scholarly journals Rupture model of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake from the inversion of strong-motion and broadband teleseismic data

1991 ◽  
Vol 81 (5) ◽  
pp. 1540-1572 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Wald ◽  
Donald V. Helmberger ◽  
Thomas H. Heaton

Abstract We have used 24 broadband teleseismic and 48 components of local strong-motion velocity records of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in a formal inversion to determine the temporal and spatial distribution of slip. Separate inversions of the teleseismic data (periods of 3 to 30 sec) or strong-motion data (periods of 1 to 5 sec) result in similar models. The data require bilateral rupture with relatively little slip in the region directly updip from the hypocenter. Slip is concentrated in two patches: one centered 6 km northwest of the hypocenter at a depth of 12 km and with a maximum slip of 350 cm, and the other centered about 5 km southeast of the hypocenter at a depth of 16 km and with a maximum slip of 460 cm. The bilateral nature of the rupture results in large amplitude ground motions at sites located along the fault strike, both to the northwest and the southeast. However, the northwestern patch has a larger moment and overall stress drop and is, consequently, the source of the largest ground motion velocities, consistent with the observed recordings. This bilateral rupture also produces relatively modest ground motion amplitudes directly updip from the hypocenter, which is in agreement with the velocity ground motions observed at Corralitos. There is clear evidence of a foreshock (magnitude between 3.5 and 5.0) or a slow rupture nucleation about 2 sec before the main part of the rupture; the origin time implied by strong-motion trigger times is systematically 2 sec later than the time predicted from the high-gain regional network data. The seismic moment obtained from either of the separate data sets or both sets combined is about 3.0 × 1026 dyne-cm and the potency is 0.95 km3.

1992 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 603-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger D. Borcherdt ◽  
Gary Glassmoyer

Abstract Strong ground motions recorded at 34 sites in the San Francisco Bay region from the Loma Prieta earthquake show marked variations in characteristics dependent on crustal structure and local geological conditions. Peak horizontal acceleration and velocity inferred for sites underlain by “rock” generally occur on the transverse component of motion. They are consistently greater with lower attenuation rates than the corresponding mean value predicted by empirical curves based on previous strong-motion data. Theoretical amplitude distributions and synthetic seismograms calculated for 10-layer models suggest that “bedrock” motions were elevated due in part to the wide-angle reflection of S energy from the base of a relatively thin (25 km) continental crust in the region. Characteristics of geologic and geotechnical units as currently mapped for the San Francisco Bay region show that average ratios of peak horizontal acceleration, velocity and displacement increase with decreasing mean shear-wave velocity. Ratios of peak acceleration for sites on “soil” (alluvium, fill/Bay mud) are statistically larger than those for sites on “hard rock” (sandstone, shale, Franciscan Complex). Spectral ratios establish the existence of predominant site periods with peak amplifications near 15 for potentially damaging levels of ground motion at some sites underlain by alluvium and fill/bay mud. Average spectral amplifications inferred for vertical and the mean horizontal motion are, respectively, (1,1) for sites on the Franciscan Complex (KJf), (1.4, 1.5) for sites on Mesozoic and Tertiary rocks (TMzs), (2.1, 2.0) for sites on the Santa Clara Formation (QTs), (2.3, 2.9) for sites on alluvium (Qal), and (2.1, 4.0) for sites on fill/Bay mud (Qaf/Qhbm). These mean values are not statistically different at the 5% significance level from those inferred from previous low-strain data. Analyses suggest that soil amplification and reflected crustal shear energy were major contributors to levels of ground motion sufficient to cause damage to vulnerable structures at distances near 100 km in the cities of San Francisco and Oakland.


1991 ◽  
Vol 81 (5) ◽  
pp. 2019-2047
Author(s):  
Thomas C. Hanks ◽  
A. Gerald Brady

