Multifrequency Sp Stacking Reveals a Strong Asthenospheric Discontinuity
beneath the Anatolian Region
Abstract
An improved approach to Sp phase common-conversion point stacking that
incorporates scattering kernels was applied to the Anatolian region and
resolves the boundaries of an asthenospheric low velocity layer. With
the new stacking approach, Sp receiver function amplitudes are projected
around the converted wave ray paths only to locations with strong
sensitivity to horizontal discontinuities. An expression for accurately
estimating the standard deviation of the stack amplitude was also
derived. This expression is more efficient than bootstrapping and can be
used for any problem requiring the standard deviation of a weighted
average. We also developed a method to more accurately measure near
surface compressional and shear wave velocities, which are used to
separate P and SV waveform components by removing free-surface effects.
We applied these improved approaches to data from the Anatolian region,
using multiple bandpass filters to better image velocity gradients of
varying depth extent. Common conversion point stacks of 23,787 Sp
receiver functions contain a clear Moho and 410-discontinuity, but also
reveal a less common positive velocity gradient at 80-150 km depth
beneath most of the region. The latter is particularly prominent at
longer periods (10-100 s), indicating that it is relatively gradual in
depth. This feature represents the base of an asthenospheric low
velocity layer that is consistent with high mantle temperatures and the
presence of partial melt. At shorter periods (2-20 s), a negative
velocity gradient corresponding to the lithosphere-asthenosphere
boundary is observed at 60-90 km depth, marking the top of the
asthenospheric low velocity layer.