scholarly journals S-Wave Site Amplification Factors from Observed Ground Motions in Japan: Validation of Delineated Velocity Structures and Proposal for Empirical Correction

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eri Ito ◽  
Kenichi Nakano ◽  
Shigeki Senna ◽  
Hiroshi Kawase
Keyword(s):  
Transfer Functions ◽  
Strong Motion ◽  
Site Amplification ◽  
Seismic Intensity ◽  
Empirical Method ◽  
Japan Meteorological Agency ◽  
S Wave ◽  
Amplification Factors ◽  
Earthquake Research ◽  
The One

We first derived site amplification factors (SAFs) from the observed strong motions by the Japanese nationwide networks, namely, K-NET and KiK-net of National Institute of Earthquake Research and Disaster Resilience and Shindokei (Instrumental Seismic Intensity) Network of Japan Meteorological Agency by using the so-called generalized spectral inversion technique. We can use these SAFs for strong motion prediction at these observation sites, however, we need at least observed weak motion or microtremor data to quantify SAF at an arbitrary site. So we tested the capability of the current velocity models in Japan whether they can reproduce or not the observed SAFs at the nearest grid of every 250 m as the one-dimensional theoretical transfer functions (TTF). We found that at about one-half of the sites the calculated 1D TTFs show more or less acceptable fit to the observed SAFs, however, the TTFs tend to underestimate the observed SAFs in general. Therefore, we propose a simple, empirical method to fill the gap between the observed SAFs and the calculated TTFs. Validation examples show that our proposed method effectively predict better SAFs than the direct substitute of TTFs at sites without observed data.

Nonlinear behavior of soil sediments identified by using borehole records observed at the Ashigra Valley, Japan

1995 ◽  
Vol 85 (6) ◽  
pp. 1821-1834
Author(s):  
Toshimi Satoh ◽  
Toshiaki Sato ◽  
Hiroshi Kawase
Keyword(s):  
Shear Strain ◽  
Main Part ◽  
Nonlinear Behavior ◽  
Strong Motion ◽  
S Wave ◽  
Ground Shaking ◽  
Wave Velocities ◽  
The One ◽  
Soil Sediments ◽  
Strong Ground

Abstract We evaluate the nonlinear behavior of soil sediments during strong ground shaking based on the identification of their S-wave velocities and damping factors for both the weak and strong motions observed on the surface and in a borehole at Kuno in the Ashigara Valley, Japan. First we calculate spectral ratios between the surface station KS2 and the borehole station KD2 at 97.6 m below the surface for the main part of weak and strong motions. The predominant period for the strong motion is apparently longer than those for the weak motions. This fact suggests the nonlinearity of soil during the strong ground shaking. To quantify the nonlinear behavior of soil sediments, we identify their S-wave velocities and damping factors by minimizing the residual between the observed spectral ratio and the theoretical amplification factor calculated from the one-dimensional wave propagation theory. The S-wave velocity and the damping factor h (≈(2Q)−1) of the surface alluvial layer identified from the main part of the strong motion are about 10% smaller and 50% greater, respectively, than those identified from weak motions. The relationships between the effective shear strain (=65% of the maximum shear strain) calculated from the one-dimensional wave propagation theory and the shear modulus reduction ratios or the damping factors estimated by the identification method agree well with the laboratory test results. We also confirm that the soil model identified from a weak motion overestimates the observed strong motion at KS2, while that identified from the strong motion reproduces the observed. Thus, we conclude that the main part of the strong motion, whose maximum acceleration at KS2 is 220 cm/sec2 and whose duration is 3 sec, has the potential of making the surface soil nonlinear at an effective shear strain on the order of 0.1%. The S-wave velocity in the surface alluvial layer identified from the part just after the main part of the strong motion is close to that identified from weak motions. This result suggests that the shear modulus recovers quickly as the shear strain level decreases.

A Method to Directly Estimate S-Wave Site Amplification Factor from Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio of Earthquakes (eHVSRs)

2020 ◽  
Vol 110 (6) ◽  
pp. 2892-2911
Author(s):  
Eri Ito ◽  
Kenichi Nakano ◽  
Fumiaki Nagashima ◽  
Hiroshi Kawase
Keyword(s):  
Amplification Factor ◽  
Strong Motion ◽  
Spectral Ratio ◽  
Site Amplification ◽  
Body Waves ◽  
Correction Function ◽  
Site Classification ◽  
Frequency Range ◽  
S Wave ◽  
Site Amplification Factor

ABSTRACT The main purpose of the site classification or velocity determination at a target site is to obtain or estimate the horizontal site amplification factor (HSAF) at that site during future earthquakes because HSAF would have significant effects on the strong-motion characteristics. We have been investigating various kinds of methods to delineate the S-wave velocity structures and the subsequent HSAF, as precisely as possible. After the advent of the diffuse field concept, we have derived a simple formula based on the equipartitioned energy density observed in the layered half-space for incident body waves. In this study, based on the diffuse field concept, together with the generalized spectral inversion technique (GIT), we propose a method to directly estimate the HSAF of the S-wave portion from the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio of earthquakes (eHVSRs). Because the vertical amplification is included in the denominator of eHVSR, it cannot be viewed as HSAF without correction. We used GIT to determine both the HSAF and the vertical site amplification factor (VSAF) simultaneously from strong-motion data observed by the networks in Japan and then deduced the log-averaged vertical amplification correction function (VACF) from VSAFs at a total of 1678 sites in which 10 or more earthquakes have been observed. The VACF without a category has a constant amplitude of about 2 in the frequency range from 1 to 15 Hz. By multiplying eHVSR by VACF, we obtained the simulated HSAF. We verified the effectiveness of this correction method using data from observation sites not used in the aforementioned averaging in the frequency range from 0.12 to 15 Hz.

