Local site effect microzonation of Lorca town (SE Spain)

Local site effect assessment based on subsurface ground conditions is often the key to evaluate urban seismic hazard. The site effect evaluation in Lorca town (south-eastern Spain) started with a classification of urban geology through the geological mapping at scale 1:10,000 and the use of geotechnical data and geophysical surveys. The 17 geological formations identified were classified into 5 geological/seismic formations according to their seismic amplification capacity obtained from ambient vibration measurements as well as from simultaneous strong motion records. The shear-wave velocity structure of each geological/seismic formation was evaluated by means of inversion of Rayleigh wave dispersion data obtained from vertical-component array records of ambient noise. Nakamura’s method was applied to determine a predominant period distribution map. The spectral amplification factors were fourfold the values recorded in a reference hard-rock site. Finally, the capability of this study for explaining the damage distribution caused by the May 11th, 2011 Lorca destructive earthquake (Mw \(=\) 5.2) was examined. The methods used in this work are of assistance to evaluate ground amplification phenomena in urban areas of complex geology as Lorca town due to future earthquakes with applicability on urban seismic risk management.     

龙头山集镇局部场地地震动效应分析

依据龙头山集镇6个典型场地上的钻探资料及土体的动力非线性特性试验数据,分别建立了相应场地的地震反应分析模型。以幅值折半的龙头山镇强震动台站（053LLT）东西向主震加速度记录作为入射地震动,采用一维土层地震反应分析等效线性化方法计算了场地地震反应,讨论了近地表覆盖土层结构对地震动加速度峰值及反应谱的影响,并对场地效应与震害的关系进行了分析。      

九寨沟MS7.0地震强地震动模拟及漳扎镇地震动强度预测

破坏性地震强度预测可用于工程领域抗震设防以及地震危险性分析评估,是防震减灾中一项很重要的基础工作.为了再现九寨沟地震的地震动强度,评估缺失强震记录的九寨章扎台站的地震动强度,本文用经验格林函数法对九寨沟地震进行了数值模拟.选取了震源周边地震动峰值加速度超过10 Gal的10个强震台站进行模拟.因未得到九寨沟地震的余震,初次尝试将汶川地震和定西地震的余震作为格林函数模拟九寨沟地震.模拟结果整体上可以反映各台站地震动的强度特征,尤其是地震动高频成份拟合较好.模拟值的地震动峰值加速度、时程数据、反应谱等与观测值拟合较好.预测结果显示漳扎镇的地震动峰值加速度值约为180~200 Gal.预测结果也表明在缺少大震的余震记录时,经验格林函数法使用其他大震的余震同样可以再现目标地震的强度特征.本研究也为经验格林函数方法在缺乏小震记录地区的使用积累了经验.最后总结了格林函数的选取标准,为经验格林函数方法来预测未来强震动特征积累了经验.     

Damage to residential buildings in Hveragerði during the 2008 Ölfus Earthquake: simulated and surveyed results

This study analyses the performance of residential buildings in the town of Hveragerði in South Iceland during the 29 May 2008 Mw 6.3 Ölfus Earthquake. The earthquake occurred very close to the town, approximately 3–4 km from it. Ground shaking caused by the earthquake was recorded by a dense strong-motion array in the town. The array provided high-quality three-component ground acceleration data which is used to quantify a hazard scenario. In addition, surveys conducted in the town in the aftermath of the earthquake have provided information on macroseismic intensity at various locations in the town. Detailed information regarding the building stock in the town is collected, and their seismic vulnerability models are created by using building damage data obtained from the June 2000 South Iceland earthquakes. Damage to buildings are then simulated by using the scenario hazard and vulnerability models. Damage estimates were also obtained by conducting a survey. Simulated damage based on the scenario macroseismic intensity is found to be similar to damage estimated from survey data. The buildings performed very well during the earthquake—damage suffered was only 5 % of the insured value on the average. Correlation between actual damage and recorded ground-motion parameters is found to be statistically insignificant. No significant correlation of damage was observed, even with macroseismic intensity. Whereas significant correlation was observed between peak ground velocity and macroseismic intensity, neither of them appear to be good indicators of damage to buildings in the study area. This lack of correlation is partly due to good seismic capacity of buildings and partly due to the ordinal nature of macroseismic intensity scale. Consistent with experience from many past earthquakes, the survey results indicate that seismic risk in South Iceland is not so much due to collapse of buildings but rather due to damage to non-structural components and building contents.     