Abstract The basis of this study is the acceleration, velocity, and displacement wave-forms of the Loma Prieta earthquake (18 October 1989; M = 7.0) at two rock sites in San Francisco, a rock site on Yerba Buena Island, an artificial-fill site on Treasure Island, and three sites in Oakland underlain by thick sections of poorly consolidated Pleistocene sediments. The waveforms at the three rock sites display a strong coherence, as do the three sedimentary sites in Oakland. The duration of strong motion at the rock sites is very brief, suggestive of an unusually short source duration for an earthquake of this size, while the records in Oakland show strong amplification effects due to site geology. The S-wave group at Treasure Island is phase coherent with the Oakland records, but at somewhat diminished amplitudes, until the steps in acceleration at approximately 15 sec, apparently signaling the onset of liquefaction. All seven records clearly show shear-wave first motion opposite to that expected for the mainshock radiation pattern and peak amplitudes greater than expected for sites at these distances (95 ± 3 km) from an earthquake of this magnitude. While the association between these ground motion records and related damage patterns in nearby areas has been easily and eagerly accepted by seismological and engineering observers of them, we have had some difficulty in making such relationships quantitative or even just clear. The three Oakland records, from sites that form a nearly equilateral triangle about the Cypress Street viaduct collapse, are dominated by a long-period resonance (≃ 1 1/2-sec period) far removed from the natural frequency of the structure to transverse motion (2.5 Hz) or from high-frequency amplification bands observed in aftershock studies. A spectral ratio arbiter of this discrepancy confuses it further. The failure of the East Bay crossing of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge cannot be attributed to relative displacements of the abutments in Oakland and Yerba Buena Island, but the motions of the Bay Bridge causing failure remain unknown. The steps in acceleration at Treasure Island present unusual strong-motion accelerogram processing problems, and modeling suggests that the velocity and displacement waveforms are contaminated by a spurious response of the filtering operations to the acceleration steps. A variety of coincidences suggests that the Treasure island accelerogram is the most likely strong-motion surrogate for the filled areas of the Marina District, for which no mainshock records are available, but the relative contributions of bad ground, poor construction and truly strong ground motion to damage in the Marina District will never by known in any quantitative way. The principal lesson of all of this is that until a concerted effort is mounted to instrument ground and structures that are likely to fail during earthquakes, our understanding of the very complex relationships between strong ground motion and earthquake damage will, in general, remain rudimentary, imprecise, and vague.


1996 ◽  
Vol 86 (1A) ◽  
pp. 122-132
Author(s):  
Stephen Horton

Abstract A finite-fault model with variable slip duration is inferred from strong-ground-motion data for the Loma Prieta earthquake. Unlike previous models, slip duration is found to be consistent with fault width scaling. Slip duration varies between 1 and 6 sec at points along the fault surface with values between 3 and 6 sec, where slip amplitudes obtain or exceed the average slip of 98 cm. Modest high-frequency modifications of the slip function shape greatly enhance the data fit without significantly changing the inferred static offset or rupture characteristics. This model exhibits bilateral rupture with the propagation rate of the main energy release of 3 km/sec or less. The moment is 2.3 × 1026 dyne-cm, and the largest slip amplitudes occur northwest of the hypocenter. The rake varies with position along the fault from dominantly strike slip in the southeast to dominantly reverse slip in the northwest.


1987 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Abrahamson ◽  
B. A. Bolt ◽  
R. B. Darragh ◽  
J. Penzien ◽  
Y. B. Tsai

SMART 1 is the first large digital array of strong-motion seismographs specially designed for engineering and seismological studies of the generation and near-field properties of earthquakes. Since the array began operation in September 1980, it has recorded over 3000 accelerogram traces from 48 earthquakes ranging in local magnitude ( ML) from 3.6 to 7.0. Peak ground accelerations have been recorded up to 0.33g and 0.34g on the horizontal and vertical components, respectively. Epicentral distances have ranged from 3 km 200 km from the array center, and focal depths have ranged from shallow to 100 km. The recorded earthquakes had both reverse and strike-slip focal mechanisms associated with the subduction zone and transform faults. These high quality, digital, ground motions provide a varied resource for earthquake engineering research. Earthquake engineering studies of the SMART 1 ground motion data have led to advances in knowledge in several cases: for example, on frequency-dependent incoherency of free-surface ground motions over short distances, on response of linear systems to multiple support excitations, on attenuation of peak ground-motion parameters and response spectra, on site torsion and phasing effects, and on the identification of wave types. Accelerograms from individual strong-motion seismographs do not, in general, provide such information. This review describes the SMART 1 array and the recorded earthquakes with special engineering applications. Also, it tabulates the unfiltered peak array accelerations, displays some of the recorded ground motion time histories, and summarizes the main engineering research that has made use of SMART 1 data.


