Science. 1990 Apr 20;248(4953):351-4. doi: 10.1126/science.248.4953.351.
The attenuation of upper crustal seismic waves that are refracted with a velocity of about 6 kilometers per second varies greatly among profiles in the area of the New Madrid seismic zone in the central Mississippi Valley. The waves that have the strongest attenuation pass through the seismic trend along the axis of the Reelfoot rift in the area of the Blytheville arch. Defocusing of the waves in a low-velocity zone and/or seismic scattering and absorption could cause the attenuation; these effects are most likely associated with the highly deformed rocks along the arch. Consequently, strong seismic-wave attenuation may be a useful criterion for identifying seismogenic fault zones.
在密西西比河谷中部的新马德里地震带地区，折射速度约为 6 公里/秒的上层地壳地震波的衰减在各剖面之间差异很大。衰减最强的波沿着雷夫特裂谷的轴穿过该比莱瑟维尔拱区的地震走向。波在低速带中的散焦和/或地震散射和吸收可能导致衰减；这些效应很可能与拱区沿伸的高度变形岩石有关。因此，强烈的地震波衰减可能是识别发震断层带的有用标准。
