Upper crust attenuation in the Basin and Range Province of Sonora, Mexico

We estimated the S-wave quality factor Q(f) of the upper crust in northeastern Sonora, Mexico, using a two-layer model. The first layer of the model has a thickness of 1 km, and the frequency dependence of Q can be represented by the relation Q(f) = 127f 0.7 in the frequency range of 0.5 ≤ f ≤ 20 Hz. The second layer varies in depth between 1 and 21 km, and Q(f) = 181f 0.7 in the same frequency range. The average Q of the model, weighted with the thickness of the layers, gives the relation Q(f) = 179.1f 0.7. We used nonparametric attenuation functions, determined in a previous study, to correct the observed spectral amplitudes, and then we retrieved source and site effects using a spectral inversion scheme. We used the resulting functions to separate source and site effects from the original spectral records and modeled Q for the 1-D model’s depths. We analyzed 38 local earthquakes recorded by 12 stations of the regional network RESNES (Red Sismica del Noreste de Sonora). We found that the S-wave Q of the superficial layer is a factor of only 1.4 smaller than the more profound layer. This result validates the use of an average Q to correct spectral amplitudes by the effect of anelastic attenuation from waves traveling within the upper crust.