Seismic hazard analysis of Tianjin area based on strong ground motion prediction

Taking Tianjin as an example,this paper proposed a methodology and process for evaluating near-fault strong ground motions from future earthquakes to mitigate earthquake damage for the metropolitan area and important engineering structures.The result of strong ground motion was predicted for Tianjin main faults by the hybrid method which mainly consists of 3D finite difference method and stochastic Green's function.Simulation is performed for 3D structures of Tianjin region and characterized asperity models.The characterized asperity model describing source heterogeneity is introduced following the fault information from the project of Tianjin Active Faults and Seismic Hazard Assessment.We simulated the worst case that two earthquakes separately occur.The results indicate that the fault position,rupture process and the sedimentary deposits of the basin significantly affect amplification of the simulated ground motion.Our results also demonstrate the possibility of practical simulating wave propagation including basin induced surface waves in broad frequency-band,for seismic hazard analysis near the fault from future earthquakes in urbanized areas.

Rupture directivity and hanging wall effect in near field strong ground motion simulation

A random synthesis procedure based on finite fault model is adopted for near field strong ground motion simulation in this paper. The fault plane of the source is divided into a number of sub-sources, the whole moment magnitude is also divided into more sub-events. The Fourier spectrum of ground motion caused by a sub-event in given sub-source, then can be derived by means of taking the point source spectrum, attenuation with distance, energy dissipation, and near surface effect, into account. A time history is synthesized from this amplitude spectrum and a random phase spectrum, and being combined with an envelope function. The ground motion is worked out by superposition of all time histories from each sub-event in each sub-source, with time lags determining by the differences between the triggering times of sub-events and distances of the sub-sources. From the example of simulations at 21 near field points in a scenario earthquake with 4 dip angles of the fault plane, it is illustrated that the procedure can describe the rupture directivity and hanging wall effect very well. To validate the procedure, the response spectra and time histories recorded at three near fault stations MCN, LV3 and PCD during the Northridge earthquake in 1994, are compared with the simulated ones.

The strong ground motion observation for the Wenchuan aftershock

In this paper, the mobile strong ground motion observation for the destructive earthquake is introduced.Considering the characteristics and its spatial distributions of aftershock, 59 strong ground motion instruments were installed along the Longmenshan fault area, and more than 2 000 records have been accumulated.It shows that it is necessary to per-form the mobile strong ground motion observation after the destructive earthquake, and the precious collected data could be applied for further research.

Suitable triggering algorithms for detecting strong ground motions using MEMS accelerometers

With the recent development of digital Micro Electro Mechanical System(MEMS) sensors, the cost of monitoring and detecting seismic events in real time can be greatly reduced. Ability of MEMS accelerograph to record a seismic event depends upon the efficiency of triggering algorithm, apart from the sensor′s sensitivity. There are several classic triggering algorithms developed to detect seismic events, ranging from basic amplitude threshold to more sophisticated pattern recognition. Algorithms based on STA/LTA are reported to be computationally efficient for real time monitoring. In this paper, we analyzed several STA/LTA algorithms to check their efficiency and suitability using data obtained from the Quake Catcher Network(network of MEMS accelerometer stations). We found that most of the STA/LTA algorithms are suitable for use with MEMS accelerometer data to accurately detect seismic events. However, the efficiency of any particular algorithm is found to be dependent on the parameter set used(i.e., window width of STA, LTA and threshold level).

Far-field analysis of effects of unilateral rupturing fault on the space correlation of strong ground motion

On the assumption that seismic source is simplified as linear rupture fault with finite length, this paper qualitatively studies the seismic source effects on space correlation of strong ground motion. Based on expanding expression of Fourier spectrum of strong ground motion with space coordinate variables, this paper also gives a expression of describing correlation of strong ground motion field. According to far-field condition, the theoretical formula of the expression can be obtained. Furthermore, this paper presents a theoretical formula of estimation the radius of strong ground motion field, which depends on expansion condition of Fourier spectrum of strong ground motion, with space coordinate variables. At last, taking one earthquake as an example, this paper gives three-dimension patterns of radius of the field with epicenter distance and azimuth as well as frequency.

