Complex seismic signatures and narrow azimuthal study of Hindukush earthquakes

Abstract

About eighty earthquakes, exclusively from the Hindukush region, which were recorded at Gauribidanur seismic array (GBA) have been used in the present study. Short period P-wave recordings upto 36 seconds were processed using adaptive cross-correlation filtering technique. The main objective of this exercise was to examine the signal complexities and seismic ray direction anomalies of these earthquakes which have identical epicentral distances and a narrow azimuthal range from GBA but different focal depths from 10 to 240 km. Slowness anomalies of the order of 1-4 sec/deg and azimuthal anomalies upto 6° have been found in this case. These deviations have been attributed to the upper mantle region between source and the receiver. Analysis of the data reveals that most of the events occurring at shallower depths had complex signatures as compared to the deeper events. The structure near the source region, complicated source functions and scattering confined to the crust-upper mantle near source are mainly responsible for complexity of the observed signals as the transmission path of the ray tubes from turning point to the recording stations is practically the same. © 1981 Indian Academy of Sciences.