Horizontal to vertical spectral ratio in different geological formations

A study of horizontal-to-vertical (H/V) spectral ratios with the short duration data in different geological formations with varying soil thicknesses were carried out. The study has been implemented by using the ambient seismic noise and hammer impact to determine the fundamental frequency and the corresponding amplification of soils. In addition, the average shear wave velocity (Vs³⁰) was calculated to infer the stiffness of soils. The results are correlating well with the local geology and therefore testify that the short duration data is adequate to estimate the H/V spectral ratio in site characterization and microzonation studies.     

SOURCE RADIATION AND RESPONSES OF WAVE PROPAGATION

Recordings of seismic waves propagating from earthquake source to a station at the earth's surface are a system response function.The convolution operator in time domain can be simplified as a multiplication operator in frequency domain.We discuss in frequency domain the separation of source,path and site effects for global scaling of earthquake source radiation.Also discussed are source scaling model,faulting mechanism,and the H/V inversion problems with crustal and near surface structures.Gross features of apparent source spectra appear to be not much region-dependent although there may be difference between tectonic styles within a region of tectonic mixture for which we need further study as data accumulate.Vertical spectra may be a better approach to approximate source radiation,as it has less crustal amplification effects than horizontal spectra.The H/V ratio is evidently a comprehensive indicator of amplification effects from near surface to deep structure.This gives it potential as an inversion tool to deduce site crustal structure.     

基岩表面地脉动谱比研究

目前,场地影响评价方法可以分为理论法和经验法。地脉动水平分量与竖向分量谱比法属经验法。这种方法将地脉动水平分量与竖向分量谱比的最大值对应的频率和幅值分别看作是观测场地的卓越频率和放大因子。虽然该法在国内外很多工程实例中得到了理想的结果。但由于这种方法建立过程中应用了许多假设,所以很多地震工程学家对这种方法持怀疑态度。本文讨论了基岩地脉动水平分量与竖向分量谱比为1这一假定的合理性。并采用泊松弹性半空间模型,应用概率分析方法考虑地脉动的随机性,推导了地下体波斜入射弹性半空间自由表面形成地脉动的水平分量与竖向分量谱比表达式。通过计算论证体波斜入射泊松弹性半空间形成的地脉动水平分量与竖向分量谱比特性。结果表明：当地脉动主要成分为体波时,基岩表面地脉动水平分量与竖向分量谱比接近于1;当地脉动主要成分为面波时,基岩表面地脉动水平分量与竖向分量谱比介于0.54～0.79之间。对泊松基岩,该比值是0.68。     

Mechanical development of vein structures due to the passage of earthquake waves through poorly-consolidated sediments

Vein structures are typically the earliest expression of brittle deformation within sediments. These mud-filled veins, which characteristically occur regularly spaced within bed-parallel arrays, form in sediments that possess a strong interlocking particle framework. Downslope creep has been proposed to explain the origins of vein structures, however, a recent suggestion that they are generated by the passage of earthquake shear waves through sediments explains aspects of their morphology, and their dominant occurrence at active convergent margins. Their coexistence with less disruptive “ghost veins” in Peru margin sediments, and their almost normal attitude to bedding, however, suggests that vein structures were formed by processes more complex than downslope creep, or seismically induced shearing alone.

Experimental earthquake simulation was undertaken by laterally shaking a box containing crushed diatomite. Fractures were induced almost normal to the horizontal shaking direction, and to a lesser extent as antithetic Riedel shears, both of which closely resembled vein structures. The fracturing process during shaking may be viewed as a progressive fragmentation of the diatomite, in which new fractures form half-way between pre-existing ones. Thus fracture spacings are progressively halved. Shear zones oriented at a low angle to the shaking direction were also generated, combining with the high-angle fractures to form structures very similar to those observed in Peru margin sediments. When shaken, fines added to the diatomite segregated into planar zones that resembled ghost veins, half-way between fractures. The alternating pattern of fractures and fines indicated that a standing pressure wave had been created within the box during shaking. The fractures were created by alternating compression and extension at the antinodes, while the fines concentrated in zones of minimum grain movement around the nodal planes. This suggests that vein structures are initiated by the combined action of shear and pressure waves within a sediment. The strain waves may be seismic in origin, or may also form in downslope movement system.     