Finite fault analysis and near-field dynamic strain and rotation estimates due to the 11/05/2011 (Mw5.2) Lorca earthquake,south-eastern Spain

The 11/5/2011 Lorca, Spain earthquake (Mw \(\,=\,\) 5.2) and related seismicity produced extensive damage in the town of Lorca and vicinity. During these earthquakes, evidence of rotations and permanent deformations in structures were observed. To analyze these aspects and study the source properties from the near-field, the displacement time histories were obtained including the static component at Lorca station. Displacement time histories were computed by an appropriate double time integration procedure of accelerograms. Using these data, the foreshock and mainshock slip distributions were calculated by means of a complete waveform kinematic inversion. To study the dynamic deformations, the 3D tensor of displacement gradients at Lorca station was first estimated by a single station method. Using the finite fault inversion results and by means of a first order finite difference approach, the dynamic deformations tensor at surface was calculated at the recording site. In order to estimate the distribution of the peak dynamic deformations, the calculation was extended to the close neighboring area of the town. The possible influence of the near-field deformations on the surface structures was analyzed.     

基于衰减关系的城镇烈度发生概率快速估计

震后快速产出的震动烈度分布是地震应急救援非常有效的依据, 通常由烈度与地震动参数的经验关系给出. 有台站的场点, 地震动参数可以直接由台站数据给出确定性的结果; 而无台站的场点, 地震动参数只能由衰减关系给出估计值. 目前我国台站覆盖有限, 且难于实时获取, 快速生成的地震动参数主要依赖于地震动衰减关系, 再依据烈度与地震动参数的经验关系, 输出确定性的震动烈度分布. 由于衰减关系本身存在着不确定性, 将其估计值用于生成确定性的震动烈度分布是不准确的. 而且实践证明, 震动烈度与实际调查烈度存在差异. 鉴于此, 从衰减关系模型中的ε出发, 提出了场点(城镇)遭遇不同烈度的概率计算方法: 利用衰减关系的估计值与衰减关系的标准差, 构造峰值加速度(PGA)变化的对数正态分布, 然后以烈度分档对应的PGA范围, 计算震区各城镇遭遇不同烈度的概率及各城镇抗震设防烈度被超越的概率. 具体以1966年3月8日河北邢台M_S6.8地震为例, 说明了此方法的可行性, 认为以概率形式给出城镇可能遭遇的烈度在表述上更为合理, 并建议将场点(城镇)遭遇烈度的概率表达方法用于震害快速评估.      

Observational fragility functions for residential stone masonry buildings in Nepal

This paper outlines the seismic vulnerability of rural stone masonry buildings affected by the 2015 Gorkha earthquake sequence. Summary of field observation is presented first and empirical fragility curves are developed from the detailed damage assessment data from 603 villages in central, eastern and western Nepal. Fragility curves are developed on the basis of 665,515 building damage cases collected during the post-earthquake detailed damage assessment campaign conducted by Government of Nepal. Two sets of fragility functions are derived using peak ground acceleration and spectral acceleration at 0.3 s as the intensity measures. The sum of the results highlights that stone masonry buildings in Nepal are highly vulnerable even in the case of low to moderate ground shaking. The results further indicate that in the case of strong to major earthquakes, most of the stone masonry buildings in Nepal would sustain severe damage or collapse.     