A stochastic model of the Fourier phase of strong ground motion

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3-D physical model in strong ground motion numerical simulation:A case study of Kunming basin

Seismic hazard assessment based on urban active faults can provide scientific bases for city planning and projectconstruction,while numerical simulation of strong ground motion is an important method for seismic hazard pre-diction and assessment.A 3-D physical model in conformity with real strata configuration of(mainly)the Quater-nary is a prerequisite to ensure the reliability of the simulation results.In this paper,we give a detailed account ofthe technical scheme and process for creating a 3-D physical model in Kunming basin.The data used are synthe-sized from seismogeological data,borehole data,topographic data,digital elevation mode(DEM)data,seismicexploration results and wave velocity measurements.Stratigraphic division is based mainly on shear wave velocity,with strata sequence taken into consideration.The model construction is finally accomplished with ArcGIS andmany relevant programming techniques via layer-by-layer stacking(in depth direction)of the adjacent mediuminterfaces(meshes).Meanwhile,a database of 3-D physical models is set up,which provides model data and pa-rameters for strong ground motion simulation.Some processing methods and significant issues are also addressedin the paper in accordance with different types of exploration and experimental data.

Prediction of near-field strong ground motions for scenario earthquakes on active fault

A method to predict near-field strong ground motions for scenario earthquakes on active faults is proposed. First, macro-source parameters characterizing the entire source area, i.e., global source parameters, including fault length, fault width, rupture area, average slip on the fault plane, etc., are estimated by seismogeology survey, seismicity and seismic scaling laws. Second, slip distributions characterizing heterogeneity or roughness on the fault plane, i.e., local source parameters, are reproduced/evaluated by the hybrid slip model. Finally, the finite fault source model, developed from both the global and local source parameters, is combined with the stochastically synthetic technique of ground motion using the dynamic corner frequency based on seismology. The proposed method is applied to simulate the acceleration time histories on three base-rock stations during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Comparisons between the predicted and recorded acceleration time histories show that the method is feasible and practicable.

Simulation of Near-Fault Strong Ground Motion in the Beijing Region

On the basis of previous study of the 1679 Sanhe-Pinggu(M8.0) earthquake,the biggest event in history ever recorded in Beijing and its adjacent area,we made a 3-D strong ground motion simulation utilizing the staggered-grid finite differences method to study the distributions of peak ground velocity with different earthquake source models in the Beijing region.In the paper,earthquake source models and a transmission medium velocity model are established and the corresponding parameters are given in accordance to the results from a related previous study.Then,using a three-dimensional finite difference computing program of near-fault strong ground motion developed by Graves,the peak ground velocity caused by a destructive earthquake in the Beijing area is simulated.In our computation model,the earthquake source is 3km in depth,and a total number of 21,679 observation points on the ground surface are figured out.The transmission medium velocity model is composed of four stratums which are the Quaternary deposit,the upper crust,the upper part of the middle crust and the lower part of the middle crust.With the minimum grid spacing of 0.15km,a total of 2.28×106 grids are generated.Using a time step of 0.02 seconds we calculated the peak ground velocity for a duration of 8 seconds.After the analysis of the simulation results,we observed some basic characteristics of near-fault strong ground motion such as the concentration effect of near-fault peak ground velocity,rupture directivity effect,hanging wall effect,and basin effect.The results from our simulation and analysis suggest that the source and transmitting medium parameters in our model are suitable and the finite difference method is applicable to estimate the distribution of strong ground motion in the study region.

