Low‐Frequency Measurements of Seismic Moduli and Attenuation in Antigorite Serpentinite

Abstract

Abstract Laboratory measurements of seismic moduli and attenuation in antigorite serpentinite at a confining pressure of 200 MPa and temperatures up to 550 °C provide new results relevant to the interpretation of geophysical data in subduction zones. A polycrystalline antigorite specimen was tested via forced oscillations at small strain amplitudes and seismic frequencies (millihertz to hertz). The shear modulus has a temperature sensitivity, ∂G/∂T, averaging −0.017 GPa/K. Increasing temperature above 500 °C results in more intensive shear attenuation ( QG−1) and associated modulus dispersion, with QG−1 increasing monotonically with increasing oscillation period and temperature. This “background” relaxation is adequately captured by a Burgers model for viscoelasticity and possibly results from intergranular mechanisms. Attenuation is higher in antigorite ( log10QG−1≈−1.5 at 550 °C and 0.01 Hz) than in olivine ( log10QG−1≪−2.0 below 800 °C), but such contrast does not appear to be strong enough to allow robust identification of antigorite from seismic models of attenuation only.

Keywords

• antigorite serpentinite
• subduction zones
• seismic velocity
• seismic attenuation
• viscoelastic relaxation