Solid Earth Sciences(S)
Session Sub CategoryScience of the Earth's Interior & Tectonophysics
Session IDS-IT28
TitleSeismic attenuation: Observations, Experiments, and Interpretations
Short titleSeismic attenuation
Main ConvenerNameYasuko Takei
AffiliationEarthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo
Co-Convener 1NameDouglas Wiens
AffiliationWashington University in St Louis
Co-Convener 2NameNozomu Takeuchi
AffiliationEarthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo
LanguageEE
ScopeThere has been great progress in determining the seismic attenuation structure of the Earth's upper mantle. A major limitation in the usefulness of these models remains the uncertainties in how to interpret seismic attenuation in terms of physical parameters such as temperature, melt, volatiles, and grain size. This also affects the seismological community's ability to use velocity measurements, since dispersion due to attenuation contributes significantly to velocity heterogeneity at high temperatures. There has also been much progress on the experimental studies of the rock anelasticity, both on natural and synthetic mantle materials and with analog materials. Appropriate application of these laboratory data to the seismic waves plays a key role to answer whether seismic structure can be interpreted consistently with geochemical and geodynamical constraints on the temperature and volatile/melt distributions in the upper mantle. The purpose of this session is to promote the mutual understanding of the present state of the knowledge in these observational, experimental, and application studies. Seismological, experimental, theoretical, and geochemical/geodynamical studies relevant to these topics are welcome.
Type of presentationOral and Poster presentation
Invited authors Ian Jackson (ANU)
Donald Forsyth (Brown University)