Numerical simulation of strong ground motion for the M_s8.0 Wenchuan earthquake of 12 May 2008

The Wenchuan earthquake of 12 May 2008 is the most destructive earthquake in China in the past 30 years in terms of property damage and human losses. In order to understand the earthquake process and the geo-morphological factors affecting the seismic hazard, we simulated the strong ground mo-tion caused by the earthquake, incorporating three-dimensional (3D) earth structure, finite-fault rupture, and realistic surface topography. The simulated ground motions reveal that the fault rupture and basin structure control the overall pattern of the peak ground shaking. Large peak ground velocity (PGV) is distributed in two narrow areas: one with the largest PGV values is above the hanging wall of the fault and attributed to the locations of fault asperities and rupture directivity; the other is along the north-western margin of the Sichuan Basin and caused by both the directivity of fault rupture and the ampli-fication in the thick sediment basin. Rough topography above the rupture fault causes wave scattering, resulting in significantly larger peak ground motion on the apex of topographic relief than in the valley. Topography and scattering also reduce the wave energy in the forward direction of fault rupture but increase the PGV in other parts of the basin. These results suggest the need for a localized hazard as-sessment in places of rough topography that takes the topographic effects into account. Finally, had the earthquake started at the northeast end of the fault zone and ruptured to the southwest, Chengdu would have suffered a much stronger shaking than it experienced on 12 May, 2008.

Simulation of near-fault bedrock strong ground-motion field by explicit finite element method

Based on presumed active fault and corresponding model, this paper predicted the near-fault ground motion filed of a scenario earthquake (MW=6 34 ) in an active fault by the explicit finite element method in combination with the source time function with improved transmitting artificial boundary and with high-frequency vibration contained. The results indicate that the improved artificial boundary is stable in numerical computation and the predicted strong ground motion has a consistent characteristic with the observed motion.

Spatial distribution of near-fault ground motion

Near-fault strong ground motion of strike-slip and dip-slip of vertical and inclined rectangular fault in half-space and layered half-space is analyzed by dislocation source model. The Fourier spectra ratio of ground motion is adopted to study the characteristics of near-fault ground motion. For both slip models, near-fault strong ground motion with high amplitude is located in a narrow belt area along the projection of the fault on the ground and mainly controlled by the sub-faults nearby. Directivity of strike-slip fault is more dominant in long period for components perpendicular to the fault, and more dominant in long period for components parallel to the fault for dip-slip fault. The deeper the location of the source is, the more slowly the amplitude of ground motion attenuates. There is obvious hanging wall effect in ground motion of inclined fault, and the spatial distribution of ground motion is asymmetric which coincides with observational data. Finally, a fitting function of spatial distribution for near-fault ground motion is proposed and compared with near source factors of the 1997 Uniform Building Code of USA.

Ground motion prediction equations based on shallow crustal earthquakes in Georgia and the surrounding Caucasus

Strong ground motions caused by earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 3.5 to 6.9 and hypocentral distances of up to 300km were recorded by local broadband stations and three-component accelerograms within Georgia’s enhanced digital seismic network.Such data mixing is particularly effective in areas where strong ground motion data are lacking.The data were used to produce models based on ground-motion prediction equations(GMPEs),one benefit of which is that they take into consideration information from waveforms across a wide range of frequencies.In this study,models were developed to predict ground motions for peak ground acceleration and 5%-damped pseudo-absolute-acceleration spectra for periods between 0.01 and 10 s.Short-period ground motions decayed faster than long-period motions,though decay was still in the order of approximately 1/r.Faulting mechanisms and local soil conditions greatly influence GMPEs.The spectral acceleration(SA)of thrust faults was higher than that for either strike-slip or normal faults but the influence of strike-slip faulting on SA was slightly greater than that for normal faults.Soft soils also caused significantly more amplification than rocky sites.

