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Open AccessOpen Access JUSTC Article 11 September 2024

The effects of low-velocity layer and basin topography in near-field ground motion amplification

  • 1.

    School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China

  • 2.

    Mengcheng National Geophysical Observatory, University of Science and Technology of China, Mengcheng 233500, China

Cite this:
https://doi.org/10.52396/JUSTC-2023-0156
More Information
  • Author Bio:

    Zeyu Lu is a master’s student at University of Science and Technology of China. He received his bachelor’s degree in Geophysics from China University of Geosciences (Beijing) in 2022. His research mainly focuses on the earthquake dynamic rupture process and earthquake ground motion simulation

    Feng Hu is an Associate Professor at University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). He received his Ph.D. degree in Geophysics at USTC in 2014. His research mainly focuses on rupture dynamics, earthquake hazard simulations, and seismicity analysis

  • Corresponding author: Feng Hu, E-mail: hufeng07@ustc.edu.cn
  • Received Date: 14 November 2023
  • Accepted Date: 01 February 2024
    • Available Online: 11 September 2024
    Abstract

  • Abstract

    Near-field ground motion amplification at sedimentary basins is widely observed and crucial to the earthquake hazard assessment. However, the effect of basin topography coupling with the low-velocity layer (LVL) in the ground motion amplification is yet to be fully understood. By constructing 3D basin models with surrounding mountain terrains and performing ground motion simulations, we compare the ground motion characteristics with different basin LVL depths and LVL velocities. The velocity contrast between LVL and bedrock controls the amplification magnitude. The maximum amplification area in the model changes from the central part to the periphery part of the basin with the velocity contrast decreasing and can be greatly influenced by the distance between the source and the basin. Amplification also spreads along the mountain edge circling the basin. Our work sheds light on the distribution of amplification within sedimentary basins surrounded by mountains, revealing that the velocity contrast between the LVL and bedrock plays a pivotal role in controlling the magnitude of amplification.

    Graphical abstract

    By introducing a basin model that includes both low-velocity layer and topography in earthquake ground motion simulation, the characteristics of ground motion amplification can be acquired.

    Abstract

    Near-field ground motion amplification at sedimentary basins is widely observed and crucial to the earthquake hazard assessment. However, the effect of basin topography coupling with the low-velocity layer (LVL) in the ground motion amplification is yet to be fully understood. By constructing 3D basin models with surrounding mountain terrains and performing ground motion simulations, we compare the ground motion characteristics with different basin LVL depths and LVL velocities. The velocity contrast between LVL and bedrock controls the amplification magnitude. The maximum amplification area in the model changes from the central part to the periphery part of the basin with the velocity contrast decreasing and can be greatly influenced by the distance between the source and the basin. Amplification also spreads along the mountain edge circling the basin. Our work sheds light on the distribution of amplification within sedimentary basins surrounded by mountains, revealing that the velocity contrast between the LVL and bedrock plays a pivotal role in controlling the magnitude of amplification.

    • Public Summary

    • The effect of the low-velocity layer in contrast with the surrounding mountain topography of a sedimentary basin model is scrutinized by near-field ground motions.
    • Velocity contrast between bedrock and low-velocity layer plays a pivotal role in controlling the amplitude of the ground motion amplification.
    • Amplification caused by the topography mainly spreads along the mountain edge and may interact with the low-velocity layer to amplify ground motion.

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    • References(43)
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    Figure  1.  Basin model geometry. Three-dimensional basin geometry for (a) fixed-depth basin model and (b) wedge-shaped basin model, where the subsurface concave regions are filled with low-velocity media. The cross-section of the central red lines in (a) and (c) are shown in figures (c) and (d). The geometric parameters of the basin are labeled in Figures 1(c) and 1(d), whose definitions are listed in Table 1. In the following ground surface images in this article, the geometric cross-section of the basin is depicted in the center of the images.

    Figure  2.  Z-component velocity snapshot at the ground surface of the fixed-depth baseline model.

    Figure  3.  (a) PGVz, (b) PGVh, and (c) amplification factor of the fixed-depth baseline model at the ground surface. In Figures (a), (b), and (c), the dashed circle shows the boundary of LVL and topography. The central section profile is drawn in the center of the plot with a solid black line. The dashed red line and green line in Figures (a) and (b) represent two lines of receivers.

    Figure  4.  2-D section of model geometry and corresponding 3-component velocity seismograms for (a) receiver line 1 and (b) receiver line 2 in Fig. 3a with the fixed-depth baseline model.

    Figure  5.  Amplification factor of fixed-depth basin model with LVL depths of (a) 1000 m, (b) 1500 m, and (c) 2000 m, and corresponding vertical PGV (d), (e), (f). The dashed circle shows the boundary of LVL and topography.

    Figure  6.  Amplification factor of fixed-depth basin model with LVL velocities of (a) 1500 m/s, (b) 2000 m/s, (c) 2500 m/s, and (d) 3000 m/s, with a velocity of 3000 m/s of the bedrock.

    Figure  7.  (a) PGVz for wadge-shaped LVL model. (b) z-component Amplification factor of the wedged-shaped LVL model. (c) PSA with a 5% damping ratio of the wedge-shaped model at receivers in Figure 7a. (d) PSA with a 5% damping ratio of 1500 m fixed-depth basin model at corresponding receivers.

    Figure  8.  Amplification factor with different source locations (Figures a, c, e) and corresponding z-component velocity snapshot at 4 s and 15 s after the wavefront reaching LVL (Figures b, d, f). The result is calculated using a fixed-depth basin model.

    [1]
    Pitarka A, Irikura K, Iwata T, et al. Three-dimensional simulation of the near-fault ground motion for the 1995 Hyogo-Ken Nanbu (Kobe), Japan, earthquake. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 1998, 88 (2): 428–440. doi: 10.1785/BSSA0880020428
    [2]
    Yu Z, Liu Q, Xu J, et al. Simulation of dynamic rupture process and near-field strong ground motion for the Wenchuan earthquake. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 2022, 112 (6): 2828–2846. doi: 10.1785/0120220041
    [3]
    Graves R W. Preliminary analysis of long-period basin response in the Los Angeles region from the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Geophysical Research Letters, 1995, 22 (2): 101–104. doi: 10.1029/94GL02894
    [4]
    Xu W, Wu P, Li D, et al. Joint inversion of Rayleigh group and phase velocities for S-wave velocity structure of the 2021 Ms6.0 Luxian earthquake source area, China. Earthquake Science, 2023, 36 (5): 356–375. doi: 10.1016/j.eqs.2023.09.003
    [5]
    Zhao Y, Jiang G, Lei X, et al. The 2021 Ms 6.0 Luxian (China) earthquake: Blind reverse-fault rupture in deep sedimentary formations likely induced by pressure perturbation from hydraulic fracturing. Geophysical Research Letters, 2023, 50 (7): e2023GL103209. doi: 10.1029/2023GL103209
    [6]
    Bard P-Y, Bouchon M. The seismic response of sediment-filled valleys. Part 2. The case of incident P and SV waves. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 1980, 70 (5): 1921–1941. doi: 10.1785/BSSA0700051921
    [7]
    Dravinski M. Influence of interface depth upon strong ground motion. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 1982, 72 (2): 597–614. doi: 10.1785/BSSA0720020597
    [8]
    Dravinski M, Mossessian T K. Scattering of plane harmonic P, SV, and Rayleigh waves by dipping layers of arbitrary shape. Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 1987, 77 (1): 212–235. doi: 10.1785/BSSA0770010212