scholarly journals Modeling of energy amplification recorded within Greater Los Angeles using irregular structure

1994 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chandan K. Saikia ◽  
Douglas S. Dreger ◽  
Donald V. Helmberger

Abstract We have investigated energy amplification observed within Greater Los Angeles basin by analyzing regional waveforms recorded from several Nevada Test Site (NTS) nuclear explosions. Although the stations are located nearly at the same azimuth (distances ranging from 350 to 400 km), the seismograms recorded in Compton (the central part of the basin), Long Beach (the southern edge of the basin), and downtown Los Angeles are remarkably different, even for a common explosion. Following the onset of Lg waves, the Long Beach sites have recorded surface waves for more than 100 sec. From one explosion, the sites within downtown Los Angeles have recorded seismograms with strong 3-sec surface waves. These waves are not observed on the seismograms recorded in the neighboring hard-rock site California Institute of Technology (CIT) station. Thus, they must have been generated by local wave guides. Numerically, we modeled these 3-sec waves by convolving the CIT seismogram with the response of a sedimentary strata dipping gently (about 6°) from CIT toward downtown. We also examined the irregular basin effect by analyzing the variation of cumulative temporal energy across the basin relative to the energy recorded at CIT from the same explosion. Variation up to a factor of 30 was observed. To model the energy variation that is caused by extended surface waves in the Long Beach area, we used numerically simulated site transfer functions (STF) from a NNE-SSW oriented two-dimensional basin structure extending from Montebello to Palos Verdes that included low-velocity sedimentary material in the uppermost layers. These STFs were convolved with the CIT seismogram recorded from the MAST explosion. To simulate elongated duration of surface waves, we introduced in the upper sedimentary structure some discontinuous microbasin structures of varying size, each microbasin delaying the seismic waves propagating through them. Consequently, the surface-reflected phases through these structures are delayed and reflected into the upper medium by the underlying interfaces. This mechanism helps delayed energy to appear at a later time and result in a longer time duration at sites located at southern edge of the basin.

2018 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 1337-1352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changhyoun Park ◽  
Christoph Gerbig ◽  
Sally Newman ◽  
Ravan Ahmadov ◽  
Sha Feng ◽  
...  

AbstractTo study regional-scale carbon dioxide (CO2) transport, temporal variability, and budget over the Southern California Air Basin (SoCAB) during the California Research at the Nexus of Air Quality and Climate Change (CalNex) 2010 campaign period, a model that couples the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model with the Vegetation Photosynthesis and Respiration Model (VPRM) has been used. Our numerical simulations use anthropogenic CO2 emissions of the Hestia Project 2010 fossil-fuel CO2 emissions data products along with optimized VPRM parameters at “FLUXNET” sites, for biospheric CO2 fluxes over SoCAB. The simulated meteorological conditions have been validated with ground and aircraft observations, as well as with background CO2 concentrations from the coastal Palos Verdes site. The model captures the temporal pattern of CO2 concentrations at the ground site at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, but it overestimates the magnitude in early daytime. Analysis of CO2 by wind directions reveals the overestimate is due to advection from the south and southwest, where downtown Los Angeles is located. The model also captures the vertical profile of CO2 concentrations along with the flight tracks. The optimized VPRM parameters have significantly improved simulated net ecosystem exchange at each vegetation-class site and thus the regional CO2 budget. The total biospheric contribution ranges approximately from −24% to −20% (daytime) of the total anthropogenic CO2 emissions during the study period.


