The ShakeOut Earthquake Source and Ground Motion Simulations

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert W. Graves ◽  
Brad T. Aagaard ◽  
Kenneth W. Hudnut

The ShakeOut Scenario is premised upon the detailed description of a hypothetical Mw 7.8 earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault and the associated simulated ground motions. The main features of the scenario, such as its endpoints, magnitude, and gross slip distribution, were defined through expert opinion and incorporated information from many previous studies. Slip at smaller length scales, rupture speed, and rise time were constrained using empirical relationships and experience gained from previous strong-motion modeling. Using this rupture description and a 3-D model of the crust, broadband ground motions were computed over a large region of Southern California. The largest simulated peak ground acceleration (PGA) and peak ground velocity (PGV) generally range from 0.5 to 1.0 g and 100 to 250 cm/s, respectively, with the waveforms exhibiting strong directivity and basin effects. Use of a slip-predictable model results in a high static stress drop event and produces ground motions somewhat higher than median level predictions from NGA ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs).

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Xiufeng Tian ◽  
Zengping Wen ◽  
Weidong Zhang ◽  
Jie Yuan

In this study, we use the strong motion records and seismic intensity data from 11 moderate-to-strong earthquakes in the mainland of China since 2008 to develop new conversion equations between seismic intensity and peak ground motion parameters. Based on the analysis of the distribution of the dataset, the reversible conversion relationships between modified Mercalli intensity (MMI) and peak ground acceleration (PGA), peak ground velocity (PGV), and pseudo-spectral acceleration (PSA) at natural vibration periods of 0.3 s, 1.0 s, 2.0 s, and 3.0 s are obtained by using the orthogonal regression. The influence of moment magnitude, hypocentral distance, and hypocentral depth on the residuals of conversion equations is also explored. To account for and eliminate the trends in the residuals, we introduce a magnitude-distance-depth correction term and obtain the improved relationships. Furthermore, we compare the results of this study with previously published works and analyze the regional dependence of conversion equations. To quantify the regional variations, a regional correction factor for China, suitable for adjustment of global relationships, has also been estimated.


Author(s):  
J. J. Hu ◽  
H. Zhang ◽  
J. B. Zhu ◽  
G. H. Liu

AbstractA moderate magnitude earthquake with Mw 5.8 occurred on June 17, 2019, in Changning County, Sichuan Province, China, causing 13 deaths, 226 injuries, and serious engineering damage. This earthquake induced heavier damage than earthquakes of similar magnitude. To explain this phenomenon in terms of ground motion characteristics, based on 58 sets of strong ground motions in this earthquake, the peak ground acceleration (PGA), peak ground velocity (PGV), acceleration response spectra (Sa), duration, and Arias intensity are analyzed. The results show that the PGA, PGV, and Sa are larger than the predicted values from some global ground motion models. The between-event residuals reveal that the source effects on the intermediate-period and long-period ground motions are stronger than those on short-period ground motions. Comparison of Arias intensity attenuation with the global models indicates that the energy of ground motions of the Changning earthquake is larger than those of earthquakes with the same magnitude.


2021 ◽  
pp. 875529302110369
Author(s):  
Sahar Rahpeyma ◽  
Benedikt Halldorsson ◽  
Birgir Hrafnkelsson ◽  
Sigurjón Jónsson

The earthquake ground motions of over 1700 earthquakes recorded on a small-aperture strong-motion array in south Iceland (ICEARRAY I) that is situated on a relatively uniform site condition characterized as rock, exhibit a statistically significant spatial variation of ground-motion amplitudes across the array. Both earthquake and microseismic horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratios (HVSR) have been shown to exhibit distinct and in some cases, bimodal peaks in amplification, indicating site resonance at periods of 0.1–0.3 s, a phenomenon that has been attributed to a surface layer of lava rock lying above a sedimentary layer, a structure that is then repeated with depth under the array. In this study, we implement a Bayesian hierarchical model (BHM) of the seismic ground motions that partitions the model residuals into earthquake event term, station term, and event–station term. We analyzed and compared peak ground acceleration (PGA) with the 5% damped pseudo-acceleration response spectrum (PSA) at oscillator periods of T = 0.05–1.0 s. The results show that the event terms, dominate the total variability of the ground-motion amplitudes over the array. However, the station terms are shown to increase in the period range of 0.1–0.3 s on most stations and to different extents, leading to an increase in the overall variability of ground motions at those periods, captured by a larger inter-station standard deviation. As the station terms are a measure of how much the ground motions at those stations deviate from the array average, they act as proxies for localized site effects and amplification factors. These results, improve our understanding of the key factors that affect the variation of seismic ground motions across the relatively small area of ICEARRAY I. This approach can help to improve the accuracy of earthquake hazard assessments on local scales, which in turn could contribute to more refined seismic risk assessments and engineering decision-making.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonatan Glehman ◽  
Michael Tsesarsky

Abstract. In Israel, due to low seismicity rates and sparse seismic network, the temporal and spatial coverage of ground motion data is insufficient to estimate the variability of moderate-strong (M > 6) ground motions required to construct a local ground motion model (GMM). To fill this data gap and to study the ground motions variability of M > 6 events, we performed a series of 3-D numerical simulations of M 6 and M 7 earthquakes. Based on the results of the simulations, we developed a statistical attenuation model (AM) and studied the residuals between simulated and AM PGVs and the single station variability. We also compared the simulated ground motions with a global GMM in terms of peak ground velocity (PGV) and significant duration (Ds 595). Our results suggest that the AM was unable to fully capture the simulated ground motions variability, mainly due to the incorporation of super-shear rupture and effects of local sedimentary structures. We also show that an imported GMM considerably deviates from simulated ground motions. This work sets the basis for future development of a comprehensive GMM for Israel, accounting for local sources, path, and site effects.


