Estimation of the spatial distribution of ground motion parameters for two recent earthquakes in Japan

A recent development in strong motion instrumentation in Japan provides an opportunity to collect valuable data sets, especially after moderate and large magnitude events. Gathering and modeling these data is a necessity for better understanding of regional ground motion characteristics. Estimations of the spatial distribution of earthquake ground motion plays an important role in early-stage damage assessments for both rescue operations by disaster management agencies as well as damage studies of urban structures. Subsurface geology layers and local soil conditions lead to soil amplification that contributes to the estimated ground motion parameters of the surface. We present a case study of the applicability of the nationally proposed GIS-based soil amplification ratios J. Soil Dyn. Earthqu. Eng. 19 (2000) 41–53] to the October 6, 2000 Tottori-ken Seibu (western Tottori Prefecture) and the March 24, 2001 Geiyo earthquakes in Japan. First, ground motion values were converted to those at a hypothetical ground base-rock level (outcrop) using an amplification ratio for each 1×1 km area, based on geomorphological and subsurface geology information. Then a Kriging method, assuming an attenuation relationship at the base-rock as a trend component, is applied. Finally, the spatial distribution of ground motion at ground surface is obtained by applying GIS-based amplification factors for the entire region. The correlation between the observed and estimated ground motion values is reasonable for both earthquakes. Thus, the proposed method is applicable in near real-time early-damage assessments and seismic hazard studies in Japan.