Application of Site Amplification Factors to Determine the Local Magnitude from Borehole Seismic Stations in Taiwan

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tz-Shin Lai ◽  
Yih-Min Wu ◽  
Wei-An Chao
Keyword(s):  
Site Effect ◽  
Site Amplification ◽  
Force Balance ◽  
Earthquake Catalog ◽  
Local Magnitude ◽  
Broadband Seismometer ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Amplification Factors ◽  
Attenuation Function ◽  
Borehole Seismic

<p>Since the inception of 62 borehole seismic arrays deployed by Central Weather Bureau (CWB) in Taiwan until the end of 2018, a large quantity of strong-motion records have been accumulated from frequently occurring earthquakes around Taiwan, which provide an opportunity to detect micro-seismicity. Each borehole array includes two force balance accelerometers, one at the surface and other at a depth of a few ten-to-hundred (30-492) meters, as well as one broadband seismometer is below the borehole accelerometer. In general, the background seismic noise level are lower at the downhole stations than surface stations. However, the seismograms recorded by the downhole stations are smaller than surface stations due to the near-surface site effect. In Taiwan, the local magnitude (M<sub>L</sub>) determinations use the attenuation function derived from surface stations. Therefore, the M<sub>L</sub> will be underestimated by using current attenuation function for downhole stations. In this study, we used 19079 earthquakes to investigate the site amplification at subsurface materials between downhole and surface stations. Results demonstrate the amplification factors ranging from 1.11 to 5.74, provide the site effect parameter at shallow layers and have a strong relationship with Vs30. Further, we apply the amplification factors to revise the station local magnitude for downhole station. The revised M<sub>L</sub> at downhole stations correlate well with the M<sub>L</sub> at surface stations. Implement of the downhole station in the M<sub>L</sub> determination, it enhances the ability to detect the micro-earthquake and makes the earthquake catalog more comprehensive in Taiwan.</p>

scholarly journals Probabilistic seismic-hazard site assessment in Kitimat, British Columbia, from Bayesian inversion of surface-wave dispersion

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (7) ◽  
pp. 928-940
Author(s):  
Jeremy M. Gosselin ◽  
John F. Cassidy ◽  
Stan E. Dosso ◽  
Camille Brillon
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Surface Wave ◽  
Seismic Hazard ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Wave Dispersion ◽  
Site Amplification ◽  
Site Classification ◽  
Surface Wave Dispersion ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Amplification Factors

This paper applies rigorous quantitative inversion methods to estimate seismic-hazard site classification and amplification factors in Kitimat, British Columbia, due to near-surface geophysical conditions. Frequency-wavenumber seismic-array processing is applied to passive data collected at three sites in Kitimat to estimate surface-wave dispersion. The dispersion data are inverted using a fully nonlinear Bayesian (probabilistic) inference methodology to estimate shear-wave velocity (VS) profiles and uncertainties. The VS results are used to calculate the travel-time average of VS to 30 m depth (VS30) as a representation of the average sediment conditions, and to determine seismic-hazard site classification with respect to the National Building Code of Canada. In addition, VS30-dependent site amplification factors are computed to estimate site amplification at the three Kitimat sites. Lastly, the VS profiles are used to compute amplification and resonance spectra for horizontally polarized shear waves. Quantitative uncertainties are estimated for all seismic-hazard estimates from the probabilistic VS structure. The Kitimat region is the site for several proposed large-scale industrial development projects. One of the sites considered in this study is co-located with a recently deployed soil seismographic monitoring station that is currently recording ground motions as part of a 5 year campaign. The findings from this work will be useful for mitigating seismic amplification and resonance hazards on critical infrastructure, as well as for future seismological research, in this environmentally and economically significant region of Canada.

Site effects on Gros Morne Hill, Port-au-Prince, Haïti

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans-Balder Havenith ◽  
Sophia Ulysse
Keyword(s):  
Ground Motion ◽  
Geophysical Methods ◽  
Site Effect ◽  
Site Amplification ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Refraction Tomography ◽  
Resonance Frequencies ◽  
The Hill ◽  
Earthquake Data

