Application of Spectral Ratio Methods to an Investigation of Site Response in the Los Angeles Basin

Abstract:

It is well established that sedimentary basins can increase the amplification and duration of earthquake ground motion. Past earthquakes have shown that site effects have a major influence on seismic damage and loss in urban areas. However, the response at any given site can vary significantly, even within the LA basin. We aim to investigate site response within the LA Basin through the application of the Horizontal-to-Vertical (H/V) spectral ratio method. This method was applied to 3-component broadband waveforms from the Los Angeles Syncline Seismic Interferometry Experiment (LASSIE). LASSIE is a collaborative, temporary, and dense array of 73 broadband seismometers that were active for a two month period starting October 2014 until November 2014, transecting the Los Angeles basin from Long Beach to La Puente. We use the Geopsy software to measure the fundamental frequency and minimum site amplification at each station. Data analysis and interpretation were conducted in accordance to the Site Effects Assessment Using Ambient Excitations (SESAME) guidelines for implementing the H/V ratio technique for investigations of site effects. Results from our initial data analysis indicate an average fundamental period at the basin center of 6 s – 12 s and peaks in the spectral ratio curves at much shorter periods for sites the basin edge of. We will show maps of the amplification and fundamental frequencies based on our spectral ratio analysis of the LASSIE data and compare our results with damage patterns of historic earthquakes, as well as models of the LA basin.