Engineering geologic and geotechnical analysis of paleoseismic shaking using liquefaction effects: field examples

The greatest impediments to the widespread acceptance of back-calculated ground motion characteristics from paleoliquefaction studies typically stem from three uncertainties: (1) the significance of changes in the geotechnical properties of post-liquefied sediments (e.g., “aging” and density changes), (2) the selection of appropriate geotechnical soil indices from individual paleoliquefaction sites, and (3) the methodology for integration of back-calculated results of strength of shaking from individual paleoliquefaction sites into a regional assessment of paleoseismic strength of shaking. Presented herein are two case studies that illustrate the methods outlined by Olson et al. [Engineering Geology, this issue] for addressing these uncertainties.

The first case study is for a site near Memphis, Tennessee, wherein cone penetration test data from side-by-side locations, one of liquefaction and the other of no liquefaction, are used to readily discern that the influence of post-liquefaction “aging” and density changes on the measured in situ soil indices is minimal. In the second case study, 12 sites that are at scattered locations in the Wabash Valley and that exhibit paleoliquefaction features are analyzed. The features are first provisionally attributed to the Vincennes Earthquake, which occurred around 6100 years BP, and are used to illustrate our proposed approach for selecting representative soil indices of the liquefied sediments. These indices are used in back-calculating the strength of shaking at the individual sites, the results from which are then incorporated into a regional assessment of the moment magnitude, M, of the Vincennes Earthquake. The regional assessment validated the provisional assumption that the paleoliquefaction features at the scattered sites were induced by the Vincennes Earthquake, in the main, which was determined to have M7.5. The uncertainties and assumptions used in the assessment are discussed in detail.     

Use of landslides for paleoseismic analysis

In many environments, landslides preserved in the geologic record can be analyzed to determine the likelihood of seismic triggering. If evidence indicates that a seismic origin is likely for a landslide or group of landslides, and if the landslides can be dated, then a paleo-earthquake can be inferred, and some of its characteristics can be estimated. Such paleoseismic landslide studies thus can help reconstruct the seismic history of a site or region. In regions that contain multiple seismic sources and in regions where surface faulting is absent, paleoseismic ground-failure studies are valuable tools in hazard and risk studies that are more concerned with shaking hazards than with interpretation of the movement histories of individual faults. Paleoseismic landslide analysis involves three steps: (1) identifying a feature as a landslide, (2) dating the landslide, and (3) showing that the landslide was triggered by earthquake shaking. This paper addresses each of these steps and discusses methods for interpreting the results of such studies by reviewing the current state of knowledge of paleoseismic landslide analysis.     

Field occurrences of liquefaction-induced features: a primer for engineering geologic analysis of paleoseismic shaking

Discussed in this paper are the factors that control the typical manifestations of liquefaction that are found in continental field settings. The factors are given mainly in terms of the local geologic field situation and the geotechnical properties there. A meaningful interpretation of liquefaction-based data for quantitative analysis of paleoseismic shaking requires understanding of both geologic and geotechnical roles in the mode of ground failure at a specific site.

Recommendations are made for the size of the field area that must be searched for liquefaction effects, in order to develop adequate data for engineering geologic/geotechnical analyses of paleoseismicity. The areal extent must be based on an appreciation that the tectonic situation can cause seismically induced liquefaction effects to form in some locales, but not in others nearby, even for a strong earthquake in the region.

Our guidelines for the conduct of the field search and preliminary analysis of the data relate to three issues for which liquefaction features are especially useful in answering: Has there been strong Holocene/latest Pleistocene shaking in the region? Where was the tectonic source? And what was the strength of shaking? Understanding of the various factors that control the manifestations of liquefaction effects, which we present in this paper, is essential for developing credible answers to these questions.     

