Receiver function

The receiver function technique is a way to image the <a href="/facts/Structure_of_the_Earth/678dYXU7">structure of the Earth</a> and its internal boundaries by using the information from <a href="/facts/Teleseism/HvDfDlYr">teleseismic</a> <a href="/facts/Earthquake/NGjIzagw">earthquakes</a> recorded at a three-component <a href="/facts/Seismograph/CCc9vwqf">seismograph</a>.
A teleseismic <a href="/facts/P-wave/dzv94RBr">P-wave</a> will generate P-to-S conversions at boundaries, such as the <a href="/facts/Mohorovi%C4%8Di%C4%87_discontinuity/1NBmpcKT">Moho</a> (crust-mantle boundary), beneath the seismograph. The difference in travel time between the generated <a href="/facts/S-wave/CN3pvkJX">S-wave</a> and P-wave contains information about the depth to the boundary and about the P- and S-wave velocities. If further reverberations are included, more detailed structure can be resolved. This is done by <a href="/facts/Deconvolution/Q5ECQykB">deconvolution</a> 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 <a href="/facts/S-wave/CN3pvkJX">S-wave</a> will generate an S-to-P conversion beneath the seismic station.

Receiver function open-in-new

Receiver function