双向地震作用下锯末混合土场地动力特性分析

在北京工业大学振动台台阵系统上开展了一系列锯末混合土地基自由场振动台模型试验,试验中模型箱采用装配式连续体刚性模型箱,试验中输入地震动时程采用El Centro地震动记录、Taft地震动记录和天津地震动记录,地震动输入方向分为水平单向和水平双向。文中,重点考察了双向地震动输入下锯末混合土模型场地的动力特性及其变化规律,主要指标包括模型场地地震动反应的峰值加速度及其动力放大系数、加速度时程及其傅氏谱。试验结果表明:随着输入地震动强度的增大,同一测点反应的峰值加速度总体上在增大,而其加速度动力放大系数总体上呈现减小的趋势,反应的频谱组成从较高频率向较低频率移动;双向地震作用下锯末混合土模型场地的动力变化规律与单向地震作用下较为一致。     

Failure analysis of one-story precast structures for near-fault and far-fault strong ground motions

Failure of one-story precast structures consisting of cantilever columns connected by simply supported beams was widely reported throughout the epicentral regions of the last devastating earthquakes in Turkey. As a single degree of freedom system, precast columns are designed by using the elastic spectrum given in the seismic code and by considering a seismic load reduction factor which takes into account the inelastic behavior of the columns under seismic loads. Although the existing seismic codes consider near-fault shaking effects in the development of elastic response spectra, they do not currently consider the increased inelastic demands that may occur during near-fault ground motion. The current study consists of nonlinear time history analyses of various hypothetical columns having geometric and mass properties which are being used in Turkish precast industry and the evaluation of damage indexes (DI) in terms of peak ground velocity (PGV) and peak ground acceleration (PGA) of the used strong ground motions. It is achieved that near-fault earthquakes create more damages on the columns. This might be one of the main reasons for the collapse of several one-storey precast buildings which were well designed according to the seismic codes in the district of existing faults. The obtained PGV versus DI charts prove that if one increase the sectional dimensions and/or longitudinal reinforcement ratio of the column, the possible damage from near-fault shaking effects could be reduced.     

Simulation of Ground Motion from Strong Earthquakes of Kamchatka Region (1992–1993) at Rock and Soil Sites

To estimate the parameters of ground motion in future strong earthquakes, characteristics of radiation and propagation of seismic waves in the Kamchatka region were studied. Regional parameters of radiation and propagation of seismic waves were estimated by comparing simulations of earthquake records with data recorded by stations of the Kamchatka Strong Motion Network. Acceleration time histories of strong earthquakes (M _w = 6.8–7.5, depths 45–55 km) that occurred near the eastern coast of Kamchatka in 1992–1993 were simulated at rock and soil stations located at epicentral distances of 67–195 km. In these calculations, the source spectra and the estimates of frequency-dependent attenuation and geometrical spreading obtained earlier for Kamchatka were used. The local seismic-wave amplification was estimated based on shallow geophysical site investigations and deep crustal seismic explorations, and parameters defining the shapes of the waveforms, the duration, etc. were selected, showing the best-fit to the observations. The estimated parameters of radiation and propagation of seismic waves describe all the studied earthquakes well. Based on the waveforms of the acceleration time histories, models of slip distribution over the fault planes were constructed for the studied earthquakes. Station PET can be considered as a reference rock station having the minimum site effects. The intensity of ground motion at the other studied stations was higher than at PET due to the soil response or other effects, primarily topographic ones. At soil stations INS, AER, and DCH the parameters of soil profiles (homogeneous pyroclastic deposits) were estimated, and nonlinear models of their behavior in the strong motion were constructed. The obtained parameters of radiation and propagation of seismic waves and models of soil behavior can be used for forecasting ground motion in future strong earthquakes in Kamchatka.     