Assessment of the stability of H/V spectral ratios from ambient noise and comparison with earthquake data in the Cologne area (Germany)

Situated in an active tectonic region the highly industrialised Cologne area (Germany) suffers from moderate-sized earthquakes. Our contribution to the mitigation of earthquake risk includes a microzonation study using ambient seismic noise and earthquake recordings from two field campaigns. An analysis of these data using the horizontal-to-vertical (H/V) as well as the classical spectral ratio (CSR) technique led to the following observations and conclusions: (1) The spatial variation in the thickness of the sedimentary cover is reliably retrieved using the fundamental resonance frequency estimated from the peak in the (H/V) ratio of ambient noise. (2) This fundamental resonance frequency is stable in time, but the amplitude of the peak (the amplification factor) is not. (3) The relative amplification variation of the H/V ratio in the area should therefore be checked systematically with repeated measurements before drawing conclusions about its significance. (4) The analysis of the H/V ratio of ambient noise provides the lower frequency bound, above which amplification may occur. (5) The shapes of the spectral ratios obtained by the different methods are generally in good agreement. However, the analysis of earthquake data shows that significant amplification of ground motion may also occur at frequencies higher than the fundamental one even when thick sediments are present.     

On the Importance of Geolithological Features for the Estimate of the Site Response: The Case of Catania Metropolitan Area (Italy)

The evaluation of seismic site response in the urban area of Catania was tackled by selecting test areas having peculiar lithological and structural features, potentially favourable to large local amplifications of ground motion. The two selected areas are located in the historical downtown and in the northern part of Catania where the presence of a fault is evident. Site response was evaluated using spectral ratio technique taking the horizontal- to-vertical component ratio of ambient noise. Inferences from microtremor measurements are compared with results from synthetic accelerograms and response spectra computed at all drillings available for this area. Such method is particularly suitable in urban areas where the nature of the outcropping geological units is masked by city growth and anthropic intervention on the surface geology. The microtremor H/V spectral ratios evaluated at soft sites located within the downtown profile tend to be smaller than that usually reported in the literature for such soils. A tendency for amplifications to peaks near 2 Hz is observed only in some sites located on recent alluvial deposits. Evidences for amplifications of site effects (frequency range 4–8 Hz) were observed in the sampling sites located on the fault, with a rapid decrease of spectral amplitude just a few tenths of metres away from the discontinuity. Numerical simulations evidenced the importance of geolithological features at depth levels even greater than 20–30 m. Besides this, the results strongly confirm the importance of the subsurface geological conditions, in the estimate of seismic hazard at urban scale.     

考虑散射效应沉积河谷空间相关多点地震动模拟

提出了一种考虑地震波散射效应的沉积河谷空间相关多点地震动模拟方法。基于弹性波传播理论,采用合理功率谱、相干函数和传递函数模型,借助原型谱表示法得到沉积河谷空间相关多点地震动,并验证了方法的可行性。其中,传递函数应用动力边界元法计算,可在很宽的频带内精细模拟沉积河谷中波型转换及聚焦效应。针对常见V型河谷开展了计算模拟,结果表明,河谷地形及松软沉积层对地震波传播具有显著影响,河谷地表地震动空间差异性十分显著,一维模型难以考虑地震波的散射及聚焦效应,从而会明显低估沉积内部部分区域的地震动峰值加速度。沉积河谷中大跨结构抗震设计宜采用考虑地震波散射效应的空间相关多点地震动输入。     

Local site effects estimated from ambient vibration measurements at the Nubian habitations area in Kurkur,Aswan, Egypt

The Egyptian government proposed a general plan, aiming to construct new settlements for Nubians in south Aswan in different places around Nasser’s Lake, one of these settlements in Kurkur area. This area are affecting by near distance earthquakes from Kalabsha faults system. These earthquakes generated great site effects on the sedimentary layers that in turn significantly influenced earthquake ground motions in the area. The main objective of the current study is to estimate the effect of local geology on seismic motion in terms of fundamental resonance frequency (f₀) and the corresponding H/V amplitude values (A₀) using the Nakamura technique. Ambient vibration measurements were carried out at 40 sites that are representative for the different geological units beneath the area. The recorded signals were processed using the horizontal-to-vertical (H/V) spectral ratio Nakamura’s technique. Analysis of spatial distribution of the fundamental frequencies (f₀) and the corresponding H/V amplitudes (A₀) showed that the f₀ value varies from 0.98 to 2.74 Hz, while A₀ varies from 2.2 to 6.6 within the study area. Output of this study is very important for solving the problems, which associated with the construction of various civil engineering purposes, for land-use planning and for earthquakes resistant structure design.     

