The InterPACIFIC project was aimed at assessing the reliability, resolution, and variability of geophysical methods in estimating the shear-wave velocity profile for seismic ground response analyses. ...Three different subsoil conditions, which can be broadly defined as soft-soil, stiff-soil, and hard-rock, were investigated. At each site, several participants performed and interpreted invasive measurements of shear wave velocity (Vs) and compression wave velocity (Vp) in the same boreholes. Additionally, participants in the project analysed a common surface-wave dataset using their preferred strategies for processing and inversion to obtain Vs profiles. The most significant difference between the invasive borehole methods and non-invasive surface wave methods is related to resolution of thin layers and abrupt contrasts, which is inherently better for invasive methods. However, similar variability is observed in the estimated invasive and non-invasive Vs profiles, underscoring the need to account for such uncertainty in site response studies. VS,30 estimates are comparable between invasive and non-invasive methods, confirming that the higher resolution provided by invasive methods is quite irrelevant for computing this parameter.
•Reliability of Vs models from geophysical tests is studied with a blind test.•Three subsoil conditions are considered: soft soil, stiff soil, rock outcrop.•In-hole methods and surface wave methods are considered.•In-hole methods provide high resolution and accuracy, but the precision is similar.There is a good match between estimates of VS,30, with comparable variability.
The main scope of the InterPACIFIC (Intercomparison of methods for site parameter and velocity profile characterization) project is to assess the reliability of in-hole and surface-wave methods, used ...for estimating shear wave velocity. Three test-sites with different subsurface conditions were chosen: a soft soil, a stiff soil and a rock outcrop. This paper reports the surface-wave methods results. Specifically 14 teams of expert users analysed the same experimental surface-wave datasets, consisting of both passive and active data. Each team adopted their own strategy to retrieve the dispersion curve and the shear-wave velocity profile at each site. Despite different approaches, the dispersion curves are quite in agreement with each other. Conversely, the shear-wave velocity profiles show a certain variability that increases in correspondence of major stratigraphic interfaces. This larger variability is mainly due to non-uniqueness of the solution and lateral variability. As expected, the observed variability in VS,30 estimates is small, as solution non-uniqueness plays a limited role.
•Variability of surface wave analysis results are studied with a blind test.•Three subsoil conditions are considered: soft soil, stiff soil, rock outcrop.•Different methods are used to analyze active and passive data.•A low variability is observed on the estimates of the experimental dispersion curve.•Variability in VS profiles is due to parameterization and solution non-uniqueness.
Nakamura (Q Rep Railway Tech Res Inst 30:25–33,
1989
) popularized the application of the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) analysis of microtremor (seismic noise or ambient vibration) ...recordings to estimate the predominant frequency and amplification factor of earthquake shaking. During the following quarter century, popularity in the microtremor HVSR (MHVSR) method grew; studies have verified the stability of a site’s MHVSR response over time and validated the MHVSR response with that of earthquake HVSR response. Today, MHVSR analysis is a popular reconnaissance tool used worldwide for seismic microzonation and earthquake site characterization in numerous regions, specifically, in the mapping of site period or fundamental frequency and inverted for shear-wave velocity depth profiles, respectively. However, the ubiquity of MHVSR analysis is predominantly a consequence of its ease in application rather than our full understanding of its theory. We present the state of the art in MHVSR analyses in terms of the development of its theoretical basis, current state of practice, and we comment on its future for applications in earthquake site characterization.
The single-station microtremor horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (MHVSR) method was initially proposed to retrieve the site amplification function and its resonance frequencies produced by ...unconsolidated sediments overlying high-velocity bedrock. Presently, MHVSR measurements are predominantly conducted to obtain an estimate of the fundamental site frequency at sites where a strong subsurface impedance contrast exists. Of the earthquake site characterization methods presented in this special issue, the MHVSR method is the furthest behind in terms of consensus towards standardized guidelines and commercial use. The greatest challenges to an international standardization of MHVSR acquisition and analysis are (1) the
what
— the underlying composition of the microtremor wavefield is site-dependent, and thus, the appropriate theoretical (forward) model for inversion is still debated; and (2) the
how
— many factors and options are involved in the data acquisition, processing, and interpretation stages. This paper reviews briefly a historical development of the MHVSR technique and the physical basis of an MHVSR (the
what
). We then summarize recommendations for MHVSR acquisition and analysis (the
how
). Specific sections address MHVSR interpretation and uncertainty assessment.