<p>After the M = 7.0 Haiti earthquake in 2010, many teams completed seismic risk studies in Port-au-Prince to better understand why this not extraordinarily strong event had induced one of the most severe earthquake disasters in history (at least in the Western World). Most highlighted the low construction quality as the main cause for the disaster, but some also pointed to possible soil and topographic amplification effects, especially in the lower and central parts of Port-au-Prince (e.g., close to the harbor). Therefore, we completed a detailed site effect study for Gros-Morne hill located in the district of Pétion-Ville, southeast of Port-au-Prince by using near surface geophysical methods. The horizontal to vertical spectral ratio technique was applied to ambient vibrations and earthquake data, and multichannel analysis of surface waves and P-wave refraction tomography calculation were applied to seismic data. Standard spectral ratios were computed for the S-wave windows of the earthquake data recorded by a small temporary seismic network. Electrical resistivity tomography profiles were also performed in order to image the structure of the subsurface and detect the presence of water.</p><p>Different site effect components are represented for the entire survey area; we present maps of shear wave velocity variations, of changing fundamental resonance frequencies, and of related estimates of soft soil/rock thickness, of peak spectral amplitudes and of ambient ground motion polarization. Results have also been compiled within a 3D surface-subsurface model of the hill that helps visualize the geological characteristics of the area, which are relevant for site effect analyses. From the 3D geomodel we extracted one 2D geological section along the short-axis of the hill, crossing it near the location of the Hotel Montana on top of the hill, which had been destroyed during the earthquake and has now been rebuilt. This cross-section was used for dynamic numerical modelling of seismic ground motion and for related site amplification calculation. The numerical results are compared with the site amplification characteristics that had been estimated from the ambient vibration measurements and the earthquake recordings. Related results only partly confirm the strong seismic amplification effects highlighted by previous papers for this hill site, which had been explained by the effects of the local topographic and soil characteristics.</p>

Scenario‐Dependent Site Effects for the Determination of Unbiased Local Magnitude

2019 ◽  
Vol 109 (6) ◽  
pp. 2658-2673 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Holt ◽  
Benjamin Edwards ◽  
Valerio Poggi
Keyword(s):  
Site Response ◽  
Simulated Data ◽  
Site Amplification ◽  
Local Magnitude ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Response Information ◽  
Quarter Wavelength ◽  
Site Term ◽  
Dependent Site ◽  
Relative Differences

Abstract We explore the role of scenario‐dependent site amplification on local magnitude (ML) and possible bias it may introduce. ML is strongly influenced by local site response, which is conditioned by unique local geological factors. To isolate the effect of the near‐surface amplification on ML, relative differences between station‐specific ML at the surface and borehole (ΔML,STN) are studied for 34 sites from the KiK‐net network, Japan. We find strong moment magnitude (M) dependent scenario‐specific ΔML,STN trends over the range 3.0<M<6.5. To model these trends, we employ the stochastic method, initially using empirical surface‐to‐borehole (S/B) Fourier spectral ratios for the site term. Simulated data, ΔML,STN(M), based on the available site‐response information are shown to closely match the empirical ΔML,STN trends. Subsequently, the site term is replaced with (a) linear 1D shear‐wave (horizontal) transfer function (1D‐SHTF) amplification, (b) horizontal‐to‐vertical ratios, and (c) quarter wavelength amplification to calculate ΔML,STN(M) in the absence of S/B. We find that ΔML,STN(M) trends are best estimated with S/B as the site term, but in many cases using a linear 1D‐SHTF model is adequate. Furthermore, we discuss how this phenomenon may be related to the observed inequality between M and ML at low magnitudes and how ΔML,STN(M) may be used in the future to compute unbiased ML with greater confidence.

Ground motion and site effect observations in the wellington region from the 2016 Mw7.8 Kaikōura, New Zealand earthquake

2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 94-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brendon A. Bradley ◽  
Liam M. Wotherspoon ◽  
Anna E. Kaiser
Keyword(s):  
Ground Motion ◽  
Site Response ◽  
Ground Motions ◽  
Site Effect ◽  
Site Amplification ◽  
Design Standards ◽  
Site Class ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Long Period ◽  
Basin Edge

This paper presents ground motion and site effect observations in the greater Wellington region from the 14 November 2016 Mw7.8 Kaikōura earthquake. The region was the principal urban area to be affected by the earthquake-induced ground motions from this event. Despite being approximately 60km from the northern extent of the causative earthquake rupture, the ground motions in Wellington exhibited long period (specifically T = 1 - 3s) ground motion amplitudes that were similar to, and in some locations exceeded, the current 500 year return period design ground motion levels. Several ground motion observations on rock provide significant constraint to understand the role of surficial site effects in the recorded ground motions. The largest long period ground motions were observed in the Thorndon and Te Aro basins in Wellington City, inferred as a result of 1D impedance contrasts and also basin-edge-generated waves. Observed site amplifications, based on response spectral ratios with reference rock sites, are seen to significantly exceed the site class factors in NZS1170.5:2004 for site class C, D, and E sites at approximately T=0.3-3.0s. The 5-95% Significant Duration, Ds595, of ground motions was on the order of 30 seconds, consistent with empirical models for this earthquake magnitude and source-to-site distance. Such durations are slightly longer than the corresponding Ds595 = 10s and 25s in central Christchurch during the 22 February 2011 Mw6.2 and 4 September 2010 Mw7.1 earthquakes, but significantly shorter than what might be expected for large subduction zone earthquakes that pose a hazard to the region. In summary, the observations highlight the need to better understand and quantify basin and near-surface site response effects through more comprehensive models, and better account for such effects through site amplification factors in design standards.