Author(s):  
Trevor I. Allen

ABSTRACT The Australian territory is just over 400 km from an active convergent plate margin with the collision of the Sunda–Banda Arc with the Precambrian and Palaeozoic Australian continental crust. Seismic energy from earthquakes in the northern Australian plate-margin region are channeled efficiently through the low-attenuation North Australian craton (NAC), with moderate-sized (Mw≥5.0) earthquakes in the Banda Sea commonly felt in northern Australia. A far-field ground-motion model (GMM) has been developed for use in seismic hazard studies for sites located within the NAC. The model is applicable for hypocentral distances of approximately 500–1500 km and magnitudes up to Mw 8.0. The GMM provides coefficients for peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity, and 5%-damped pseudospectral acceleration at 20 oscillator periods from 0.1 to 10 s. A strong hypocentral depth dependence is observed in empirical data, with earthquakes occurring at depths of 100–200 km demonstrating larger amplitudes for short-period ground motions than events with shallower hypocenters. The depth dependence of ground motion diminishes with longer spectral periods, suggesting that the relatively larger ground motions for deeper earthquake hypocenters may be due to more compact ruptures producing higher stress drops at depth. Compared with the mean Next Generation Attenuation-East GMM developed for the central and eastern United States (which is applicable for a similar distance range), the NAC GMM demonstrates significantly higher short-period ground motion for Banda Sea events, transitioning to lower relative accelerations for longer period ground motions.


Author(s):  
Mengyao Sun ◽  
Huiyu Zhu ◽  
Jie Zhang ◽  
Haohuan Fu ◽  
Xiao Tian

ABSTRACT The ground motion from small aftershocks of the 2014 Mw 6.2 Jinggu earthquake in Yunnan Province is analyzed. With the seismic records, we assess the site conditions and develop a ground‐motion prediction equation (GMPE) for this region. The strong‐motion duration is also calculated to further understand the potential seismic hazard to nearby structures. The dataset includes 504 events with Mw 1.5–3.9 and 2956 three‐component records at hypocentral distances <45  km from 10 stations operated by the Earthquake Administration of Yunnan Province. The ground‐motion amplification factor derived from the horizontal‐to‐vertical (H/V) spectral ratio of each station ranges from 1.1 to 5.2 (0.04–0.72 in log units). The time‐averaged shear‐wave velocity to 30 m depth (VS30) for seismographic stations is estimated using fundamental frequencies associated with peak H/V ratios. GMPE is obtained using the entire dataset. The values of the geometrical spreading coefficient for the pseudoabsolute response spectral acceleration (PSA) at a frequency of 10 Hz suggest higher decay than those for the peak ground velocity, peak ground acceleration (PGA), and PSA at other frequencies. The significant duration (Ds) of strong ground motion systematically decreases with PGA but increases with hypocentral distance. However, no strong correlation is observed for Ds and magnitude or for Ds and VS30. The results of this study are compared with analogous research (Babaie Mahani and Kao, 2018) on induced earthquakes with the same distance–magnitude range. The comparison indicates that the decay of ground‐motion amplitudes with hypocentral distance in our case is generally lower than that in the other study. The Ds trends are consistent in the two studies, although the longest strong‐motion duration in the two cases apparently differs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 110 (4) ◽  
pp. 1495-1505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgios Baltzopoulos ◽  
Lucia Luzi ◽  
Iunio Iervolino

ABSTRACT The Ridgecrest seismic sequence began on 4 July 2019 in California, on a hitherto relatively unmapped orthogonal cross-faulting system, causing mainly nonstructural or liquefaction-related damage to buildings in the vicinity of Ridgecrest and Trona, and also causing substantial surface rupture. The present study considers the near-source ground-acceleration recordings collected during the two principal events of the sequence—the 4 July moment-magnitude M 6.4 foreshock and the 6 July M 7.1 mainshock—to identify pulse-like ground motions, which may have arisen due to forward rupture directivity. Pulse-like seismic input is of particular interest to earthquake engineering due to its peculiar spectral shape and possibly increased damaging potential, and expanding the strong-motion databases with such records is a topical issue. In this context, a pulse identification methodology is implemented, partially based on computer-aided signal processing, but also involving manual classification. Nine ground-motion records were classified as pulse-like by this procedure. Further investigation led to the conclusion that, for some of these records, the impulsive characteristics could most likely be attributable to forward rupture directivity, whereas for others fling step may have also been an issue. Finally, clear signs of directionality were observed in these ground motions at periods near the pulse duration, manifesting as a polarization of the spectral ordinates toward the orientation of the impulsive component.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-34
Author(s):  
Joanna M. Holmgren ◽  
Maximilian J. Werner