1975 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-36
Author(s):  
Charles B. Crouse ◽  
Paul C. Jennings

abstract Accelerograms obtained at two sites during the San Fernando earthquake of 1971 were analyzed to investigate the role of soil-structure interaction, using techniques developed by Bielak and others. Analysis of the data from the site of the Hollywood Storage Building, for which data from the Arvin-Tehachapi earthquake of 1952 are also available, showed evidence of soil-structure interaction in the way the transfer functions between parking lot and basement motion decayed with increasing frequency in the two lateral directions. It is concluded also that interaction probably had a small effect on the response near the EW fundamental frequency during the San Fernando earthquake. Although theoretical and experimentally determined transfer functions are broadly similar, they do not agree in detail. The lack of good agreement for reasonable choices of the parameters of the theoretical model indicates a need for some modifications of the theory or its application, and a need for more measurements at the site. A similar analysis showed no clear evidence of soil-structure interaction for the Millikan Library and Athanaeum buildings on the campus of the California Institute of Technology. If soil-structure interaction caused the major differences measured in the base motions of these two buildings, it is of a more complex form than that considered by present theories.


Author(s):  
Kelvin Berryman

The Landers earthquake (Ms 7.5) occurred at 4.58 am local time, and was located about 10 km north of the town of Yucca Valley, close to the small town of Landers, and about 170 km ENE of Los Angeles (Fig. 1). At the time the author was in Reno, Nevada, involved in a field study of the 1915 rupture of the Pleasant Valley fault. Fieldwork was completed on July 8, and on July 9 the author drove with a Reno-based colleague, Dr. Steven Wesnousky, firstly to Los Angeles to consult with seismologists and geologists at U. S. Geological Survey (Pasadena) and California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and then to Yucca Valley to inspect surface faulting and damage in the epicentral area. We reached Yucca Valley at about 6 pm on July 10, and remained in the area until the evening of July 14. Some objectives in inspecting the fault rupture were to look at the distribution of slip along the length of the fault break; the relationship of faulting to pre-existing traces; and the relationship of the fault rupture to the total length of each of the faults that ruptured. The earthquake magnitude and total rupture length are similar to what has been proposed for the segment of the Wellington fault that runs through the Wellington metropolitan area.


Author(s):  
William F. Chambers ◽  
Arthur A. Chodos ◽  
Roland C. Hagan

TASK8 was designed as an electron microprobe control program with maximum flexibility and versatility, lending itself to a wide variety of applications. While using TASKS in the microprobe laboratory of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, we decided to incorporate the capability of using subroutines which perform specific end-member calculations for nearly any type of mineral phase that might be analyzed in the laboratory. This procedure minimizes the need for post-processing of the data to perform such calculations as element ratios or end-member or formula proportions. It also allows real time assessment of each data point.The use of unique “mineral codes” to specify the list of elements to be measured and the type of calculation to perform on the results was first used in the microprobe laboratory at the California Institute of Technology to optimize the analysis of mineral phases. This approach was used to create a series of subroutines in TASK8 which are called by a three letter code.


Geophysics ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-84
Author(s):  
Chunying Yang ◽  
Wenchuang Wang

Irregular acquisition geometry causes discontinuities in the appearance of surface wave events, and a large offset causes seismic records to appear as aliased surface waves. The conventional method of sampling data affects the accuracy of the dispersion spectrum and reduces the resolution of surface waves. At the same time, ”mode kissing” of the low-velocity layer and inhomogeneous scatterers requires a high-resolution method for calculating surface wave dispersion. This study tested the use of the multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm in 3D multichannel and aliased wavefield separation. Azimuthal MUSIC is a useful method to estimate the phase velocity spectrum of aliased surface wave data, and it represent the dispersion spectra of low-velocity and inhomogeneous models. The results of this study demonstrate that mode-kissing affects dispersion imaging, and inhomogeneous scatterers change the direction of surface-wave propagation. Surface waves generated from the new propagation directions are also dispersive. The scattered surface wave has a new dispersion pattern different to that of the entire record. Diagonal loading was introduced to improve the robustness of azimuthal MUSIC, and numerical experiments demonstrate the resultant effectiveness of imaging aliasing surface waves. A phase-matched filter was applied to the results of azimuthal MUSIC, and phase iterations were unwrapped in a fast and stable manner. Aliased surface waves and body waves were separated during this process. Overall, field data demonstrate that azimuthal MUSIC and phase-matched filters can successfully separate aliased surface waves.


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