Imaging the shallow crust with teleseismic receiver functions

Abstract

SUMMARY Teleseismic receiver functions (RFs) represent an estimate of the site‐response to incoming seismic energy. This technique has long been a staple of the global earthquake community, as RFs are sensitive to impedance contrasts associated with major discontinuities in the crust and upper mantle. However, there is substantial debate in the community concerning the lateral and vertical resolution limits possible using these methods due to limitations resulting from ambient noise and non‐uniform spatial sampling of finite‐frequency wave kernels. Here, we take advantage of data from the LaBarge Passive Seismic Experiment to examine these questions in more detail. We find (1) that RFs can provide a robust image of the near‐surface (<5 km) structure; (2) that vertical resolution may exceed 500 m and (3) that our results compare favourably to nearby wells. These results indicate that RF analysis can provide high‐resolution images of the shallow crust, which has potential value for hydrocarbon exploration.

Constraining lithologic variability along the Alleghanian detachment in the southern Appalachians using passive-source seismology

“…1A). We calculated receiver functions (see the GSA Data Repository 1 for details) to identify P-SV conversions generated by large shear-wave velocity (Vs) contrasts across intracrustal discontinuities (e.g., Leahy et al, 2012). A major goal of the processing was to recover high frequencies to maximize resolution of structure.…”

Body-wave interferometry using local earthquakes with multi-dimensional deconvolution and wavefield decomposition at free surface

“…Comparing Figure 6 with Figure 5, we can successfully reconstruct reflected plane waves employing wavefield decomposition, time windowing, time reversal, and MDD. Leahy et al (2012) show that a reflector exists at about 3.8 km depth. The waves pointed by three arrows in Figure 6 are reflected waves from the reflector; their arrival times are 1.38 s (PP), 2.66 s (PS), and 4.10 s (SS).…”

“…The magnitudes and depths of observed earthquakes are smaller than 2 and shallower than 10 km, respectively. Using this data set, Leahy et al (2012) apply receiver functions to teleseismic events to image the subsurface, and Schmedes et al (2012) apply earthquake tomography to teleseismic earthquake data.…”

High Frequency Receiver Functions in the Dublin Basin: Application to a Potential Geothermal Site

“…Recently, it has been shown [1] that just by increasing the frequency content in the observed RF one can easily increase the resolving power of the RF data-set up to some hundreds of meters, allowing for the imaging of seismic discontinuities in the shallow crust (first 0-10 km), and other studies have successfully compared RFs with borehole litho-stratigraphy [2].…”

“…Recent works [1,2] have shown how a classical seismology tool as the teleseismic receiver function (RF) method can be adapted, with little modifications, to shallow crustal studies (first 0-10 km of the crust). Distant earthquakes can be used to evaluate seismic velocity at depth, and to constrain the presence of seismic anisotropy, which relates to both fluids and cracks in the rock matrix.…”