Empirical Terrain-Based Topographic Modification Factors for Use in Ground Motion Prediction

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manisha Rai ◽  
Adrian Rodriguez-Marek ◽  
Brian S. Chiou

We develop a model to predict topographic effects on ground motions using the NGA-West2 data set. Topography at a site is quantified using three parameters: smoothed curvature, smoothed slope, and relative elevation. We examine the relationship between the site residuals, which represent the average modeling error of the reference ground motion prediction equation at a station, and the three topographic parameters. Our analysis shows that there are statistically significant trends in site residuals with respect to relative elevation and smoothed curvature. We propose modification factors to the Chiou and Youngs (2014) model that account for topographic effects on both the median and the standard deviation. These factors are period dependent and are a function of the relative elevation at the site. The factors result in amplification on median by a factor as high as 1.13 at T = 0.5 s for higher values of relative elevation, and deamplification as low as 0.75 between T = 2 s to 3 s for lower values of relative elevations.

2007 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 665-684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Behrooz Tavakoli ◽  
Shahram Pezeshk

A derivative-free approach based on a hybrid genetic algorithm (HGA) is proposed to estimate a mixed model–based ground motion prediction equation (attenuation relationship) with several variance components. First, a simplex search algorithm (SSA) is used to reduce the search domain to improve the convergence speed. Then, a genetic algorithm (GA) is employed to obtain the regression coefficients and the uncertainties of a predictive equation in a unified framework using one-stage maximum-likelihood estimation. The proposed HGA results in a predictive equation that best fits a given ground motion data set. The proposed HGA is able to handle changes in the functional form of the equation. To demonstrate the solution quality of the proposed HGA, the regression coefficients and the uncertainties of a test function based on a simulated ground motion data set are obtained. Then, the proposed HGA is applied to fit two functional attenuation forms to an actual data set of ground motion. For illustration, the results of the HGA are compared with those used by previous conventional methods. The results indicate that the HGA is an appropriate algorithm to overcome the shortcomings of the previous methods and to provide reliable and stable solutions.


2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeynep Gülerce ◽  
Bahadır Kargoığlu ◽  
Norman A. Abrahamson

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the differences between the Next Generation Attenuation: West-1 (NGA-W1) ground motion prediction models (GMPEs) and the Turkish strong ground motion data set and to modify the required pieces of the NGA-W1 models for applicability in Turkey. A comparison data set is compiled by including strong motions from earthquakes that occurred in Turkey and earthquake metadata of ground motions consistent with the NGA-W1 database. Random-effects regression is employed and plots of the residuals are used to evaluate the differences in magnitude, distance, and site amplification scaling. Incompatibilities between the NGA-W1 GMPEs and Turkish data set in small-to-moderate magnitude, large distance, and site effects scaling are encountered. The NGA-W1 GMPEs are modified for the misfit between the actual ground motions and the model predictions using adjustments functions. Turkey-adjusted NGA-W1 models are compatible with the regional strong ground motion characteristics and preserve the well-constrained features of the global models.


2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norman Abrahamson ◽  
Nicholas Gregor ◽  
Kofi Addo

An updated ground motion prediction equation (GMPE) for the horizontal component response spectral values from subduction zone earthquakes is developed using a global data set that includes 2,590 recordings from 63 slab earthquakes (5.0 ≤ M ≤7.9) and 953 recordings from 43 interface earthquakes (6.0 ≤ M ≤8.4) at distances up to 300 km. The empirical data constrain the moment magnitude scaling up to M8.0. For M > 8.0, a break in magnitude scaling is included in the model based on the magnitude scaling found in numerical simulations for interface earthquakes in Cascadia. The focal depth scaling of the short-period spectral values are strong for slab earthquakes, but it is not seen for interface events. The distance scaling is different for sites located in the forearc and backarc regions, with much steeper attenuation for backarc sites. The site is classified by V S30 with constrained nonlinear site amplification effects.


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.


2021 ◽  
pp. 875529302110039
Author(s):  
Filippos Filippitzis ◽  
Monica D Kohler ◽  
Thomas H Heaton ◽  
Robert W Graves ◽  
Robert W Clayton ◽  
...  

We study ground-motion response in urban Los Angeles during the two largest events (M7.1 and M6.4) of the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake sequence using recordings from multiple regional seismic networks as well as a subset of 350 stations from the much denser Community Seismic Network. In the first part of our study, we examine the observed response spectral (pseudo) accelerations for a selection of periods of engineering significance (1, 3, 6, and 8 s). Significant ground-motion amplification is present and reproducible between the two events. For the longer periods, coherent spectral acceleration patterns are visible throughout the Los Angeles Basin, while for the shorter periods, the motions are less spatially coherent. However, coherence is still observable at smaller length scales due to the high spatial density of the measurements. Examining possible correlations of the computed response spectral accelerations with basement depth and Vs30, we find the correlations to be stronger for the longer periods. In the second part of the study, we test the performance of two state-of-the-art methods for estimating ground motions for the largest event of the Ridgecrest earthquake sequence, namely three-dimensional (3D) finite-difference simulations and ground motion prediction equations. For the simulations, we are interested in the performance of the two Southern California Earthquake Center 3D community velocity models (CVM-S and CVM-H). For the ground motion prediction equations, we consider four of the 2014 Next Generation Attenuation-West2 Project equations. For some cases, the methods match the observations reasonably well; however, neither approach is able to reproduce the specific locations of the maximum response spectral accelerations or match the details of the observed amplification patterns.


2008 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 279-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Spudich ◽  
Brian S. J. Chiou

We present correction factors that may be applied to the ground motion prediction relations of Abrahamson and Silva, Boore and Atkinson, Campbell and Bozorgnia, and Chiou and Youngs (all in this volume) to model the azimuthally varying distribution of the GMRotI50 component of ground motion (commonly called “directivity”) around earthquakes. Our correction factors may be used for planar or nonplanar faults having any dip or slip rake (faulting mechanism). Our correction factors predict directivity-induced variations of spectral acceleration that are roughly half of the strike-slip variations predicted by Somerville et. al. (1997), and use of our factors reduces record-to-record sigma by about 2–20% at 5 sec or greater period.


Author(s):  
Hao Xing ◽  
John X. Zhao

ABSTRACT A ground-motion prediction equation for the vertical ground motions from the western and the southwestern parts of China (referred to as SWC) is presented in this study. Based on the Xing and Zhao (2021) study, the Zhao et al. (2017) model (referred to as ZHAO2017) for the shallow crustal earthquakes in Japan was used as the reference model. We used a bilinear magnitude-scaling function hinged at a moment magnitude (Mw) of 7.1. The magnitude-scaling rate for events with Mw>7.1 was determined by records from the SWC dataset and the large events in the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center Next Generation Attenuation-West2 dataset. Site classes (SCs) were used as the site response proxy. All other parameters were derived from the SWC dataset only. The magnitude-scaling rates for events with Mw≤7.1 in this study are larger than in the ZHAO2017 model at most periods. The absolute values of the geometric attenuation rates are larger, and the absolute values of the anelastic attenuation rates are smaller than in the ZHAO2017 model. The between-event standard deviations are smaller than in the ZHAO2017 model at short periods, and the within-event standard deviations are larger than in the ZHAO2017 model at all periods. The differences in the between-site standard deviations vary significantly from one SC to another. We also find that the between-event and within-event residuals are almost independent of magnitude and source distance. The response spectrum attenuates less rapidly than in the ZHAO2017 model at distances less than 30 km.


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