体波地脉动单点谱比法研究

采用弹性成层介质模型,应用概率分析方法,推导地下体波斜入射成层介质,在自由表面形成体波地脉动的水平分量与竖向分量谱比表达式。然后,通过大量模型计算,论证体波斜入射单层覆盖半空间形成地脉动水平分量与竖向分量谱比特性与场地传递函数间的关系。结果表明,利用地脉动单点谱比法分析体波为主要成分地脉动时,与场地水平向传递函数相比,可以得到较准确阻抗比大于3的场地卓越频率和偏小的场地放大因子。     

Expected peak ground acceleration in Uttarakhand Himalaya,India region from a deterministic hazard model

A method of seismic zonation based on the deterministic modeling of rupture planes is presented. Finite rupture planes along identified lineaments are modeled in the Uttarakhand Himalaya based on the semi empirical technique of Midorikawa (Tectonophysics 218:287–295, 1993). The expected peak ground acceleration thus estimated from this technique is divided into different zones similar to zones proposed by the Bureau of Indian standard, BIS (Indian standards code of practice for earthquake-resistant design of structures, 2002). The proposed technique has been applied to Kumaon Himalaya area and the surrounding region for earthquakes of magnitude M > 6.0. Approximately 56000 km² study area is classified into the highest hazard zone V with peak accelerations of more than 400 cm/s². This zone V includes the cities of the Dharchula, Almora, Nainital, Haridwar, Okhimath, Uttarkashi, Pithorahargh, Lohaghat, Munsiari, Rudraprayag, and Karnprayag. The Sobla and Gopeshwar regions belong to zone IV, where peak ground accelerations of the order from 250 to 400 cm/s² can be expected. The prepared map shows that epicenters of many past earthquakes in this region lie in zone V, and hence indicating the utility of developed map in defining various seismic zones.     

Aeromagnetic study of buried basement structures and lineaments of Sahel region (Eastern Tunisia,North Africa)

This study presents original results regarding the use of aeromagnetic to explore deep subsurface structuring in southern part of Tunisian Sahel petroleum province (Eastern Tunisia, North Africa). Several filters and techniques were applied to the total magnetic intensity (TMI) grid. First, an adequate reduce to the pole (RTP) grid was generated. The RTP map shows 17 positive and negative anomalies associated with short- and long-wavelength amplitude anomalies. Positive anomalies correspond to high magnetic basement structures estimated from seismic lines in the area. Circular anomalies are also distinguished locally and can be explained by Cretaceous magmatic rocks recognized in numerous petroleum wells. Second, specific qualitative and quantitative filters (e.g., residual-regional separation, horizontal tilt angle (TDX), tilt angle (TILT), total horizontal derivative of tilt angle (THDTILT)) were applied to elucidate the form and the extent of buried magnetic anomalies and lineaments. The resulting deep structural map revealed the presence of NW-SE, N-S, and E-W regional magnetic basement structures and lineaments and a regional tectonic node surrounding Henchir Keskes-Agareb-Mahres-Hachichina area. Two magnetic inversion models calculated across the study area highlight west to east crustal thinning trend and permit depth to basement estimation. These results are valuable for future conventional and unconventional petroleum exploration in this underexplored southern part of Sahel plain.     

陆域冻土区天然气水合物多波地震数值模拟研究

多波地震勘探技术能够同时获得纵波和转换波资料,与常规的纵波勘探相比,能够提供更多的地下介质信息。且转换波对于埋深较浅的小断层、小幅度构造有更高的分辨率,充分利用多分量地震资料可以有效的提高地震勘探的精度。本文将多波地震技术引入到陆域冻土区天然气水合物勘探中,对陆域冻土区水合物进行多波地震数值模拟研究。采用弹性波有限差分方法进行多分量正演模拟,利用仿射坐标转换法将原始的多分量地震数据进行纵横波叠前分离,并通过多波高斯束偏移方法分别对波场分离后的PP波和转换PS波进行叠前深度偏移成像。根据我国祁连山冻土区水合物实际地震地质资料,建立逼近真实地质情况的天然气水合物数值模型。对上述水合物模型进行多波地震数值试算表明,多波地震勘探技术是一种有效的陆域冻土区水合物探测方法,充分利用多波地震资料有利于查明陆域冻土区水合物精细的地质构造,取得更好的勘探效果。     

Micro-Tremor Induced Gravity and Seismic Noise Spectra in the Garhwal Himalaya and the Adjoining Regions

