Seismic attenuation, which integrates the study of scattering and absorption phenomena, is a physical process that significantly influences the propagation of seismic waves through the Earth, from crust to core, and within planetary bodies. It is also a crucial measurement used in ground motion and seismic source modelling, as well as in hazard assessments. Through the last 40 years, advances in theoretical and computational models, alongside improvements in rock physics measurements, have greatly enhanced our understanding of the physical processes causing and increasing seismic attenuation. Once coupled with the deployment of seismic arrays better suited to measuring seismic amplitudes, these improvements have led to outstanding attenuation tomography models, which give us unprecedented insight into the structure of the crust, mantle, and core. Today, we can distinguish between coherent and incoherent contributions to seismic attenuation, allowing us to apply techniques developed in atmospheric and nuclear physics to measure and image attenuation at all Earth scales.
This session will bring together experts in the field of seismic attenuation. The session will focus on:
• Theoretical and open-source computational advancements in understanding and modelling viscoelastic wave propagation, including seismic scattering and seismic absorption, in heterogeneous media;
• Techniques that utilise seismic attenuation to eliminate trade-offs in seismic source measurements;
• Understanding the impact of seismic attenuation on earthquake ground motion as a function of both distance and frequency;
• Measurements and data processing techniques to obtain total, scattering and intrinsic attenuation parameters within rocks, crustal faults and fractures, and planetary bodies;
• Research linking seismic attenuation to the conversion of energy into other forms, such as heat, especially in the context of geothermal resources and volcanic hazard assessment;
• Tomographic methods using seismic attenuation, scattering, and absorption as attributes, including in combination with seismic velocity, to understand and interpret the Earth's structure and dynamics.