Dispersion of group velocities of Rayleigh and Love waves and anisotropic properties of the Asian continent

Abstract We have studied the structures of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle of the Asian continent using a representative sample of dispersion curves of group velocities of fundamental-mode Rayleigh and Love waves for more than 3200 seismic paths. Maps of distributions of variations in group velocities with periods of 10 to 250 s over a spherical surface were calculated by the 2D tomography method. The maps reflect the deep structure of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle of the study area and give a tentative idea of the horizontal distribution of the anisotropic properties of the mantle matter. The obtained data are confirmed by the calculations of the velocity profiles of SV- and SH- waves for the entire Asian continent and for its regions. Vertically, anisotropy is observed to the depths of ~ 250 km, with its maximum in the depth range from the bottom of the crust to 150 km.