scholarly journals Checking the site categorization criteria and amplification factors of the 2021 draft of Eurocode 8 Part 1–1

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Paolucci ◽  
Mauro Aimar ◽  
Andrea Ciancimino ◽  
Marco Dotti ◽  
Sebastiano Foti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Shear Wave ◽  
Ground Motion ◽  
Shear Wave Velocity ◽  
Soft Soil ◽  
Site Amplification ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Eurocode 8 ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Amplification Factors

AbstractIn this paper the site categorization criteria and the corresponding site amplification factors proposed in the 2021 draft of Part 1 of Eurocode 8 (2021-draft, CEN/TC250/SC8 Working Draft N1017) are first introduced and compared with the current version of Eurocode 8, as well as with site amplification factors from recent empirical ground motion prediction equations. Afterwards, these values are checked by two approaches. First, a wide dataset of strong motion records is built, where recording stations are classified according to 2021-draft, and the spectral amplifications are empirically estimated computing the site-to-site residuals from regional and global ground motion models for reference rock conditions. Second, a comprehensive parametric numerical study of one-dimensional (1D) site amplification is carried out, based on randomly generated shear-wave velocity profiles, classified according to the new criteria. A reasonably good agreement is found by both approaches. The most relevant discrepancies occur for the shallow soft soil conditions (soil category E) that, owing to the complex interaction of shear wave velocity, soil deposit thickness and frequency range of the excitation, show the largest scatter both in terms of records and of 1D numerical simulations. Furthermore, 1D numerical simulations for soft soil conditions tend to provide lower site amplification factors than 2021-draft, as well as lower than the corresponding site-to-site residuals from records, because of higher impact of non-linear (NL) site effects in the simulations. A site-specific study on NL effects at three KiK-net stations with a significantly large amount of high-intensity recorded ground motions gives support to the 2021-draft NL reduction factors, although the very limited number of recording stations allowing such analysis prevents deriving more general implications. In the presence of such controversial arguments, it is reasonable that a standard should adopt a prudent solution, with a limited reduction of the site amplification factors to account for NL soil response, while leaving the possibility to carry out site-specific estimations of such factors when sufficient information is available to model the ground strain dependency of local soil properties.

scholarly journals Seismic investigations of the Martian near-surface at the InSight landing site

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cedric Schmelzbach ◽  
Nienke Brinkman ◽  
David Sollberger ◽  
Sharon Kedar ◽  
Matthias Grott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Deep Structure ◽  
Landing Site ◽  
P Wave ◽  
Mission Design ◽  
Normal Operation ◽  
Seismic Signals ◽  
Martian Surface ◽  
Broadband Seismometer ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Martian Regolith

&lt;p&gt;The InSight ultra-sensitive broadband seismometer package (SEIS) was installed on the Martian surface with the goal to study the seismicity on Mars and the deep interior of the Planet. A second surface-based instrument, the heat flow and physical properties package HP&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;, was placed on the Martian ground about 1.1 m away from SEIS. HP&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; includes a self-hammering probe called the &amp;#8216;mole&amp;#8217; to measure the heat coming from Mars' interior at shallow depth to reveal the planet's thermal history. While SEIS was designed to study the deep structure of Mars, seismic signals such as the hammering &amp;#8216;noise&amp;#8217; as well as ambient and other instrument-generated vibrations allow us to investigate the shallow subsurface. The resultant near-surface elastic property models provide additional information to interpret the SEIS data and allow extracting unique geotechnical information on the Martian regolith.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The seismic signals recorded during HP&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; mole operations provide information about the mole attitude and health as well as shed light on the near-surface, despite the fact that the HP&lt;sup&gt;3 &lt;/sup&gt;mole continues to have difficulty penetrating below 40 cm (one mole length). The seismic investigation of the HP&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; hammering signals, however, was not originally planned during mission design and hence faced several technical challenges. For example, the anti-aliasing filters of the seismic-data acquisition chain were adapted when recording the mole hammering to allow recovering information above the nominal Nyquist frequency. In addition, the independently operating SEIS, HP&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; and lander clocks had to be correlated more frequently than in normal operation to enable high-precision timing.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;To date, the analysis of the hammering signals allowed us to constrain the bulk P-wave velocity of the volume between the mole tip and SEIS (top 30 cm) to around 120 m/s. This low velocity value is compatible with laboratory tests performed on Martian regolith analogs with a density of around 1500 kg/m&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt;. Furthermore, the SEIS leveling system resonances, seismic recordings of atmospheric pressure signals, HP&lt;sup&gt;3&lt;/sup&gt; housekeeping data, and imagery provide additional constraints to establish a first seismic model of the shallow (topmost meters) subsurface at the landing site.&lt;/p&gt;

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