On possible issues of Backus average

Abstract

In this paper, we continue the study of Bos et al. (2018) regarding statistical and numerical considerations of the Backus (1962) product approximation. While the approximation is typically quite good for seismological scenarios, Bos et al. (2018) demonstrate a physical scenario that could, in spite of the stability conditions for isotropic media, lead to an issue within the Backus average. Using the Preliminary Reference Earth Model of Dziewo\'nski and Anderson (1981) and a case study in the upper oceanic crust, we investigate whether this issue is likely to occur in the context of seismology.