Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America; December 1979; v. 69; no. 6; p. 2037-2061
© 1979 Seismological Society of America
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by ESPINOSA, A. F.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
GeoRef
Right arrow GeoRef Citation

Horizontal particle velocity and its relation to magnitude in the Western United States

A. F. ESPINOSA

OFFICE OF EARTHQUAKE STUDIES U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, DENVER, COLORADO 80225

Abstract

A magnitude (ML) scaling law has been derived from the strong-motion data base of the San Fernando earthquake of February 9, 1971, and the results have been compared with other strong-motion recordings obtained from 62 earthquakes in the Western United States. The relationship derived is ML = 3.21 + 1.35 log10{Delta} + log10v. An excellent agreement was obtained between the determined ML values in this study and those evaluated by Kanamori and Jennings (1978). This scaling law is applicable to the collected data from 63 earthquakes whose local magnitudes range from about 4.0 to 7.2, recorded at epicentral distances between about 5 to 300 km, and with short-period seismic waves in the range of 0.2 to 3.0 sec. The Long Beach earthquake of 1933, with an ML = 6.3 (PAS) and an ML = 6.43 ± 0.36 as determined by Kanamori and Jennings is in agreement with an ML = 6.49 ± 0.32 obtained in this study. The Imperial Valley earthquake of 1940, with an ML = 6.5 (PAS), compares well with an ML = 6.5 as determined in this study. The Kern County earthquake of 1952, with an ML = 7.2 (BRK), is in fairly good agreement with the ML = 7.0 ± 0.2 obtained in this investigation. This value is significantly lower than the commonly quoted 7.7 value for this event. The San Francisco earthquake of 1957, with an ML = 5.3 (BRK), agrees very well with an ML = 5.3 ± 0.1 as determined in this study. The Parkfield earthquake of 1966 has an ML = 5.8 ± 0.3, which is consistent with the 5.6 (PAS). The procedure developed here is applied to the data base obtained from the Western United States strong-motion recordings. The procedure allows the evaluation of ML for moderate and larger earthquakes from the first integration of the strong-motion accelerograms and allows the direct determination of ML from the scaled amplitudes in a rapid, economical, and accurate manner. It also has allowed for the extension of the trend of the attenuation curve for horizontal particle velocities at distances less than 5 km for different size events.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
L. K. HUTTON and D. M. BOORE
The ML scale in Southern California
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, December 1, 1987; 77(6): 2074 - 2094.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
H. S. HASEGAWA, P. W. BASHAM, and M. J. BERRY
Attenuation relations for strong seismic ground motion in Canada
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, December 1, 1981; 71(6): 1943 - 1962.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
A. F. ESPINOSA
Attenuation of strong horizontal ground accelerations in the Western United States and their relation to ML
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, April 1, 1980; 70(2): 583 - 616.
[Abstract] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1979 by the Seismological Society of America.