Teleseismic P-Wave Attenuation Beneath the Arabian Plate

In order to prove that the Arabian Plate is a tectonically active region even in its shield areas, we obtained the attenuation structure $t_p^{*}$ of the upper mantle beneath the Arabian Plate by applying the spectral inversion method to the newly established seismic network in Saudi Arabia operated by the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS). The data sets consisted of good quality vertical components of the teleseismic events for more than 4400 spectral ratios. The result showed significant and diverse $t_p^{*}$ structures between the eastern and western regions of the Arabian Plate. High $t_p^{*}$ was the predominant feature underneath the Arabian Shield (western Arabia) and low $t_p^{*}$ within the Arabian Platform (eastern Arabia). The obtained $t_P^{*}$ values range from −1.0 s to 1.0 s. The observed high $t_p^{*}$ patterns followed a line from north to south through the Arabian Shield along the Red Sea margin. The high $t_p^{*}$ distribution closely followed the volcanic region, in particular the Makka–Madina–Nafud Volcanic (MMNV) line. The maximum $t_p^{*}$ values were observed in the southern region of the Arabian Shield, at the southern part of the Red Sea, where the African and Arabian Plates diverge. The observed high $t_p^{*}$ will be attributed to the previously revealed low-velocity anomaly and thermal activities beneath the Arabian Shield, and it is also correlated with the topography (high elevation) in the region.