Author(s):  
Douglas J. Nyman ◽  
Robert L. Nigbor

Strong motion seismic monitoring systems are often installed at critical industrial facilities located in areas of moderate to high seismicity. The objective of seismic monitoring is to facilitate post-earthquake evaluation and emergency action by providing rapid detection of seismic events and associated data, alarms, and information. Seismic monitoring can play a similar role for pipelines, especially considering the added geohazard risks along right-of-ways that might include landslides, fault crossings, and liquefaction hazard areas. Because of spatial distribution, seismic monitoring for pipelines is more complex than that required for a site-specific facility. In recent years, graphical software known as “ShakeMap,” developed by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), has been used to rapidly estimate and distribute the distribution and intensity of earthquake ground motions from an earthquake. The ShakeMap solution for ground motions takes into account the distance from the earthquake source, the rock and soil conditions at sites, and variations in the propagation of seismic waves due to complexities in the structure of the Earth’s crust. ShakeMap ground motion data is available for automatic download from the USGS for potentially damaging earthquakes, e.g., Magnitude 5 and greater, within minutes after the event. USGS’ ShakeMap provides the opportunity to implement web-based systems to conduct automatic seismic monitoring for cross-county pipelines or networks of pipelines. A monitoring website can be equipped with a seismic database of fragilities that characterize geohazard vulnerabilities along pipeline right-of-ways as well as support facilities. Website software can be used to process the ground motion data to assess the threat to the pipeline system, advise pipeline controllers on the need for shutdown, and guide post-earthquake inspection on a prioritized basis. Drawing from the authors’ recent seismic monitoring experience for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and other lifeline facilities, a conceptual plan for web-based seismic monitoring for pipelines is presented. The choice of a software platform can range from the use of open-source software available from USGS (ShakeCast) to custom software making direct use of gridded data downloads. Regardless of implementation strategy, the most convincing point to be made is that a seismic monitoring system need not require the installation of seismic instruments and the associated commitment to maintenance and hands-on seismology; instead it makes use of publicly available scientific data for rapid post-earthquake assessment.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faouzi Gherboudj ◽  
Toufiq Ouzandja ◽  
Rabah Bensalem

Abstract This paper deals with empirical spectral amplification function for a reference site (STK) near Keddara dam in Algeria using local strong ground motion of earthquakes of magnitudes Mw 4.0-6.8. Amplification function is obtained as the 5% damped mean spectral ratio of surface observed and the rock predicted ground motions and it is compared to the ambient vibration HVSR which shows a good agreement in terms of fundamental frequency and curve tendency. In addition, recorded ground motions are compared to surface predicted motion with modified GMPE, the site term of the local ground motion prediction equation is adjusted based on the obtained amplification function of the free field STK site. Examples of the M 6.8, M5.4 and M4.7 earthquakes show clearly the advantage of using the adjusted Ground Motion Prediction Equations (GMPE) for predicting surface ground motion. Site effect characterization and the adjusted GMPE presented in this study provide the basis elements toward partially non ergodic site specific-Probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA) application based on local strong motion data in Algeria.


2021 ◽  
pp. 875529302110275
Author(s):  
Carlos A Arteta ◽  
Cesar A Pajaro ◽  
Vicente Mercado ◽  
Julián Montejo ◽  
Mónica Arcila ◽  
...  

Subduction ground motions in northern South America are about a factor of 2 smaller than the ground motions for similar events in other regions. Nevertheless, historical and recent large-interface and intermediate-depth slab earthquakes of moment magnitudes Mw = 7.8 (Ecuador, 2016) and 7.2 (Colombia, 2012) evidenced the vast potential damage that vulnerable populations close to earthquake epicenters could experience. This article proposes a new empirical ground-motion prediction model for subduction events in northern South America, a regionalization of the global AG2020 ground-motion prediction equations. An updated ground-motion database curated by the Colombian Geological Survey is employed. It comprises recordings from earthquakes associated with the subduction of the Nazca plate gathered by the National Strong Motion Network in Colombia and by the Institute of Geophysics at Escuela Politécnica Nacional in Ecuador. The regional terms of our model are estimated with 539 records from 60 subduction events in Colombia and Ecuador with epicenters in the range of −0.6° to 7.6°N and 75.5° to 79.6°W, with Mw≥4.5, hypocentral depth range of 4 ≤  Zhypo ≤ 210 km, for distances up to 350 km. The model includes forearc and backarc terms to account for larger attenuation at backarc sites for slab events and site categorization based on natural period. The proposed model corrects the median AG2020 global model to better account for the larger attenuation of local ground motions and includes a partially non-ergodic variance model.


