\"Numerous geophysical studies suggest that seismic anisotropy is a nearly ubiquitous property of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle. In this study, we utilize the shear wave splitting technique to investigate the piercing-point-dependent azimuthal anisotropy beneath the northeastern edge of the Sichuan Basin in central China, and the spatial and temporal variations of anisotropy near the 2019 M7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake in California, respectively. A clear back azimuthal dependence of the splitting parameters and the lack of a 90° or 180° periodicity of azimuthal variation in the observed fast orientations provide strong evidence for the existence of piercing-point-dependent anisotropy beneath the Sichuan Basin. It is inferred that the observed anisotropy mainly comes from the upper asthenosphere at ~ 250 km and can be explained by a simple geodynamic model invoking absolute plate motion related to simple shear in the lithosphere-asthenosphere transitional layer and mantle flow deflected by the thick lithospheric root of the basin in the upper asthenosphere. In the vicinity of the 2019 Ridgecrest M7.1 earthquake sequence, significant spatial variations in the orientation and formation mechanisms of azimuthal anisotropy are observed. Specific findings include along-strike variations in fault zone width, an asymmetry in rock strength across the main fault in the area, confirmation of a proposed blind fault, and a temporal change in the orientation and strength of anisotropy that may reflect healing of fractures that were activated by the earthquake sequence\"--Abstract, p. iii
","abstract_html":"<p>"Numerous geophysical studies suggest that seismic anisotropy is a nearly ubiquitous property of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle. In this study, we utilize the shear wave splitting technique to investigate the piercing-point-dependent azimuthal anisotropy beneath the northeastern edge of the Sichuan Basin in central China, and the spatial and temporal variations of anisotropy near the 2019 M7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake in California, respectively. A clear back azimuthal dependence of the splitting parameters and the lack of a 90° or 180° periodicity of azimuthal variation in the observed fast orientations provide strong evidence for the existence of piercing-point-dependent anisotropy beneath the Sichuan Basin. It is inferred that the observed anisotropy mainly comes from the upper asthenosphere at ~ 250 km and can be explained by a simple geodynamic model invoking absolute plate motion related to simple shear in the lithosphere-asthenosphere transitional layer and mantle flow deflected by the thick lithospheric root of the basin in the upper asthenosphere. In the vicinity of the 2019 Ridgecrest M7.1 earthquake sequence, significant spatial variations in the orientation and formation mechanisms of azimuthal anisotropy are observed. Specific findings include along-strike variations in fault zone width, an asymmetry in rock strength across the main fault in the area, confirmation of a proposed blind fault, and a temporal change in the orientation and strength of anisotropy that may reflect healing of fractures that were activated by the earthquake sequence"--Abstract, p. iii</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Jia, Yan"],"institution":"Missouri University of Science and Technology","degree_name":"Ph. D. in Geology and Geophysics","degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":null,"date_issued":"","date_published":null,"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:18:18Z","subjects":["Body wave","Computational seismology","Crust deformation","Mantle processes","Seismic anisotropy","Earth Sciences","Geology","Geophysics and Seismology","Physical Sciences and Mathematics"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/doctoral_dissertations/3236","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Jia, Yan"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation - Open Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph. D. in Geology and Geophysics"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Missouri University of Science and Technology"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Body wave","Computational seismology","Crust deformation","Mantle processes","Seismic anisotropy","Earth Sciences","Geology","Geophysics and Seismology","Physical Sciences and Mathematics"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/doctoral_dissertations/3236"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["\"Numerous geophysical studies suggest that seismic anisotropy is a nearly ubiquitous property of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle. In this study, we utilize the shear wave splitting technique to investigate the piercing-point-dependent azimuthal anisotropy beneath the northeastern edge of the Sichuan Basin in central China, and the spatial and temporal variations of anisotropy near the 2019 M7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake in California, respectively. A clear back azimuthal dependence of the splitting parameters and the lack of a 90° or 180° periodicity of azimuthal variation in the observed fast orientations provide strong evidence for the existence of piercing-point-dependent anisotropy beneath the Sichuan Basin. It is inferred that the observed anisotropy mainly comes from the upper asthenosphere at ~ 250 km and can be explained by a simple geodynamic model invoking absolute plate motion related to simple shear in the lithosphere-asthenosphere transitional layer and mantle flow deflected by the thick lithospheric root of the basin in the upper asthenosphere. In the vicinity of the 2019 Ridgecrest M7.1 earthquake sequence, significant spatial variations in the orientation and formation mechanisms of azimuthal anisotropy are observed. Specific findings include along-strike variations in fault zone width, an asymmetry in rock strength across the main fault in the area, confirmation of a proposed blind fault, and a temporal change in the orientation and strength of anisotropy that may reflect healing of fractures that were activated by the earthquake sequence\"--Abstract, p. iii
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["LATERALLY HETEROGENEOUS SEISMIC ANISOTROPY INVESTIGATED BY SHEAR WAVE SPLITTING ANALYSES"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Jia, Yan"],"dc:description.abstract":["\"Numerous geophysical studies suggest that seismic anisotropy is a nearly ubiquitous property of the Earth’s crust and upper mantle. In this study, we utilize the shear wave splitting technique to investigate the piercing-point-dependent azimuthal anisotropy beneath the northeastern edge of the Sichuan Basin in central China, and the spatial and temporal variations of anisotropy near the 2019 M7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake in California, respectively. A clear back azimuthal dependence of the splitting parameters and the lack of a 90° or 180° periodicity of azimuthal variation in the observed fast orientations provide strong evidence for the existence of piercing-point-dependent anisotropy beneath the Sichuan Basin. It is inferred that the observed anisotropy mainly comes from the upper asthenosphere at ~ 250 km and can be explained by a simple geodynamic model invoking absolute plate motion related to simple shear in the lithosphere-asthenosphere transitional layer and mantle flow deflected by the thick lithospheric root of the basin in the upper asthenosphere. In the vicinity of the 2019 Ridgecrest M7.1 earthquake sequence, significant spatial variations in the orientation and formation mechanisms of azimuthal anisotropy are observed. Specific findings include along-strike variations in fault zone width, an asymmetry in rock strength across the main fault in the area, confirmation of a proposed blind fault, and a temporal change in the orientation and strength of anisotropy that may reflect healing of fractures that were activated by the earthquake sequence\"--Abstract, p. iii
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/doctoral_dissertations/3236"],"dc:subject":["Body wave","Computational seismology","Crust deformation","Mantle processes","Seismic anisotropy","Earth Sciences","Geology","Geophysics and Seismology","Physical Sciences and Mathematics"],"dc:title":["LATERALLY HETEROGENEOUS SEISMIC ANISOTROPY INVESTIGATED BY SHEAR WAVE SPLITTING ANALYSES"],"dc:type":["Dissertation - Open Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph. D. in Geology and Geophysics"],"thesis:institution_name":["Missouri University of Science and Technology"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:18:18Z"}