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; February 1981; v. 71; no. 1; p. 127-142
© 1981 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 JOHNSON, L. R.
Right arrow Articles by SILVA, W.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
GeoRef
Right arrow GeoRef Citation

The effects of unconsolidated sediments upon the ground motion during local earthquakes

LANE R. JOHNSON and WALT SILVA

DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 94720
WOODWARD-CLYDE CONSULTANTS THREE EMBARCADERO CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 94111

Abstract

A vertical seismic array at the Richmond Field Station on the margin of San Francisco Bay, California, has provided some excellent experimental data showing the effects of unconsolidated sediments on ground motion during local earthquakes. The experiments are well controlled in that good estimates of the material properties of the sediments are available, with the largest uncertainty being in the attenuation. Three components of acceleration have been recorded in bedrock below the sediments, within the sediments, and at the surface of the sediments from two local earthquakes. The maximum accelerations at the surface are between 1.5 and 4.3 times those in the bedrock.

Analytical calculations which assume vertically propagating waves and which are suitable for highly attenuating materials explain the major differences between the bedrock records and the surface records for both vertical and horizontal components. Maximum accelerations, duration, frequency content, general character of the records, and response spectra are all in approximate agreement. Some of the energy arriving late in the records can best be explained by surface waves propagating horizontally in the sediments.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
Earthquake Ground-Motion Scaling in Central Mexico between 0.7 and 7 Hz
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, February 1, 2003; 93(1): 397 - 413.


Home page
 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
The Effect of Shallow San Francisco Bay Sediments on Waveforms Recorded during the MW 4.6 Bolinas, California, Earthquake
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, February 1, 2003; 93(1): 465 - 479.


Home page
 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
H.-P. Liu, R. E. Warrick, R. E. Westerlund, and R. E. Kayen
In situ measurement of seismic shear-wave absorption in the San Francisco Holocene Bay Mud by the pulse-broadening method
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, February 1, 1994; 84(1): 62 - 75.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
H.-P. LIU, R. E. WARRICK, R. E. WESTERLUND, E. D. SEMBERA, and L. WENNERBERG
Observation of local site effects at a downhole-and-surface station in the Marina District of San Francisco
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, August 1, 1992; 82(4): 1563 - 1591.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
R. J. ARCHULETA, S. H. SEALE, P. V. SANGAS, L. M. BAKER, and S. T. SWAIN
Garner Valley downhole array of accelerometers: Instrumentation and preliminary data analysis
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, August 1, 1992; 82(4): 1592 - 1621.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
K.-L. WEN, Y. T. YEH, and W.-G. HUANG
Effects of an alluvial basin on strong ground motions
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, April 1, 1992; 82(2): 1124 - 1133.
[PDF]

Home page
 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
S. BLAKESLEE and P. MALIN
High-frequency site effects at two Parkfield downhole and surface stations
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, April 1, 1991; 81(2): 332 - 345.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
H.-P. LIU
Calculation of zero-offset vertical seismic profiles generated by a horizontal point force acting on the surface of an anelastic half-space
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, August 1, 1990; 80(4): 832 - 856.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
H.-P. LIU, R. E. WARRICK, R. E. WESTERLUND, J. B. FLETCHER, and G. L. MAXWELL
An air-powered impulsive shear-wave source with repeatable signals
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, February 1, 1988; 78(1): 355 - 369.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
P. M. SHEARER and J. A. ORCUTT
Surface and near-surface effects on seismic waves--theory and borehole seismometer results
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, August 1, 1987; 77(4): 1168 - 1196.
[Abstract] [PDF]

Home page
 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
B. J. MITCHELL and H. J. HWANG
Effect of low Q sediments and crustal Q on Lg attenuation in the United States
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, August 1, 1987; 77(4): 1197 - 1210.
[Abstract] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1981 by the Seismological Society of America.