Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/C510916/1
Mantle velocity, anisotropy and attenuation structure from the analysis of long period seismic data.
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor JH Woodhouse, University of Oxford, Earth Sciences
- Grant held at:
- University of Oxford, Earth Sciences
- Science Area:
- Earth
- Overall Classification:
- Earth
- ENRIs:
- Natural Resource Management
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Science Topics:
- Properties Of Earth Materials
- Mantle & Core Processes
- Geohazards
- Abstract:
- Seismological research aims to address the linked problems of (i) elucidating the source process of earthquakes - the initiation and propagation of rupture and the field of ground shaking that is produced and (ii) elucidating the complex structure of the earth - for example, the pattern of high and low wave velocities, wave attenuation, anisotropic properties. These problems are intimately linked since it is necessary to know the detailed earth structure in order to calculate the seismic motion due to a given source process and, conversely, it is necessary to have accurate information about earth structure in order to ascertain the source process from analysis of seismic data; essentially, inaccuracies in earth structure act as a distorting lens in the attempt to image the seismic source. Much progress has been made on these problems, leading to large catalogues of source parameters and to the current generation of images of earth structure on both global and regional scales. The information that seismology can provide - wave speeds and attenuation - relates to the pattern of high and low temperatures associated with convective motion in the mantle, and with compositional variations that arise, for example, from the segregation and recycling of material by plate tectonics. Thus three dimensional earth models provide a basic input in the quest for understanding the thermal and mechanical behaviour and evolution of the planet. This project aims to go beyond current earth models by assembling a larger and much more complete set of measurements than has been used to date, making use of both early (a few hours) and late (say 10 hours) portions of the data over a wide range of frequencies, and using overtone data as well as the more extensively studied fundamental mode data. The study to be undertaken will aim to simultaneously make use of the different kinds of information which the data provide - principally phase information relating to wave speed, amplitude information relating to attenuation and to focussing and defocussing caused by velocity variations, and information about the polarisation of waves which relates to the lateral refraction of surface waves and also to anisotropy.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/C510916/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Standard Grants Pre FEC
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Standard Grant
This grant award has a total value of £175,909
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Staff | Total - T&S | Total - Other Costs | Total - Indirect Costs | Total - Equipment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £94,240 | £4,528 | £11,562 | £58,530 | £7,050 |
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