Azimuth dependent wave amplification in alluvial valleys

An extension of the indirect boundary element method (IBEM) to three-dimensional scattering by two-dimensional alluvial valleys is presented. While the valley is two-dimensional, the incident plane waves can arrive outside the 2D plane so the scattering is three-dimensional with coupling of P---SV---SH waves. Such a method makes it possible to take earthquake location into account in the estimation of site effects in alluvial valleys. The method is validated by transparency tests, by comparison with 2D simulations, and by comparison with results of other authors. The advantage of the method is that is combines high accuracy with cost-efficiency in terms of computer-time. It is applied to theoretically estimate site effects across a simplified model of an alluvial valley in the French Alps where azimuth dependence of local amplification has been observed. A parametric study with simulations for a range of azimuths and incidence angles shows that (1) the local amplification depends strongly on both azimuth and incidence of the incoming waves, (2) the global pattern of amplification across the valley is very complex for all azimuths, and (3) it is not possible to predict the 3D response of the valley from 2D modeling. Theoretical spectral ratios are in approximate agreement with observed ones for a station in the center of the valley where the local structure justifies use of a simplified model for the comparison.