Analysis of Local Seismic Events near a Large-N Array for Moho Reflections

Abstract

Local seismic events recorded by the large-N Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology Community Wavefield Experiment in Oklahoma are used to estimate Moho reflections near the array. For events within 50 km of the center of the array, normal moveout corrections and receiver stacking are applied to identify the PmP and SmS Moho reflections on the vertical and transverse components. Corrections for the reported focal depths are applied to a uniform event depth. To stack signals from multiple events, further static corrections of the envelopes of the Moho reflected arrivals from the individual event stacks are applied. The multiple-event stacks are then used to estimate the pre-critical PmP and SmS arrivals, and an average Poisson’s ratio of 1.77±0.02 was found for the crust near the array. Using a modified Oklahoma Geological Survey (OGS) velocity model with this Poisson’s ratio, the time-to-depth converted PmP and SmS arrivals resulted in a Moho depth of 41±0.6 km. The modeling of wide-angle Moho reflections for selected events at epicenter-to-station distances of 90–135 km provides additional constraints, and assuming the modified OGS model, a Moho depth of 40±1 km was inferred. The difference between the pre-critical and wide-angle Moho estimates could result from some lateral variability between the array and the wide-angle events. However, both estimates are slightly shallower than the original OGS model Moho depth of 42 km, and this could also result from a somewhat faster lower crust. This study shows that local seismic events, including induced events, can be utilized to estimate properties and structure of the crust, which, in turn, can be used to better understand the tectonics of a given region. The recording of local seismicity on large-N arrays provides increased lateral phase coherence for the better identification of precritical and wide-angle reflected arrivals.