A Uniform Database of Teleseismic Shear-Wave Splitting Measurements for the Western and Central United States: December 2014 Update

We present a new version of a shear-wave splitting (SWS) database for the western and central United States (WCUS) using broadband seismic data recorded up to the end of 2014 to update a previous version that used data recorded prior to the end of 2012, when the USArray Transportable Array stations were still recording in the easternmost region of theWCUS. A total of 7452 pairs of additional measurements recorded by 1202 digital broadband seismic stations are obtained, and all the measurements in the previous database are rechecked. The resulting uniform SWS database contains a total of 23,448 pairs of well-defined SKS, SKKS, and PKS splitting parameters. Relative to the previous version of the database, the additional measurements notably improved the spatial and azimuthal coverages of the measurements, providing an improved dataset for constraining geodynamic models related to lithospheric deformation and asthenospheric flow, as well as for complex anisotropy recognition and characterization.