Ground motion attenuation of M_s8.0 Wenchuan earthquake

The great Ms8.0 Wenchuan earthquake has been the most destructive earthquake since 1949 in China. The earthquake occurred no more than half a year after the establishment of the National Strong Motion Observation Network System (NSMONS) of China; what is more, the epicenter was located in the area with dense strong motion observation stations so that a large number of strong motion records of the main shock were obtained. In this paper, 501 strong motion records from 167 observation stations are utilized to establish the ground motion attenuation relations in three directions in the range of fault distance less than 600 km. The result shows the difference of seismic motion attenuation in two horizontal directions is insignificant. It is the first time that strong-motion records are used to establish the ground motion attenuation relations of the MS8.0 earthquake in China.

Study on the severest real ground motion for seismic design and analysis

How to select the adequate real strong earthquake ground motion for seismic analysis and design of structures is an essential problem in earthquake engineering research and practice. In the paper the concept of the severest design ground motion is proposed and a method is developed for comparing the severity of the recorded strong ground motions. By using this method the severest earthquake groundmotions are selected out as seismic inputs to the structures to be designed from a database that consists of more than five thousand significant strong ground motion records collected over the world. The selected severest ground motions are very likely to be able to drive the structures to their critical response and thereby result in the highest damage potential. It is noted that for different structures with different predominant natural periods and at different sites where structures are located the severest design ground motions are usually different. Finally, two examples are illustrated to demonstrate the rationality of the concept and the reliability of the selected design motion.

Spatial distribution of near-fault ground motion

Near-fault strong ground motion of strike-slip and dip-slip of vertical and inclined rectangular fault in half-space and layered half-space is analyzed by dislocation source model. The Fourier spectra ratio of ground motion is adopted to study the characteristics of near-fault ground motion. For both slip models, near-fault strong ground motion with high amplitude is located in a narrow belt area along the projection of the fault on the ground and mainly controlled by the sub-faults nearby. Directivity of strike-slip fault is more dominant in long period for components perpendicular to the fault, and more dominant in long period for components parallel to the fault for dip-slip fault. The deeper the location of the source is, the more slowly the amplitude of ground motion attenuates.There is obvious hanging wall effect in ground motion of inclined fault, and the spatial distribution of ground motion is asymmetric which coincides with observational data. Finally, a fitting function of spatial distribution for near-fault ground motion is proposed and compared with near source factors of the 1997 Uniform Building Code of USA.

Advances in ground motion studies in China

This paper briefly summarizes the works in the processing of strong ground motion data, the factors affecting strong ground motion, the modeling of strong ground motion and the calculating of broad-band response spectrum which have been done recent years by engineering seismologists and seismologists of China. In addition, we think back to the international cooperation in strong ground motion of the recent years and make some expectations for the future.

Attenuation characteristics of ground motions in northern China

Four recently developed attenuation models are calibrated by using a very limited amount of strong motion data recorded in China. The research shows that the attenuation characteristics of the earthquake shaking in northern China are similar to those in the western US. The supporting evidence includes Q factors, preliminary results of kappa values, stress drop,shear wave velocity profile in the shallow earth crust, areas enclosed by the isoseismals of Modified Mercalli Intensity V. From these comparisons of different attenuation models, it is recommended that the Crouse and McGuire spectral attenuation model could possibly be used for northern China.

Baseline correction for near-fault ground motion recordings of the 2008 Wenchuan Ms8.0 earthquake

In this study,both records of a digital accelerometer and a seismograph at a far-field station for the 2008 Ms8.0 Wenchuan earthquake were analyzed,and a pulsive noise model for acceleration record was found.By comparing with the result of a rotary-table tilt test,we concluded that the noises in the acceleration records were caused by ground tilt as a result of rotational ground motion.We analyzed the key noises that may cause baseline offset,and proposed a baseline-correction scheme for preserving the long-period ground motion in accordance with specific pulse positions.We then applied this correction method to some near-field strong-motion acceleration records.The result shows that this method can obtain near-field ground displacements,including permanent displacements,in agreement with GPS data,and that this method is more stable than other methods.