Teleseismic attenuation beneath the British Isles

The British Isles' lithospheric structure, shaped by a dynamic geological history, remains incompletely understood, particularly regarding anelastic parameters, such as attenuation. In this study, we present a teleseismic attenuation model for the British Isles, using time-domain analysis of teleseismic P-wave data from 28 deep earthquakes. We constructed a 2-D differential attenuation map (Δt∗) that reveals significant regional variations. Our findings show a weak anticorrelation between Δt*shear wave velocity at upper mantle depths, suggesting that variations in the lithosphere-asthenosphere system influence this pattern. A high-attenuation zone extends from Scotland across the Irish Sea to southwest England, potentially linked to mantle upwelling associated with the Iceland plume. This model provides new insights into the mantle dynamics beneath the British Isles, offering a crucial reference for future geophysical studies in the region.