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High-resolution Characterization of Seismic Scattering in the Lunar Near-surface From Observations and Synthetic Records

Description: 

The lunar surface and interior produce intense seismic scattering and weak intrinsic attenuation, as shown by the long coda durations and lack of distinct phases in seismograms. Although these properties have been studied extensively across global and regional scales, far less emphasis has been directed towards scattering across smaller distances. Seismic signals generated by the Apollo 17 Lunar Module (LM) are characterized by durations exceeding 120 seconds, despite source-receiver distances of only 145-245 m. Though these properties have been attributed to wave propagation through the unconsolidated and heterogeneous megaregolith, the exact relationships between scatterer properties, subsurface structure, and recorded waveforms are not yet fully understood. We aim to bridge these gaps through joint analyses of observed and synthetic seismic data. We examine waveforms of newly cataloged LM events recorded by Apollo 17 and estimate rise time and coda duration, quantities directly affected by the scattering and attenuation properties of the medium. We also plan to investigate possible correlations with surface temperature variations, which cycle between 80 K and 400 K over the course of 29.5 Earth days and drive the LM vibrations. We complement our observational analyses by constructing numerical simulations of LM events, modeling scattering using random distributions of velocity perturbations superimposed onto a 1D velocity model. We perturb factors such as scatterer size and strength of velocity perturbation to constrain models that can reproduce the rise time and coda decay of the observed waveforms.

Session: Planetary and Gravitational Wave Seismology [Poster]

Type: Poster

Date: 4/15/2026

Presentation Time: 08:00 AM (local time)

Presenting Author: Yuri Tamama

Student Presenter: Yes

Invited Presentation: 

Poster Number: 141

Authors