An archaeoseismic approach and method for the study of active strike-slip faults

The use of archaeology to study earthquake hazards provides a human dimension to an issue of modern societal concern. We developed an archaeoseismic approach to the study of prehistoric earthquakes on active strike-slip faults. This approach employs a combination of standard archaeological and paleoseismic techniques. We have successfully applied this approach and its attendant methods to an archaeological site that straddles and has been offset by the San Andreas fault in northern coastal California. Resultant fault parameters, including cumulative rate of slip and timing of the penultimate event, are comparable to results of strictly paleoseismic investigations at other sites on this fault. The archaeoseismic approach furnishes a number of advantages over geologic studies in terms of the availability and number of potential study sites, the abundance of datable materials, and the array of potential piercing features with which to constrain fault history. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Development of synthetic soil mixture for experimental shaking table tests on building frames resting on soft soils

In this study, a synthetic soil mixture has been developed and proposed for experimental soil-structure interaction shaking table tests on building frames with shallow foundations resting on soft soil deposits. The proposed mix provides adequate undrained shear strength to mobilise the required shallow foundation bearing capacity underneath the structural model while meeting both criteria of dynamic similarity between the model and the prototype to model soft soils in shaking table tests. To find the most appropriate mixture, different mixes with different proportions of mix components were examined in the soils laboratory. Performing bender element tests, the shear wave velocity of the soil specimens was acquired at different cure ages and the results were examined and compared. Based on the test results, a synthetic clay mixture consisting of kaolinite clay, bentonite, fly ash, lime and water has been proposed for experimental shaking table tests.     

Effects of dynamic shear strength and time-histories stress analysis on newmark sliding block analyses

A simplified procedure for evaluating aseismic stability of slope subjected to earthquake shaking, in which the effect of dynamic shear strength and time-history stress on the yielding angular acceleration of sliding block is taken into account, is presented. The fundamental feature of this procedure is the dynamic shear strength. The numerical computations are performed by using the proposed method. It is shown that the computed sliding displacement for a given core dam, with either method of dynamic shear strength properly considered, is more rational compared with the conventional computational results based on static shear strength.     

An interpretation and catalogue of paleoseismicity in Sweden

Paleoseismic data provide a long-term record of seismic activity to predict hazards for periods longer than one to a few centuries. In Sweden, the analysis reveals there was a drastic change in dominant seismic mode from a high to super-high deglacial mode to a low to moderately low mode in present and Late Holocene time. Paleoseismic criteria and characteristics include numerous different sources of information; viz. primary faults, bedrock deformation, sedimentary deformation, rock and sediment slides, liquefaction, sorting by shaking, tsunamis, differing geomorphic expressions, disordering and ordering of magnetic particles. By applying multiple criteria, it was possible to identify 44 paleoseismic events, including 23 events of estimated M 6–7, 12 events of M 7–8 and 6 events of M > 8. Varve-dating often allows a precision as to a single year, in one case even to the season of a year. The key for paleoseismic reconstruction and testing is the application of multiple criteria.     

走滑断裂古地震探槽选址范例

探槽选址直接决定了古地震研究的质量,且理想探槽位置具有稀缺性。在收集82篇国内外走滑断裂古地震研究论文的基础上,分析了长序列古地震探槽选址和同震位移探槽选址的构造地貌共性特征。长序列古地震探槽一般布设在断塞塘、拉分盆地、小型湖盆、闸门脊汇水一侧及比较平缓的冲洪积扇或大型冲洪积扇末端等地貌位置。这些地貌位置的共同特征是位于连续的、较高沉积速率的沉积环境,且通常富集14C测年物质。在探槽选址的过程中,不仅要对现今沉积环境,也要对其古地理环境进行评价。然而以发掘古地震同震位移为目的的探槽选址则不同,成功的研究点往往较频繁发生侵蚀和下切事件,其中冲沟是最常见的地貌标志。探槽布设以垂直和平行探槽为主,采取逐次掘进或相间平行排列的方式开挖。由于理想探槽位置的稀缺性,所以在这些优质的探槽点一定要开展长期详细地深入研究,最大限度获得古地震事件的长序列,同时也要注意新技术和新方法的应用。     