Abstract Raspberry Shake (RS) seismographs offer the potential for affordable and citizen-led seismic monitoring in areas with few publicly available seismometers, especially in previously quiescent regions experiencing induced seismicity. However, their scientific and regulatory potential remains largely untested. We examine the ground motions recorded by 11 RS and one broadband station within 15 km of the United Downs Deep Geothermal Power (UDDGP) project in Cornwall, United Kingdom, to evaluate the RS network’s suitability to provide an initial ground-motion assessment of the region. To date, the British Geological Survey (BGS) has reported 232 induced events originating at UDDGP since flow testing began in summer 2020, with two events exceeding local magnitude (ML) 1.5. Although the RS accelerometers are too noisy for UDDGP’s microseismic events, the vertical geophones are useful. Peak ground velocity observations are consistent with relevant ground-motion models, whereas peak ground acceleration (PGA) values are greater than predicted. Regional trends in the PGA levels are likely caused by path effects. Finally, RS estimates of ML are similar to those reported by the BGS. For sparse national seismic networks, RS stations can enable a preliminary evaluation of seismic events and their ground motions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 448-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose M. Moratalla ◽  
Tatiana Goded ◽  
David A. Rhoades ◽  
Silvia Canessa ◽  
Matthew C. Gerstenberger

Abstract Macroseismic intensities play a key role in the engineering, seismological, and loss modeling communities. However, at present, there is an increasing demand for instrumental data-based loss estimations that require statistical relationships between intensities and strong-motion data. In New Zealand, there was an urgent need to update the ground motion to intensity conversion equation (GMICE) from 2007, developed prior to a large number of recent earthquakes including the 2010–2011 Canterbury and 2016 Kaikōura earthquake sequences. Two main factors now provide us with the opportunity to update New Zealand’s GMICE: (1) recent publication of New Zealand’s Strong-Motion Database, corresponding to 276 New Zealand earthquakes with magnitudes 3.5–7.8 and 4–185 km depths; and (2) recent generation of a community intensity database from GeoNet’s “Felt Classic” (2004–2016) and “Felt Detailed” (2016–2019) questionnaires, corresponding to around 930,000 individual reports. Ground-motion data types analyzed are peak ground velocity (PGV) and peak ground acceleration (PGA). The intensity database contains 67,572 felt reports from 917 earthquakes, with magnitudes 3.5–8.1, and 1797 recordings from 247 strong-motion stations (SMSs), with hypocentral distances of 5–345 km. Different regression analyses were tested, and the bilinear regression of binned mean strong-motion recordings for 0.5 modified Mercalli intensity bins was selected as the most appropriate. Total least squares regression was chosen for reversibility in the conversions. PGV provided the best-fitting results, with lower standard deviations. The influence of hypocentral distance, earthquake magnitude, and the site effects of local geology, represented by the mean shear-wave velocity in the first 30 m depth, on the residuals was also explored. A regional correction factor for New Zealand, suitable for adjustment of global relationships, has also been estimated.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Holmgren ◽  
Maximilian Werner

&lt;p&gt;The United Downs enhanced geothermal system in Cornwall, UK, has induced several microseismic events since flow testing began in August 2020, targeting a granitic intrusion at 5 km depth. As of January 2021, two events exceeding local magnitudes (M&lt;sub&gt;L&lt;/sub&gt;) 1.5 have occurred, highlighting the associated seismic hazard and providing initial data for a preliminary assessment of the region&amp;#8217;s ground motion response. However, with only one national seismic station publicly available within 90 km of the site, public data are scarce. In an effort to involve the surrounding communities in the geothermal project, United Downs provided Raspberry Shake 1D or 4D (one vertical geophone, with 4D containing an additional three accelerometers) seismographs to nearby schools, increasing the number of publicly available seismic stations to ten within 15 km of the site. In this study, we assess the ground motions recorded by the Raspberry Shake stations and evaluate their utility for probing ground motions models (GMMs) and the effects of the local geology.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;171 earthquakes between M&lt;sub&gt;L&lt;/sub&gt; -1.3 to 1.7 originating at United Downs have been recorded to date, with 37 events above M&lt;sub&gt;L&lt;/sub&gt; 0.0. Unfortunately, the accelerometer components of the Raspberry Shake instruments contained too high background noise levels to be useable, leaving only the vertical geophone component to be analysed for each of the instruments. We find that while the peak ground velocity (PGV) values are in line with those predicted from the Douglas et al. (2013) geothermal GMM, the area experiences higher peak ground acceleration (PGA) than expected. We also find that the observed PGVs and PGAs match the region&amp;#8217;s geological features, consisting of a combination of igneous intrusions and sedimentary sandstones and mudstones. For sparse national seismic networks, Raspberry Shake stations can provide a quick initial evaluation of seismic events and their ground motions before industry releases private data for more detailed analyses.&lt;/p&gt;


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