Author(s):  
Fabio Sabetta ◽  
Antonio Pugliese ◽  
Gabriele Fiorentino ◽  
Giovanni Lanzano ◽  
Lucia Luzi

AbstractThis work presents an up-to-date model for the simulation of non-stationary ground motions, including several novelties compared to the original study of Sabetta and Pugliese (Bull Seism Soc Am 86:337–352, 1996). The selection of the input motion in the framework of earthquake engineering has become progressively more important with the growing use of nonlinear dynamic analyses. Regardless of the increasing availability of large strong motion databases, ground motion records are not always available for a given earthquake scenario and site condition, requiring the adoption of simulated time series. Among the different techniques for the generation of ground motion records, we focused on the methods based on stochastic simulations, considering the time- frequency decomposition of the seismic ground motion. We updated the non-stationary stochastic model initially developed in Sabetta and Pugliese (Bull Seism Soc Am 86:337–352, 1996) and later modified by Pousse et al. (Bull Seism Soc Am 96:2103–2117, 2006) and Laurendeau et al. (Nonstationary stochastic simulation of strong ground-motion time histories: application to the Japanese database. 15 WCEE Lisbon, 2012). The model is based on the S-transform that implicitly considers both the amplitude and frequency modulation. The four model parameters required for the simulation are: Arias intensity, significant duration, central frequency, and frequency bandwidth. They were obtained from an empirical ground motion model calibrated using the accelerometric records included in the updated Italian strong-motion database ITACA. The simulated accelerograms show a good match with the ground motion model prediction of several amplitude and frequency measures, such as Arias intensity, peak acceleration, peak velocity, Fourier spectra, and response spectra.


Author(s):  
Soumya Kanti Maiti ◽  
Gony Yagoda-Biran ◽  
Ronnie Kamai

ABSTRACT Models for estimating earthquake ground motions are a key component in seismic hazard analysis. In data-rich regions, these models are mostly empirical, relying on the ever-increasing ground-motion databases. However, in areas in which strong-motion data are scarce, other approaches for ground-motion estimates are sought, including, but not limited to, the use of simulations to replace empirical data. In Israel, despite a clear seismic hazard posed by the active plate boundary on its eastern border, the instrumental record is sparse and poor, leading to the use of global models for hazard estimation in the building code and all other engineering applications. In this study, we develop a suite of alternative ground-motion models for Israel, based on an empirical database from Israel as well as on four data-calibrated synthetic databases. Two host models are used to constrain model behavior, such that the epistemic uncertainty is captured and characterized. Despite the lack of empirical data at large magnitudes and short distances, constraints based on the host models or on the physical grounds provided by simulations ensure these models are appropriate for engineering applications. The models presented herein are cast in terms of the Fourier amplitude spectra, which is a linear, physical representation of ground motions. The models are suitable for shallow crustal earthquakes; they include an estimate of the median and the aleatory variability, and are applicable in the magnitude range of 3–8 and distance range of 1–300 km.


Author(s):  
Paul Somerville

This paper reviews concepts and trends in seismic hazard characterization that have emerged in the past decade, and identifies trends and concepts that are anticipated during the coming decade. New methods have been developed for characterizing potential earthquake sources that use geological and geodetic data in conjunction with historical seismicity data. Scaling relationships among earthquake source parameters have been developed to provide a more detailed representation of the earthquake source for ground motion prediction. Improved empirical ground motion models have been derived from a strong motion data set that has grown markedly over the past decade. However, these empirical models have a large degree of uncertainty because the magnitude - distance - soil category parameterization of these models often oversimplifies reality. This reflects the fact that other conditions that are known to have an important influence on strong ground motions, such as near- fault rupture directivity effects, crustal waveguide effects, and basin response effects, are not treated as parameters of these simple models. Numerical ground motion models based on seismological theory that include these additional effects have been developed and extensively validated against recorded ground motions, and used to estimate the ground motions of past earthquakes and predict the ground motions of future scenario earthquakes. The probabilistic approach to characterizing the ground motion that a given site will experience in the future is very compatible with current trends in earthquake engineering and the development of building codes. Performance based design requires a more comprehensive representation of ground motions than has conventionally been used. Ground motions estimates are needed at multiple annual probability levels, and may need to be specified not only by response spectra but also by suites of strong motion time histories for input into time-domain non-linear analyses of structures.


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