SUMMARY
Effects of seismic ground motion induced by surface geology and geometry are known to be associated with the generation of a substantial proportion of surface waves. As a consequence, surface ...waves significantly contribute to ground-motion variability and site amplification. There is a growing body of literature recognizing that an understanding of physical patterns of the wavefield crossing a site is the key aspect to characterize and quantify them. However, this task remains technically challenging due to the complexity of such effects as well as the limitations of geophysical investigations, especially in case of small sedimentary valleys. The present study attempts to investigate the waves propagating across two 2-D dense seismic arrays from a number of earthquakes and explore the extent to which they are contributing to the multidimensional site effects. The arrays were deployed in the small-size, shallow alluvial valley of Koutavos-Argostoli, located in Cephalonia Island, Greece, and consisted of three-component velocimeters with interstation distances ranging from 5 to 160 m. A set of 46 earthquakes, with magnitudes between 2 and 5 and epicentral distances up to 200 km, was analysed by using an advanced seismic array processing technique, MUSIQUE. The phase velocity, backazimuth and energy of the dominant waves crossing the array were extracted, and their identification as Love or prograde/retrograde Rayleigh waves was obtained. The results clearly indicate a predominance of scattered surface waves (up to 60 per cent of total energy), mainly from the closest valley edges, above the fundamental frequency (∼1.5 Hz) of the valley. Love waves dominate the low-frequency wavefield (<3 Hz) while Rayleigh waves dominate some high-frequency bands. An excellent consistency is observed, in a given frequency range, among the dominance of the type of diffracted surface waves, group velocities estimated from the ground velocity structure and site amplification. The outcomes of this research provide a better understanding of the contribution of edge-diffracted surface waves and the 2-D/3-D site amplification at small and shallow alluvium valleys like Argostoli. The method applied here can be used to calibrate and validate 3-D models for simulating seismic ground motion.
The knowledge of the local soil structure is important for the assessment of seismic hazards. A widespread, but time-consuming technique to retrieve the parameters of the local underground is the ...drilling of boreholes. Another way to obtain the shear wave velocity profile at a given location is the inversion of surface wave dispersion curves. To ensure a good resolution for both superficial and deeper layers, the used dispersion curves need to cover a wide frequency range. This wide frequency range can be obtained using several arrays of seismic sensors or a single array comprising a large number of sensors. Consequently, these measurements are time-consuming. A simpler alternative is provided by the use of the ellipticity of Rayleigh waves. The frequency dependence of the ellipticity is tightly linked to the shear wave velocity profile. Furthermore, it can be measured using a single seismic sensor. As soil structures obtained by scaling of a given model exhibit the same ellipticity curve, any inversion of the ellipticity curve alone will be ambiguous. Therefore, additional measurements which fix the absolute value of the shear wave velocity profile at some points have to be included in the inversion process. Small-scale spatial autocorrelation measurements or MASW measurements can provide the needed data. Using a theoretical soil structure, we show which parts of the ellipticity curve have to be included in the inversion process to get a reliable result and which parts can be omitted. Furthermore, the use of autocorrelation or high-frequency dispersion curves will be highlighted. The resulting guidelines for inversions including ellipticity data are then applied to real data measurements collected at 14 different sites during the European NERIES project. It is found that the results are in good agreement with dispersion curve measurements. Furthermore, the method can help in identifying the mode of Rayleigh waves in dispersion curve measurements.
Rayleigh wave ellipticity as a function of frequency is closely linked to underground structure, i.e., shear wave velocity profile and sediment thickness. The possibility to calculate these ...underground properties by inverting ellipticity curves has recently been shown. We propose a new technique enabling the Rayleigh wave ellipticity to be recovered over a wide frequency range by using ambient noise recordings. Based on the random decrement technique commonly used to characterize dynamic parameters of buildings, this method eliminates all wave types except Rayleigh waves. We apply the method to noise synthetics simulated for different underground structures and show its applicability to real seismic noise data.
The spatial incoherence of ground motion during an earthquake can have a significant effect on the dynamic response of engineering structures such as bridges, dams, nuclear power plants and lifeline ...facilities. The main objective of this paper is to study the effect of anisotropic heterogeneities in a soil layer overlying homogeneous bedrock on the lagged coherency of surface ground motion. A set of numerical experiments is performed based on 2D spatial variability of shear-wave velocities modeled as a homogeneous stationary random field and discretized by the EOLE method (Expansion Optimal Linear Estimation). Seismic ground motions were simulated using FLAC2D software in the 1–25 Hz band for a plane wave excitation with SV polarization. The soil is characterized by horizontal and vertical autocorrelation distances ranging between 5 and 20 m and 1 and 2 m, respectively, and a coefficient of variation of the shear-wave velocity varying between 5% and 40%. The synthetic seismograms calculated for 9 parameter sets (100 realizations each) clearly show seismic waves scattering and surface waves diffracted locally by the ground heterogeneities, generating large spatial variations in coherence mainly controlled by the coefficient of variation of shear-wave velocity. Consistently with existing models and experimental data, the numerical coherency curves decrease with frequency and receiver distance, however at a rate which is lower than that observed in the experimental data. This difference is probably due to intrinsic attenuation that is not accounted for in the simulations and/or to our 2D simulations that do not reproduce the complete wavefield. The numerical average coherency curves for each parameter set exhibit maxima within narrow frequency bands caused by the vertically trapped body waves and surface wave propagation properties within the average ground model. This interpretation is supported by experimental data recorded in the Koutavos-Argostoli valley (Greece).
•The shear-wave velocity coefficient of variation is controlling the coherency of the surface ground motion.•The effect of the horizontal autocorrelation distance is observed for small inter-receivers’ distances.•Maximum coherency is observed at the resonant frequencies and the Airy phase.•This interpretation is validated in both numerical and experimental observations.•The atanh transformation is not relevant for coherency standard variation estimation.•Existing coherency models underestimate the coherency of synthetic ground motions.
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