scholarly journals Variation of Earthquake Ground Motions with Focus on Site Amplification Factors: A Case Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 4355-4360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Fukushima ◽  
T. Nagao
Keyword(s):  
Hazard Analysis ◽  
Probability Distributions ◽  
Ground Motions ◽  
Strong Motion ◽  
Site Amplification ◽  
Group Delay Time ◽  
Amplification Factors ◽  
Earthquake Ground Motions ◽  
Design Earthquake

In this paper, an evaluation of the variation of earthquake ground motions with a focus on site amplification factors based on spectral analysis is presented. By using strong motion record obtained at six sites in Japan, probability distributions of site amplification factors were shown. The relations between standard deviations of site amplification factors and distances between the sites were studied. The variations of representative values of earthquake ground motions based on the variations of site amplification factors were discussed by using probabilistic seismic hazard analysis with focus on Fourier amplitude and group delay time. The distributions of peak ground accelerations and peak ground velocities were shown. It is suggested that design earthquake ground motions considering the average site amplification factors may lead the engineering design on the dangerous side.

Estimation of Velocity Structures in the Grenoble Basin, France, Using Pseudo Earthquake Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio from Microtremors

2021 ◽  
Vol 111 (2) ◽  
pp. 627-653
Author(s):  
Eri Ito ◽  
Cécile Cornou ◽  
Fumiaki Nagashima ◽  
Hiroshi Kawase
Keyword(s):  
Wave Velocity ◽  
Velocity Structure ◽  
Strong Motion ◽  
Spectral Ratio ◽  
Empirical Method ◽  
S Wave ◽  
Wave Velocities ◽  
Strong Linear Correlation ◽  
Large Velocity ◽  
The Difference

ABSTRACT Based on the diffuse field concept for a horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio of earthquakes (eHVSR), the effectiveness of eHVSRs to invert P- and S-wave velocity structures down to the seismological bedrock (with the S-wave velocity of 3  km/s or higher) has been shown in several published works. An empirical method to correct the difference between eHVSR and a horizontal-to-vertical ratio of microtremors (mHVSR), which is called earthquake-to-microtremor ratio (EMR), has also been proposed for strong-motion sites in Japan. However, the applicability of EMR outside of Japan may not be warranted. We test EMR applicability for the Grenoble basin in France with plentiful microtremor data together with observed weak-motion recordings at five sites. We thereby establish a systematic procedure to estimate the velocity structure from microtremors and delineate the fundamental characteristics of the velocity structures. We first calculate the EMR specific for the Grenoble basin (EMRG) and calculate pseudo eHVSR (pHVSR) from EMRG and mHVSR. We compare the pHVSRs with the eHVSRs at five sites and find sufficient similarity to each other. Then, we invert velocity structures from eHVSRs, pHVSRs, and mHVSRs. The velocity structures from eHVSRs are much closer to those from pHVSRs than those from mHVSRs. We need to introduce a number of layers with gradually increasing S-wave velocities below the geological basin boundary from a previous gravity study because the theoretical eHVSR of the model with a large velocity contrast has larger peak amplitudes than the observed. The depth of the S-wave velocity of 1.3  km/s (Z1.3) shows a strong, linear correlation with the geological boundary depth. Finally, we apply our validated methodology and invert velocity structures using pHVSRs at 14 sites where there are no observed earthquakes. The overall picture of Z1.3 at a cross section in the northeastern part of the basin corresponds to the geological boundary.

Modeling of the Subsurface Structure from the Seismic Bedrock to the Ground Surface for a Broadband Strong Motion Evaluation in Kumamoto Plain

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 917-927 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigeki Senna ◽  
Atsushi Wakai ◽  
Haruhiko Suzuki ◽  
Atsushi Yatagai ◽  
Hisanori Matsuyama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Structure ◽  
Main Shock ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Strong Motion ◽  
Seismic Intensity ◽  
S Wave ◽  
The 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes ◽  
Significant Damage ◽  
Geologic Model ◽  
2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes

During the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, two earthquakes of seismic intensity 7 were observed in Mashiki Town, the foreshock (MJMA6.5) of April 14 and the main shock (MJMA7.3) of April 16, resulting in significant damage to structures near the fault. The distribution of damage of houses and other buildings [1] showed a tendency in which damage was concentrated in areas near the surface earthquake fault where the main shock presumably occurred. However, there were locations with slight damage even though they were immediately above the fault and locations with a relatively significant damage even though they were far from the fault. These phenomena are highly likely to be a result of soil structure. First, we built an initial geologic model by collecting boring data in areas of the Kumamoto plain near the fault where damage was severe. Next, we observed microtremors, collected earthquake observational records, and adjusted the layer thickness and S-wave velocity of the initial geologic model. Finally, we built a shallow and deep integrated ground model, compared it to the building damage distribution, and discussed the implications.

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