Characteristics of observed strong motion accelerograms from the 2011 Lorca (Spain) Earthquake

The Lorca earthquake (southeast Spain) on May 11, 2011; Mw 5.1, and its aftershocks, have provided an important set of accelerograms recorded by the strong motion network of the Instituto Geográfico Nacional of Spain. It is particularly noticeable that the record obtained in Lorca town, very near of the fault rupture, presents a PGA value close to 0.37 g in the N30W component. This paper provides an overview of the strong motion data recorded during the Lorca seismic series, with particular attention to the accelerograms from the mainshock and foreshock and its characteristics. Due to the special circumstances of these two records, a more detailed processing has been required, in which various alternatives to adjust the baseline have been considered and analyzed. Based on this special processing, small residual displacements were obtained and reported in some of these cases. However, given the sensitivity of the process and the small obtained values, these findings should be taken with caution. Besides, response spectra have been analyzed and compared with design spectra proposed by the Spanish Seismic Code (NCSE-02) for the towns of Lorca, Alhama de Murcia and Mula. Large amplitude differences were observed in these spectra if compared to those recorded in Lorca. Also noteworthy is that the design spectra proposed for this town were exceeded by some horizontal directions of the response spectra.     

Building damage concentrated in Longtoushan town during the 2014 Ms. 6.5 Ludian earthquake,Yunnan, China: examination of cause and implications based on ground motion and vulnerability analyses

Though the 2014 Ludian Earthquake had only a moderate magnitude (Ms 6.5), high-level ground motions of almost 1g occurred at Longtoushan Town (seismic station 53LLT), which located near the intersection of a conjugate-shaped seismogenic fault. The building damages on the pluvial fan and the river terrace at Longtoushan was clearly different. In order to examine the generation of the large acceleration at 53LLT, the focal mechanisms and the rupture processes of the conjugate-shaped seismogenic fault were determined. We found that there were two continuous impulsive waves in the records of 53LLT that were generated from two different faults, the Baogunao fault and the Xiaohe fault, respectively. Site effects on the pluvial fan and the river terrace at Longtoushan Town and their relations to different building damages were examined. We found that the predominant period at the pluvial fan was about 0.25 s, close to the fundamental natural period of multi-story confined masonry buildings. Ground motions on the pluvial fan and the river terrace were simulated through convolving synthesized bedrock motions with the transfer functions, which were analyzed using the one-dimensional underground velocity structures identified from H/V spectral ratios of ambient noise. Building collapse ratios (CRs) are estimated based on the vulnerability function of the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake and are compared with the observed values. We found that the observed building CRs on the pluvial fan are much higher than the estimated values. High-level ground shaking that is far beyond the design level was a reason for serious building damage.     

Macroseismic information from historic pictorial sources

Prephotographic depictions of earthquakes can contain important information on the types and amount of damage due to a large earthquake in historic times. Care must be used in evaluating such depictions because some are more accurate than others, and many depictions contain little that is of value in making estimates of seismic intensity. Depictions of two earthquakes, in 1692 at Jamaica and in 1843 at Guadeloupe, illustrate the utility of depictions in intensity estimation. A depiction of the scene at Port Royal in Jamaica of the 1692 shock suggests that the major damage was caused by soil slumping and a tsunami, with the ground shaking itself probably only having been about MMI VII. Two depictions of Pointe-à-Pitre at Guadeloupe after the 1843 event contain evidence that the town was damaged by strong ground shaking as well as by major soil failures. The ground shaking here was probably MMI VII–IX. These and other pictures are being assembled for a monograph of prephotographic earthquake depictions in the Americas.     

吉林台水电站坝址人造地震动研究

为满足水库抗震设计的震要,合成了５０年超越概率５％和１００年超越概率２％的基岩加速度时程曲线,考虑到吉林吉台电站所处的特殊地震环境和场地条件,分析其地震危险性认为：５０年超越概率５％的地震动为远震影响;１００年超越概率２％的地震动为近震影响,目前使用的基岩加带度反应谱衰关于关系的来源资料多少丢失一些高频成分,可能低估高频成分的地震动对基岩场地的影响,为此根据大震,远震的特征周期Ｔｇ较大这一规律,把两个概率水平的加速度反应谱的特征周期Ｔｇ都定为０．３ｓ,并增加基岩反应谱高频成分控制,从而把基岩地震加速度反应谱处理成相应的规准谱,在此基础上通过拟合规准谱合成的基岩地震动时程曲线,较好地满足坝址的设防要求。     

地震烈度与地震动峰值的转换

本文以强震记录地面水平向平均峰值为基本数据,研究了在无条件、分别或同时考虑房屋层数和场地类别的前提下,地震烈度与地震动峰值的对应关系.并依据统计结果讨论了峰值均值随烈度的变化规律,给出了把烈度转换成地面峰速度、峰加速度或设计地震反应谱的建议方案.最后还讨论了把设计地震反应谱转换成地震烈度的方法,给出了建议的转换方案.      

