Rayleigh-Love discrepancy highlights temporal changes in near-surface
radial anisotropy after the 2004 Great Sumatra Earthquake
Abstract
Strong ground motions from large earthquakes are capable of damaging
near-surface sediments and promoting notable reductions in their seismic
velocity structures. These velocity reductions can be monitored using
either body waves or surface waves from repeatable seismic sources, such
as repeating earthquakes or ambient seismic noise. Here we compile a
decade-long catalog of repeating earthquakes since the 2004
Mw 9.2 Sumatra Earthquake, and monitor the temporal
velocity changes from Rayleigh waves (δVLR) and
Love waves (δVLQ). We observe a
δVLR of –0.16% and
δVLR/δVLQ ratio of
~6, inconsistent with velocity reductions in isotropic
media. To reconcile the observations, we carry out analyses of
sensitivity kernels of surface waves in isotropic and vertical
transversely isotropic (VTI) media and forward waveform modeling. The
modeling reveals that the observed large
δVLR/δVLQ ratio can be
explained by strong dbV (–4%) and weak
dbH (–0.615%) reductions and an increase in
radial anisotropy in the near surface. These changes are best explained
by a 2% increase in crack density of aligned horizontal cracks in
overpressured sediments near the compressive subduction zone
environment. Temporal variations of
δVLR/δVLQ ratios after
consecutive great earthquakes are consistent with laboratory experiments
under cyclic loading.