WAVEFORM MODELING TO ESTIMATE THE SEISMIC WAVE ATTENUATION IN THE CRUST, IN THE VRANCEA REGION

The modeling of the high frequency waveforms from low magnitude shallow earthquakes located in the Vrancea region and surroundings is used to evaluate depth-dependent models for the quality factor in the crust, optimal for ray paths crossing the area from the bending of the Eastern Carpathians. The study points out lateral variations of the attenuation of the seismic waves with frequencies up to 5 Hz, indicating high values of the Q factor in the extra-Carpathian region, in the East European, Scythian, and eastern Moesian Platforms, and higher attenuation in the orogen from the major bend of the Carpathians, and in the Carpathian foredeep area.