土层平均剪切波速确定及其可靠性验证——基于钻井台阵强震动记录

震害资料显示,场地条件对地震动特性以及工程结构破坏程度影响显著。为减少因场地效应而造成的经济损失和社会影响,在进行场地地震反应分析时,需最大限度地减小因场地土层模型参数的不确定性引起的地震动评估偏差,为工程结构地震反应分析选取并生成适当的地震动输入。随着强震动观测技术的逐渐发展,大量可靠的钻井台阵记录为地震过程中场地观测点的动力反应提供了直接数据。以美国加州地区La Cienega钻井台阵强震动观测数据为基础,利用互相关函数,对不同强度地震作用下场地土层的平均剪切波速进行分析,并在此基础上,以Cyclic 1D为模拟平台,建立一维自由场地地震反应有限元分析模型。分析结果表明：通过钻井台阵地震动观测数据识别,得到场地平均剪切波速,能够反映该场地的动力特性,数值模拟计算结果和台阵地震动记录基本吻合,可为数值模型参数选取提供依据。     

The 2011 Lorca seismic series: Temporal evolution,faulting parameters and hypocentral relocation

The Lorca 2011 seismic series was recorded by an unprecedented set of high quality on scale broadband seismograms and strong motion accelerograms. The waveforms from permanent and temporary broadband seismic networks deployed in the region by different institutions allowed to invert regional moment tensor for the fore, main and largest aftershock of the complete seismic sequence. Using double-difference algorithm we have performed a precise relocation of the seismic series, where body wave travel times from strong ground motion accelerograms were included in the data set. Regional moment tensor inversion for the three main events show similar oblique-reverse faulting regime with a northeast-southwest fault orientation. The scalar seismic moment, moment magnitude and focal depth retrieved from the inversion yield the following values for each event: \(\hbox {Mo}=6.5\times 10^{16}\) Nm (Mw = 5.2) for the mainshock, \(\hbox {Mo}= 9.6 \times 10^{15}\) Nm (Mw = 4.6) for the foreshock and \(\hbox {Mo}=7.3\times 10^{14}\) Nm (Mw = 3.9) for the large aftershock. The centroid depths range between 4 and 6 km. The double-difference relocation of the seismic series shows significant epicentral differences with the preliminary routine location. The epicentral solutions given by this relocation show a seismic sequence distributed following a NE–SW strike, subparallel to the Alhama de Murcia fault and compatible with the faulting parameters inverted from the moment tensor analysis. The hypocenters of the series generate a subvertical trend in depth distribution, being concentrated between 2 and 6 km. The depth distribution of the main events, which range from 4.6 to 5.5 km, is in good relationship with the faulting and depth parameters deduced from the moment tensor inversion technique. The regional moment tensor solutions for the three largest earthquakes, the epicentral distribution and the focal depths show good relationship with the surface geometry and tectonic regime of the Alhama de Murcia fault. The stress drop deduced for the mainshock gives a value ranging between 58 and 85 bars, which does not support the idea of a high stress drop release as a main factor contributing to the high ground acceleration recorded at Lorca. The PGA values observed at Lorca, which contributed to the high damage independently of structural deficiencies, could be generated mainly by shallowness and proximity to the seismic source together with a directivity effect in the seismic radiation.     

