Receiver function
A receiver function technique is a way to model the boundary layers and structure of the Earth by using the information from teleseismic earthquakes recorded at a three component seismograph.
A teleseismic P-wave will generate P to S conversions at boundaries, such as the Moho (crust-mantle boundary), beneath the seismograph. The difference in travel time between the generated S-wave and P-wave contains information about the distance to the boundary and if further reverberations are included more detailed structure can be resolved. This is done by deconvolution of the incoming vertical and longitudinal components of the seismogram which removes the common part of the components - namely, the source and travel path information. The resulting waveform is the receiver function.
Similarly, a teleseismic S-wave will generate an S to P conversion beneath the seismic station.
References
- C. A. Langston: Structure under Mount Rainier, Washington, inferred from teleseismic body waves, J. Geophys. Res. 84(B9), 4749–4762, 1979.
- Charles J. Ammon, George E. Randall, and George Zandt: On the Nonuniqueness of Receiver Function Inversions, Journal of Geophysical Research 95(B10), 15303–15318, 1990.
- Frederiksen, A. W., and M. G. Bostock: Modelling teleseismic waves in dipping anisotropic structures, Geophysical Journal International 141, 401–412, 2000.
- Vinnik, L. P. (1977), Detection of waves converted from P to SV in the mantle, Phys. Earth Planet. Inter., 15(1), 39-45.