以海原断裂甘肃老虎山段为例浅析走滑断裂古地震记录的完整性——兼论古地震研究中的若干问题

在简单介绍海原断裂老虎山段松山探槽点古地震工作的基础上,分析了制约走滑断裂上古地震记录完整性的因素。松山探槽点跨断裂开挖的2个探槽揭示颜色和粒度不同的地层互层的沉积序列呈近水平面状展布。在断裂带内地层发生错断、旋转和拖曳等变形现象。多个层位上的这种变形表明该点揭示了6次古地震事件。炭屑的~(14)C年龄限定了6次事件均发生在距今3500～3900年以来,其中最新的4次事件从老到新分别为0～410aAD、890～1000年之后不久、1440～1640 aAD和1990年景泰-天祝Mw5.8级历史地震。该序列及其他例子表明连续的、高沉积速率的微构造环境是走滑断裂上探槽选取的重要原则。     

Rock slope response to strong earthquake shaking

The 2010–2011 Canterbury earthquakes triggered many mass movements in the Port Hills including rockfalls, debris avalanches, slides and slumps, and associated cliff-top cracking. The most abundant mass movements with the highest risk to people and buildings were rockfalls and debris avalanches sourced from up to 100 m high cliffs inclined at angles >65°. Cliffs lower than 10 m in height generally remained stable during the strong shaking, with only isolated release of a few individual boulders. We used site-specific data to investigate the factors that controlled the response of the cliffs to the main earthquakes of the Canterbury sequence, adopting two-dimensional finite element seismic site response and stability modeling that was calibrated using the field observations and measurements. Observations from the assessed cliffs in response to the earthquakes show the taller cliffs experienced larger amounts of permanent cliff-top displacement and produced larger volumes of debris than the smaller cliffs. Results indicated a mean K_MAX amplification ratio for all sites under study of 1.6 (range of 1.1–3.8). Field data and numerical modeling results, however, show that amplification of shaking does not necessarily increase linearly with increasing cliff height. Instead, our results show that accelerations are amplified mainly due to the impedance contrasts between the geological materials, corresponding to where strong differences in rock mass shear wave velocity exist. The resulting acceleration contrasts and rock mass strength control cliff stability. However, the amount of permanent slope displacement and volume of debris leaving the cliffs varied between the sites, due to site-specific geometry and rock mass strength.     

河套断陷带大青山山前断裂晚第四纪古地震完整性研究

通过沿大青山山前断裂 18个探槽的古地震分析 ,分别确定了 5个段落的 2 2次古地震事件。呼和浩特段 ,距今约 1.9万a以来 7次 ,平均重复间隔时间 (2 4 6 2± 4 13)a ;毕克齐段距今 2 .2万a以来 4次 ;土左旗西段距今 1.1万a以来 4次 ,平均重复间隔时间 (2 94 8± 5 6 0 )a ;土右旗西段距今约 1.1万a以来 5次 ,平均重复间隔时间 (2 2 89± 36 0 )a ;包头段距今 2 .3万a以来 2次。由断层位移量限定法和多探槽校验法判定 ,大青山山前断裂已揭露的古地震事件还不完全代表晚第四纪全断裂的大地震活动历史。只有在呼和浩特段 1.9万a以来、土左旗西段和土右旗西段约 1.1万a以来活动历史基本完整。其它两个段落不完整。这是用这些古地震资料评价该断裂未来地震危险性 ,以及今后进一步工作时应注意的问题。     