The characteristic site response spectra of soft sedimentary rocks in the Garhwal Himalaya and a few localities in the adjoining Ganga plain and Himachal Himalaya have been studied through short period passive seismic source experiment using ambient noise data. Along with this, stand-alone temporal gravity data in the Doon valley was also acquired. It has been observed that there exist two extreme frequency bands in the gravity and seismic response spectra of alluvial soft sediments in the Doon valley and the adjoining regions, when it subjected to micro-seismic and gravity-tidal oscillation. The concept of damped harmonic oscillator was used to study the fundamental long period modes in the density driven diffusive fluid flow in the valley alluvial pore spaces, and observed that the flow was continued from minutes to a few days. In this case, apart from the diurnal component, the observed fundamental modes are in the bands from 0.42 to 1.83 days. The characteristic frequencies of seismic response spectra for the fundamental modes of thick soft sediments were also studied using the spectral ratio (HVSR) method of Nakamura. In the Ganga basin, a moderate resonant frequency of 3 Hz is sufficient for thick soft sediment to cause relatively large vertical amplitude, which suggest possibility for sub-surface secondary seismic effects like liquefaction. However, the hard rock terrains in the lesser Himalaya, where only a veneer of soft sediment is present, show relatively high frequency values of 15 to 18 Hz even to produce an H/V amplitude ratio of 1 and 1.7 and hence could be considered as relatively stable.     

华北盆地Lg波衰减及台站场地响应特征

华北盆地是中国大陆地震活跃区之一,通过地震波衰减及场地响应参数研究该区构造介质属性及台基属性对地震预测预报、灾害评估具有重要意义.基于Lg波谱比的联合反演方法是获得地震波衰减参数及场地响应的有效方法,通过随机重采样方法可以检验解的稳定性.使用华北盆地68个台站记录的2004—2008年的149次地震,震级M_L为1.7~5.3的震中距为100~600 km,按信噪比大于2的标准挑选有效垂向记录1 000多条,地震射线较好地覆盖了华北盆地38°N~41°N、114°E~120°E区域.采用2.60~3.65 km/s的速度窗截取Lg波形并转化为频谱,研究频率范围为1~7 Hz,频率间隔0.2 Hz.计算得到的地震波衰减品质因子Q(f)与频率f的关系可表示为Q(f)=125±4.4f0.86±0.03,研究区为低Q₀(对应频率1 Hz),高频率依赖性的构造活跃区.基岩台站对地震波没有表现出明显放大作用,黄土沉积台站低频端比高频端明显放大;场地响应波动较大台站其解的标准偏差也大,说明场地响应的不稳定性体现了台基属性的非稳定性特征.      

The origin of tensile fracture lineaments

Fracture-controlled lineaments, commonly seen where brittle basement is exposed at the earth's surface, are generally restricted to a small number of sets, with angles of 45–90° between sets. The length-frequency distribution of lineaments in each set follows a truncated Poisson function. Such lineaments usually show almost no shearing offset, suggesting a tensile origin. A simple mechanical model of tensile fracturing is used to explain the spacing, directions, and length of lineaments, as well as their depth-frequency distribution. Results suggest that the penetration depth of tensile fractures which produce lineaments at the earth's surface is directly related to their length and that the fracture density is inversely proportional to fracture depth. Finally, the angles between lineament sets may be controlled by the ratio of strength of unfractured rock to that of pre-existing fractures, which might heal with time. The most likely source of tension is tectonic uplift. Fractures due to typical uplifts of 0.5–1 km over distances of 10–100 km may penetrate as brittle fractures to several kilometres into the crust, perhaps to the depth at which seismic activity ceases.     

Dynamic behavior of railway embankment slope subjected to seismic excitation

To reveal the dynamic behavior of a railway embankment slope subjected to seismic excitation, a shaking table model test was performed on a 1:8 scale embankment slope. Different types of seismic wave of differing amplitudes were applied to study the dynamic behavior of the embankment slope, and white noise excitations were interspersed among the seismic waves to observe the changes of dynamic characteristics of the embankment slope. Residual deformation behaviors of the embankment slope were also investigated. The results of the tests show that the natural frequency of the embankment slope exhibits a decreasing trend and that the damping ratio exhibits an increasing trend. The embankment slope exhibits a significant amplification effect on the input acceleration, and the acceleration response differs greatly when subjected to different seismic excitations of differing spectrum characteristics. The filler of the embankment slope affects the changes of the spectrum characteristics of the seismic wave. The filler performs a filtering effect on high-frequency seismic waves and amplifies the energy of low-frequency seismic waves, especially when the frequency is close to the natural frequency of the embankment slope. A bidirectional excitation creates a greater acceleration response than a unidirectional excitation does. The seismic residual deformation of the embankment slope occurs under the seismic subsidence mode.     

