Detection of a core rigidity zone beneath eastern Mexico: Constraints
from ScP waveform modeling
Abstract
Seismograms recorded at an array of 10 closely spaced seismometers in
the western United States are stacked about the ScP phase and display a
complex set of phase arrivals in addition to ScP. One dimensional
forward modeling with ultra-low velocity zone structures are unable to
match the observed waveform. Forward modeling with core-rigidity zone
structures, where S-waves can propagate in a thin layer below the
core-mantle boundary, provide reasonable waveform fits to the largest
amplitude phases. The basic core-rigidity zone model has thickness of
1.1 km, shear wave velocity of 1.8 km/s, and density decrease of 10%,
although tradeoffs in model parameters are observed. Waveform fits are
insensitive to small changes in P-wave velocity in the core-rigidity
zone. To match trailing smaller amplitude phases, S-wave multiples are
modeled in the core-rigidity zone. Cross correlation of ScP waveforms
from 392 EarthScope seismometer sites surrounding the small array site
shows discrete patches of similarity to the above model. These results
point to a spatially large but patchy core-rigidity zone beneath Mexico
and adds to the small set of previous core-rigidity zone observations
globally.