基于LiDAR的海原断裂松山段断错地貌分析与古地震探槽选址实例

基于高精度机载Li DAR数据在GIS平台的地貌因子渲染分析,对海原断裂老虎山段松山地区古地震研究点进行高精度大比例尺(1∶1000)地貌填图,勾勒出研究点微地貌空间展布和断裂高精度几何形态。通过对松山古地震研究点2个新探槽的开挖,结合细致的探槽解译、地震事件识别与分期、年代学样品测试,得出5次37380±880BP以内的不连续古地震序列。通过对比此处已经开挖的各自相距不足150m、分布于断裂同一段落的4个古地震探槽的微地貌位置、沉积特征和地震事件信号强弱,发现即使相距不远,不同微地貌位置古地震探槽揭示的古地震现象也会有显著差别。这种差别凸显了古地震研究结果,如揭示的事件证据和个数等与探槽点位置的选取有较强的依赖性。综合对比分析表明,较低的地势、低能静水环境、高沉积速率、细粒的沉积物源区及连续的沉积环境是走滑断裂上开展古地震研究的优选地貌位置。实例表明,基于高精度地形数据对研究点开展精细地貌填图揭示微地貌时空演化,从而在探槽开挖前对古地震研究点的构造地貌优劣进行充分评价是提高古地震研究质量的必要程序,同时也显示出高精度机载Li DAR数据在活动构造研究中的重要新应用。     

Application of geomorphic analysis and ground-penetrating radar to characterization of paleoseismic sites in dynamic alluvial environments: an example from southern California

Selecting paleoseismic sites in dynamic, range-front environments can be difficult, because they are sites of rapid deposition and poor preservation of coarse-grained, channelized alluvium. The most obvious tectonic landforms, tall scarps, are often too old to constrain sequences of specific rupture events. The faulted deposits that do provide maximum and minimum earthquake ages, however, are often buried or masked by erosion in active drainage channels. Subsurface images of stratigraphic and structural relationships at multiple sites are useful prior to excavation. Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is an effective tool for locating sites suitable for trenching studies. We illustrate the utility of GPR with a case study of a thrust fault in southern California.     

Numerical prediction of liquefied ground characteristics from back-analysis of lateral spreading centrifuge experiments

In this paper, liquefied and laterally spreading soils triggered by seismic shaking are modeled as viscoplastic Bingham media characterized by two rheological parameters: the undrained residual shear strength and the Bingham viscosity coefficient. Since the precise evaluation of these two characteristics directly by appropriate in situ or laboratory experimental tests remains a very difficult task, an identification procedure is developed to assign numerically realistic values to both rheological characteristics from back-calculation of liquefaction-induced lateral spreading using centrifuge experiments. The proposed numerical procedure is applied successfully to two series of reported centrifuge tests where lateral displacements data during shaking were available.     

考虑强度退化效应的堤坝抗震稳定性评价方法

考虑土的动强度随振动孔隙压力上升的衰减效应,将拟静力极限平衡分析和滑动体位移分析相结合,提出了堤坝抗震稳定性评价方法.首先,基于土工动力有限元分析,确定坝坡潜在滑动土体的平均加速度时程,进而,基于拟静力概念,采用极限平衡分析,确定坝坡的安全系数随时间的变化历程,其中当安全系数瞬时小于1时,表明坝坡在地震中处于瞬时超载状态,采用Newmark刚体滑块模型估算瞬时超载所产生的滑动位移,将各个超载阶段的滑动位移叠加,求得设计地震动作用下堤坝边坡的累积滑移量,根据这种方法所进行的数值计算与分析表明,考虑强度循环退化效应后所得到的坝坡滑移量更为合理.     

Shallow SH-wave seismic investigation of the Mt. Angel Fault, Northwest Oregon, USA

The Mt. Angel Fault is likely one of the most active faults near the Portland metropolitan area, and was probably associated with the 1993 Scotts Mills earthquake. SH-wave seismic techniques used to image the Mt. Angel Fault suggest that the fault offsets late Pleistocene gravel (22 to 34 ka) at several locations. Within the study area, displacement of the late Pleistocene gravel along the strike of the Mt. Angel Fault increases from no obvious displacement on the northwest to approximately 18 m on the southeast. This trend of increasing offset along the strike of the fault is paralleled by topographic and geomorphic trends. A reconnaissance geologic investigation at an anomalous bend in the Pudding River near the projected trace of the Mt. Angel Fault revealed potential tectonic deformation in sediments younger than the late Pleistocene gravel imaged by SH-wave data. The results of this study have contributed to the paleoseismic record of the Mt. Angel Fault, laid the groundwork for future geologic investigations along the Pudding River, and determined potential sites for future paleoseismic trenching investigations.     

