Crustal seismic attenuation parameters in the western region of the North Anatolian Fault Zone

Detailed knowledge of the crustal structure along the North Anatolian Fault Zone can help in understanding past and present tectonic processes in relation to the deformation history. To estimate the frequency-dependent crustal attenuation parameters beneath the western part of the North Anatolian Fault Zone we apply acoustic radiative transfer theory under the assumption of multiple isotropic scattering to generate synthetic seismogram envelopes. The inversion depends on finding an optimal fit between observed and synthetically computed coda wave envelopes in five frequency bands. 2-D lateral variation of intrinsic and scattering attenuation at various frequencies tends to three crustal blocks (i.e., Armutlu-Almacık, Istanbul-Zonguldak and Sakarya Zones) separated by the southern and northern branches of the western part of the North Anatolian Fault Zone. Overall, scattering attenuation appears to be dominant over intrinsic attenuation in the study area at lower frequencies. Relatively low attenuation properties are observed beneath the older Istanbul Zone whereas higher attenuation properties are found for the younger Sakarya Zone. The Armutlu–Almacık Zone exhibits more complex lateral variations. Very high attenuation values towards the west characterize the area of the Kuzuluk Basin, a pull-apart basin formed under west-east extension. Our coda-derived moment magnitudes are similar to the local magnitude estimates that were previously calculated for the same earthquakes. For smaller earthquakes (M_L < 2.5), however, the relation between local and moment magnitudes appears to lose its coherency. This may stem from various reasons including the use of seismic data recorded in finite sampling interval, possible biases in local magnitude estimates of earthquake catalogues as well as biases due to wrong assumptions to consider anelastic attenuation terms.