Attenuation and source properties at the Coso Geothermal area, California
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Abstract
We use a multiple-empirical Green's function method to determine source properties of small (M −0.4 to 1.3) earthquakes and P- and S-wave attenuation at the Coso Geothermal Field, California. Source properties of a previously identified set of clustered events from the Coso geothermal region are first analyzed using an empirical Green's function (EGF) method. Stress-drop values of at least 0.5-1 MPa are inferred for all of the events; in many cases, the corner frequency is outside the usable bandwidth, and the stress drop can only be constrained as being higher than 3 MPa. P- and S-wave stress-drop estimates are identical to the resolution limits of the data. These results are indistinguishable from numerous EGF studies of M 2-5 earthquakes, suggesting a similarity in rupture processes that extends to events that are both tiny and induced, providing further support for Byerlee's Law. Whole-path Q estimates for P and S waves are determined using the multiple-empirical Green's function (MEGF) method of Hough (1997), whereby spectra from clusters of colocated events at a given station are inverted for a single attenuation parameter, κ, with source parameters constrained from EGF analysis. The κ estimates, which we infer to be resolved to within 0.01 sec or better, exhibit almost as much scatter as a function of hypocentral distance as do values from previous single-spectrum studies for which much higher uncertainties in individual κ estimates are expected. The variability in κ estimates determined here therefore suggests real lateral variability in Q structure. Although the ray-path coverage is too sparse to yield a complete three-dimensional attenuation tomographic image, we invert the inferred κ value for three-dimensional structure using a damped least-squares method, and the results do reveal significant lateral variability in Q structure. The inferred attenuation variability corresponds to the heat-flow variations within the geothermal region. A central low-Q region corresponds well with the central high-heat flow region; additional detailed structure is also suggested.
Study Area
Publication type | Article |
---|---|
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Title | Attenuation and source properties at the Coso Geothermal area, California |
Series title | Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America |
DOI | 10.1785/BSSA0890061606 |
Volume | 89 |
Issue | 6 |
Year Published | 1999 |
Language | English |
Publisher | Seismological Society of America |
Description | 14 p. |
First page | 1606 |
Last page | 1619 |
Country | United States |
State | California |
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