边坡岩体滑动稳定的动力学分析

在地震或爆破等强烈振动影响下边坡岩体往往产生块体滑动。这种失稳的动力学特性迄今尚未获得应有的研究。 在大部分现有的文献中都采用惯性力原理,将动力问题化为静力问题解决。这种常规的准动态分析,只考虑最大振动加速度,使问题过于简化而偏于保守。少数文献中探讨了动力问题,但也未考虑动荷载的全波形,所以未能解决块体滑动的真正的动力学问题。     

阿尔金断裂索尔库里段铜矿探槽长序列古地震记录

长序列古地震记录是理解断裂地震复发行为的关键,亦是区域地震危险性评价的重要基础。阿尔金断裂作为世界上最长的走滑断裂之一,其大地震复发行为一直是地震地质学家关注的重点。在该断裂中段索尔库里段开挖的探槽记录了8~9次古地震事件,发生时间分别为AD1598（1491~1740）、AD796（676~926）、668（732~590）BC、956（1206~716）BC、1301（1369~1235）BC、2105（2232~1987）BC、2664（2731~2601）BC、2818（2878~2742）BC和3411（3521~3205）BC。平均复发周期为620±410 a,变异系数为0.67,显示了弱准周期性。通过与其他研究点位的古地震数据对比,发现只有部分强震扩展至阿克塞弯曲内部。根据古地震复发周期和最新一次古地震的离逝时间,计算结果表明索尔库里段已经累积了3.3~4.6m的位移量,相当于Mw7.4~7.7地震,且未来30年发生强震的概率为0.07。     

湖泊沉积对地震动的响应特征与古地震序列重建

湖泊沉积因其对地震动的敏感而被认为是“天然地震仪”,湖泊沉积古地震研究有机会重建长时间尺度的地震(动)序列,对认识区域发震孕震环境和地震复发规律具有潜在优势,是当前古地震学研究的重要方向之一.本文旨在总结现今湖泊沉积古地震研究的主要进展、存在的问题和未来展望.首先通过与传统古地震研究关注的记录对比,扼要介绍了湖泊沉积地...     

Localization and characterization of an active fault in an urbanized area in central Guatemala by means of geoelectrical imaging

The Polochic and Motagua faults define the active plate boundary between the North American and Caribbean plates in central Guatemala. A splay of the Polochic Fault traverses the rapidly growing city of San Miguel Uspantán that is periodically affected by destructive earthquakes. This fault splay was located using a 2D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) survey that also characterized the fault damage zone and evaluated the thickness and nature of recent deposits upon which most of the city is built. ERT images show the fault as a ~50 m wide, near-vertical low-resistivity anomaly, bounded within a few meters by high resistivity anomalies. Forward modeling reproduces the key aspects of the observed electrical resistivity data with remarkable fidelity thus defining the overall location, geometry, and internal structure of the fault zone as well as the affected lithologies. Our results indicate that the city is constructed on a ~20 m thick surficial layer consisting of poorly consolidated, highly porous, water-logged pumice. This soft layer is likely to amplify seismic waves and to liquefy upon moderate to strong ground shaking. The electrical conductivity as well as the major element chemistry of the groundwater provides evidence to suggest that the local aquifer might, at least in part, be fed by water rising along the fault. Therefore, the potential threat posed by this fault splay may not be limited to its seismic activity per se, but could be compounded its potential propensity to enhance seismic site effects by injecting water into the soft surficial sediments. The results of this study provide the basis for a rigorous analysis of seismic hazard and sustainable development of San Miguel Uspantán and illustrate the potential of ERT surveying for paleoseismic studies.