A new instrumental measure of epicentral shaking intensity in Western China

We define here a new measure of epicentral shaking intensity (modified spectrum intensity), which we derive from strong motion instrumental data. This new metric is similar to Housner’s spectrum intensity, with the caveat that we modify its numerical value by evaluating the predominant period of spectral acceleration and the site characteristics of each strong-motion station. We find that the modified spectrum intensity thus calculated is of higher reliability than peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity, or Housner’s spectrum intensity in instrumental seismic intensity determination, and it offers a superior method to evaluate macro-seismic intensity distribution soon after a destructive earthquake in Western China.     

Determination of source,path and site parameters based on non-linear inversion of accelerometric data in Greece

Source, propagation path and site conditions are the factors affecting seismic ground motion. Consequently, recordings acquired at a seismic station are formed by the convolution of these three factors. In this work S-wave acceleration Fourier spectra of earthquakes recorded at local and regional scale, by the ITSAK accelerometric network for the period 2010–2016, are modeled as a product of source, propagation path (including geometric and anelastic attenuation) and site effects. The data set consists of 136 crustal earthquakes occurred in the broader Aegean area, with magnitudes 4.2?≤?M_w?≤?6.5 and epicentral distances 20 km?≤?R?≤?350 km, recorded at 112 broadband accelerometric stations installed at sites with various geologic conditions. Based on this data set, an iterative Gauss–Newton inversion method to solve the non-linear problem and retrieve the different terms of source, propagation path and site, is applied. This method uses an initial input model trying to find the best and at the same time a stable solution for the inverted parameters, which are, moment magnitude (M_w), corner frequency (f_c), attenuation quality factor (Q_s?=?Q_of^α), slope of the geometric attenuation (1/R^γ) and site transfer function (S(f)). The initial values of the starting model can be either known from other studies or inferred within a reasonable range. Depending on the level of knowledge on these input parameters, the associated standard deviation can be adjusted (large values for unknown parameters or small values for parameters which are well constrained). Results of the analyses exhibit satisfactory agreement of estimated source parameters with those proposed by seismological centers in Greece and propagation path properties similar to the ones determined in relevant previous studies for the same region. In addition, the site transfer functions obtained by the non-linear inversion are comparable with those calculated for the same sites using either standard spectral ratio or horizontal-to-vertical spectral ration (HVSR—receiver function) techniques. The aforementioned results are encouraging for reliable earthquake source parameters, propagation path properties and site effect assessment, in areas of intermediate to high seismicity.     

Comparative analysis of strong motion (SM) records from the July 2017 Ohrid seismic sequence

During the months of June–July 2017, the Lake Ohrid area in the southwestern Macedonia experienced a series of small to intermediate earthquakes. More than a thousand earthquakes occurred in that period, all in the epicentral area about 10 km east-northeast from Ohrid city center. The earthquakes showed characteristics of a swarm with 50 of them having magnitudes of 3 or greater and the strongest reaching magnitude M5.0. The earthquakes caused concern among the people in Ohrid and neighboring cities and villages and prompted the installation of two networks of temporary stations. One network was deployed in the epicentral area to determine in more detail the earthquakes’ depth and source parameters. The other urban network of instruments was installed to monitor the influence of the ground on the amplification of shaking and the dynamics of structures in the city of Ohrid. In this study, a selection of the urban network strong motion (SM) records was analyzed for the first time. Accelerograph records from a magnitude M3.1 earthquake recorded at eight places in the city and from the two earthquakes with magnitudes M4.2 and M5.0 recorded at the permanent seismological station Ohrid (code OHR) were used. The results of the behavior of the instrumented building were also compared with the findings of previous experiments. The differences in the spectral values on the SM records from the stations were investigated in respect to the ground conditions and location where the instruments were installed, i.e., bedrock and sediments at the sites. The power spectra and the H/V ratio of the earthquake records from the 2017 seismic sequence in the Ohrid area were also viewed in respect to the Eurocode-8. In addition to being used as part of standard engineering practice, this information about the local soil conditions can be of interest to geophysicists in seismic and geotechnical investigations, as well as in seismic risk-assessment applications.