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We studied attenuation of S and coda waves, their frequency and lapse time dependencies in northeast India in the frequency range of 1–24 Hz. We adopted theories of both single and multiple scattering to bandpass-filtered seismograms to fit coda envelopes to estimate Q for coda waves ( QC) and Q for S-waves ( QS) at five central frequencies of 1.5, 3, 6, 12 and 24 Hz. The selected data set consists of 182 seismograms recorded at ten seismic stations within epicentral distance of 22–300 km in the local magnitude range of 2.5–5.2. We found that with the increase in lapse time window from 40 to 60 s, Q0 ( QC at 1 Hz) increases from 213 to 278, while the frequency dependent coefficient n decreases from 0.89 to 0.79. Both QC and QS increase with frequency. The average value of QS obtained by using coda normalization method for NE India has the power law form of in 1–24 Hz. We adopted energy flux model (EFM) and diffusion model for the multiple scattered wave energy in three-dimensions. The results show that the contribution of multiple scattering dominates for longer lapse time close to or larger than mean free time of about 60 s. The estimates of QC are overestimated at longer lapse time by neglecting the effects of multiple scattering. Some discrepancies have been observed between the theoretical predictions and the observations, the difference could be due to the approximation of the uniform medium especially at large hypocentral distances. Increase in QC with lapse time can be explained as the result of the depth dependent attenuation properties and multiple scattering effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analysed local earthquake waveforms recorded on a broad-band seismic network in northwestern Himalayas to compute the intrinsic and scattered attenuation parameters from coda waves. Similar to other tectonically active and heterogeneous regions, attenuation-frequency relation for western Himalaya is where is the coda Q parameter. Intrinsic and scattering attenuations was separated using and direct S-wave Q data . It is observed that estimated is close to and both of them are much larger than suggesting that coda decay is predominantly caused by intrinsic attenuation. At higher frequencies, both the attenuation parameters and, are similar indicating that coda is predominantly composed of back-scattered S waves at these frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of gas hydrate in marine sediments alters their physical properties. In some circumstances, gas hydrate may cement sediment grains together and dramatically increase the seismic P- and S-wave velocities of the composite medium. Hydrate may also form a load-bearing structure within the sediment microstructure, but with different seismic wave attenuation characteristics, changing the attenuation behaviour of the composite. Here we introduce an inversion algorithm based on effective medium modelling to infer hydrate saturations from velocity and attenuation measurements on hydrate-bearing sediments. The velocity increase is modelled as extra binding developed by gas hydrate that strengthens the sediment microstructure. The attenuation increase is modelled through a difference in fluid flow properties caused by different permeabilities in the sediment and hydrate microstructures. We relate velocity and attenuation increases in hydrate-bearing sediments to their hydrate content, using an effective medium inversion algorithm based on the self-consistent approximation (SCA), differential effective medium (DEM) theory, and Biot and squirt flow mechanisms of fluid flow. The inversion algorithm is able to convert observations in compressional and shear wave velocities and attenuations to hydrate saturation in the sediment pore space. We applied our algorithm to a data set from the Mallik 2L–38 well, Mackenzie delta, Canada, and to data from laboratory measurements on gas-rich and water-saturated sand samples. Predictions using our algorithm match the borehole data and water-saturated laboratory data if the proportion of hydrate contributing to the load-bearing structure increases with hydrate saturation. The predictions match the gas-rich laboratory data if that proportion decreases with hydrate saturation. We attribute this difference to differences in hydrate formation mechanisms between the two environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]