地下综合管廊地震动力响应三维数值分析

综合管廊由于埋深较浅,在抗震分析中应考虑Rayleigh波的作用,为研究Rayleigh波与底部地震加速度共同作用下综合管廊的动力响应特征,建立双仓的综合管廊三维动力有限元数值模型,土体采用考虑滞回环特性的高级本构模型（HSS模型）,通过边界上多次脉冲荷载生成Rayleigh波,模型底部横向分别作用Upland波、Kobe波、Taft波,并与仅考虑底部横向作用的常规时程分析进行对比。研究表明:综合管廊结构的横向动力响应主要受横向地震波影响,结构纵向动力响应受沿其轴向入射的Rayleigh波影响相对较大;采用Rayleigh波+底部地震波的输入方法比单独底部地震波输入得到的结构动力响应整体上要更显著一些;输入不同的地震加速度时程,管廊动力反应规律相似,但综合管廊结构影响大小有差异,可见底部地震波与地表Rayleigh波作用的匹配程度对结构动力响应结果有一定影响。研究成果可供地下综合管廊结构地震动力响应精细化数值分析及抗震设计参考。     

Hydraulic significance of fracture correlated lineaments in precambrian rocks in Purulia district, West Bengal

Filter analysis of lineaments in Precambrian metamorphic rocks was used to delineate fracture-correlated lineaments and hydraulically significant fractures. The unfiltered analysis technique fails to show correlation between major lineaments and fractures. Domain-based and discrete filtering techniques successfully identify fracture-correlated lineaments within the brittle-ductile shear zone in conjunction with fractures characterized by high fracture frequencies (>10/m). The locales of hydraulically significant fractures can thus be assessed if the geological controls governing the spatial distribution of fracture frequencies are computed using structural domain approach. The concurrence of fracture-correlated lineaments and hydraulically significant fractures within the brittle-ductile shear zone is evident.     

Estimation of source parameters and attenuation using digital waveforms of Al-Ays 2009 earthquake,Saudi Arabia

On 19 May 2009, an earthquake sequence of M _w?=?4.8 occurred at 25.20°N 37.76°E about 60 km onshore of the Red Sea coastline, Saudi Arabia. In the present study, the digital waveform data from the largest four events were used to estimate the source parameters and attenuation characteristics along the source-to-station path in the Arabian Shield. A grid search technique, combined with an assumption of circular source model, was applied to find the best-fit spectral amplitude over the space parameters: long period spectral level (Ω ₀), corner frequency (f ₀) and asymptotic high-frequency fall-off (γ). Consequently, the spectral parameters were used to estimate source parameters: seismic moment, fault radius (assumed circular rupture model) and stress drop. Seismic moments are founded to be within the range of 2.34E+14 to 2.83E+16 Nm and their corresponding moment magnitudes range from 3.5 to 4.8; the fault radius ranges from 369 to 1,498 m, and stress drops are observed in the range of 8.7 to 32.0 b. The spectral slopes beyond the corner frequency displayed ω ^?2.4 to ω ^?2.6 behaviours in contrast with Brune's source model of ω ^?2. This finding requires more detailed investigations on large data sets to distinguish the behaviour mechanism of the spectral slopes at high frequencies. By taking the ratio between observed and calculated spectra, the attenuation curves for P and S waves were derived along the source-to-station paths. The preliminarily results exhibited high quality factors of Q _α?=?3,883 and Q _β?=?3,530 for P and S waves, respectively. To this end, the ratio Q _β/Q _α is founded to be slightly less than unity indicating that the body waves from source-to-station paths crossed a crustal volume that is partially saturated with fluids causing lower attenuation effect on P waves than on S waves in the Arabian Shield.     

Landsat digital enhancements for lineament detection

Identification of lineaments has important ramifications in geology because lineaments can signify zones of both hazardous potential and economically valuable environments The synoptic view of local and regional lineament patterns by Landsat is a useful mapping technique in areas considered to be well mapped as well as in poorly mapped areas Image enhancement of digitally constructed Landsat images increases contrast and sharpness between geologic features and improves the recognition of subtle differences Five enhancement techniques are applied to Landsat digital data for lineament detection (1) mean value of all four bands, (2) principal components, (3) band ratio, (4) histogram equalization, and (5) high-pass digital filtering Of the five enhancement techniques evaluated, the principal components analysis identified the greatest number of lineaments and the greatest total length of the lineaments. All five techniques identified a significant amount of unique lineaments, which were not found by any other technique. Unique lineaments identified by each technique are combined through a composite process yielding a lineament interpretation which exceeds the detection capability of the principal components interpretation