Quick
Search: 
 
advanced search
 GSW Home    GeoRef Home    My GSW Alerts    Contact GSW    About GSW    Journals List    Help 
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America Email Content Delivery
JOURNAL HOME HELP CONTACT PUBLISHER SUBSCRIBE ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS

Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America; April 1987; v. 77; no. 2; p. 420-439
© 1987 Seismological Society of America
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
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
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by BURGER, R. W.
Right arrow Articles by HELMBERGER, D. V.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
GeoRef
Right arrow GeoRef Citation

The effect of crustal structure on strong ground motion attenuation relations in eastern North America

R. W. BURGER, P. G. SOMERVILLE, J. S. BARKER, R. B. HERRMANN and D. V. HELMBERGER

WOODWARD-CLYDE CONSULTANTS, 566 EL DORADO STREET, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91101
DEPARTMENT OF EARTH AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY, P.O. BOX 8099, LACLEDE STATION, SAINT LOUIS, MISSOURI 63156
SEISMOLOGICAL LABORATORY CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91125

Abstract

Strong ground motion attenuation relations are usually described by smoothly decreasing functions of distance. However, consideration of wave propagation in the crust suggests that attenuation relations should be more complex. Such complexity may be present in strong ground motion data for eastern North American earthquakes, which show amplitudes in the distance range of 60 to 150 km that lie above the trends at smaller and greater distances. Using a wavenumber integration method to compute Green's functions and close-in recordings of several earthquakes as empirical source functions, we have generated synthetic seismograms that are in good agreement with regional and strong-motion recordings of eastern North American earthquakes. From these synthetic seismograms, we have shown that the observed interval of relatively high amplitudes may be attributable to postcritically reflected S waves from the Moho. The presence and location of the interval of relatively high amplitudes is highly dependent on the crustal velocity structure and may therefore be expected to show regional variation. However, for any realistic structure model, there will be a transition in the attenuation relation from an interval at shorter distances (less than about 100 km) that is dominated by direct waves to an interval at greater distances that is dominated by postcritically reflected waves. The synthetic seismograms have response spectral velocities that match those of the recorded data, and their mbLg values are in good agreement with observed values.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
N. M. Kuehn, F. Scherbaum, and C. Riggelsen
Deriving Empirical Ground-Motion Models: Balancing Data Constraints and Physical Assumptions to Optimize Prediction Capability
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, August 1, 2009; 99(4): 2335 - 2347.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
K.-S. Liu and Y.-B. Tsai
Large Effects of Moho Reflections (SmS) on Peak Ground Motion in Northwestern Taiwan
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, February 1, 2009; 99(1): 255 - 267.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
R. Askari, A. Ghods, and F. Sobouti
Calibration of an ML Scale in the Alborz Region, Northern Iran
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, February 1, 2009; 99(1): 268 - 276.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
J. Shoja-Taheri, S. Naserieh, and A. H. Ghafoorian-Nasab
An ML Scale in Northeastern Iran
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, August 1, 2008; 98(4): 1975 - 1982.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
A. Fatehi and R. B. Herrmann
High-Frequency Ground-Motion Scaling in the Pacific Northwest and in Northern and Central California
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, April 1, 2008; 98(2): 709 - 721.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
T. I. Allen, P. R. Cummins, T. Dhu, and J. F. Schneider
Attenuation of Ground-Motion Spectral Amplitudes in Southeastern Australia
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, August 1, 2007; 97(4): 1279 - 1292.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Seismological  Research LettersHome page
G. M. Atkinson and D. J. Wald
"Did You Feel It?" Intensity Data: A Surprisingly Good Measure of Earthquake Ground Motion
Seismological Research Letters, May 1, 2007; 78(3): 362 - 368.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
J. Shoja-Taheri, S. Naserieh, and H. Ghofrani
ML and MW Scales in the Iranian Plateau Based on the Strong-Motion Records
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, April 1, 2007; 97(2): 661 - 669.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
D. Motazedian
Region-Specific Key Seismic Parameters for Earthquakes in Northern Iran
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, August 1, 2006; 96(4A): 1383 - 1395.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
D. Bindi, S. Parolai, H. Grosser, C. Milkereit, and S. Karakisa
Crustal Attenuation Characteristics in Northwestern Turkey in the Range from 1 to 10 Hz
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, February 1, 2006; 96(1): 200 - 214.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
Empirical Attenuation of Ground-Motion Spectral Amplitudes in Southeastern Canada and the Northeastern United States
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, June 1, 2004; 94(3): 1079 - 1095.



Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
K. W. Campbell
Prediction of Strong Ground Motion Using the Hybrid Empirical Method and Its Use in the Development of Ground-Motion (Attenuation) Relations in Eastern North America
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, June 1, 2003; 93(3): 1012 - 1033.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
Spectral Shear-Wave Ground-Motion Scaling in Switzerland
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, February 1, 2003; 93(1): 414 - 429.



Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
Global Comparisons of Earthquake Source Spectra
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, April 1, 2002; 92(3): 885 - 895.



Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
Source Spectral Scaling and Stress Release Estimates Using Strong-Motion Records in Greece
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, April 1, 2002; 92(3): 1040 - 1059.



Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
Reply to Comment by R. A. W. Haddon on "Evaluation of Models for Earthquake Source Spectra in Eastern North America" by Gail M. Atkinson and David M. Boore
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, October 1, 2000; 90(5): 1339 - 1341.



Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
W.-Y. Kim
The ML scale in eastern North America
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, August 1, 1998; 88(4): 935 - 951.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
J. Mori and D. Helmberger
Large-amplitude Moho reflections (SmS) from Landers aftershocks, southern California
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, December 1, 1996; 86(6): 1845 - 1852.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
R. D. Catchings and W. M. Kohler
Reflected seismic waves and their effect on strong shaking during the 1989 Loma Prieta, California, earthquake
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, October 1, 1996; 86(5): 1401 - 1416.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
R. A. W. Haddon
Use of empirical Green's functions, spectral ratios, and kinematic source models for simulating strong ground motion
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, June 1, 1996; 86(3): 597 - 615.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
G. M. Atkinson
Attenuation and source parameters of earthquakes in the Cascadia region
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, October 1, 1995; 85(5): 1327 - 1342.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
G. M. Atkinson and T. C. Hanks
A high-frequency magnitude scale
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, June 1, 1995; 85(3): 825 - 833.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
G. M. Atkinson and D. M. Boore
Ground-motion relations for eastern North America
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, February 1, 1995; 85(1): 17 - 30.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
J. G. Anderson and Y. Lei
Nonparametric description of peak acceleration as a function of magnitude, distance, and site in Guerrero, Mexico
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, August 1, 1994; 84(4): 1003 - 1017.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
G. M. Atkinson and P. G. Somerville
Calibration of time history simulation methods
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, April 1, 1994; 84(2): 400 - 414.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
J. Boatwright
Regional propagation characteristics and source parameters of earthquakes in northeastern North America
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, February 1, 1994; 84(1): 1 - 15.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
G. M. ATKINSON
Earthquake source spectra in eastern North America
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, December 1, 1993; 83(6): 1778 - 1798.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
G. M. ATKINSON and R. F. MEREU
The shape of ground motion attenuation curves in southeastern Canada
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, October 1, 1992; 82(5): 2014 - 2031.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
B. P. COHEE, P. G. SOMERVILLE, and N. A. ABRAHAMSON
Simulated ground motions for hypothesized Mw = 8 subduction earthquakes in Washington and Oregon
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, February 1, 1991; 81(1): 28 - 56.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
G.-B. OU and R. B. HERRMANN
A statistical model for ground motion produced by earthquakes at local and regional distances
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, December 1, 1990; 80(6A): 1397 - 1417.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
P. G. SOMERVILLE, J. P. MCLAREN, C. K. SAIKIA, and D. V. HELMBERGER
The 25 November 1988 Saguenay, Quebec, earthquake: Source parameters and the attenuation of strong ground motion
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, October 1, 1990; 80(5): 1118 - 1143.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
K. W. CAMPBELL
The dependence of peak horizontal acceleration on magnitude, distance, and site effects for small-magnitude earthquakes in California and Eastern North America
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, October 1, 1989; 79(5): 1311 - 1346.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
R. K. MCGUIRE
Introduction
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, April 1, 1987; 77(2): 319 - 321.
[PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
P. G. SOMERVILLE, J. P. MCLAREN, L. V. LEFEVRE, R. W. BURGER, and D. V. HELMBERGER
Comparison of source scaling relations of eastern and western North American earthquakes
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, April 1, 1987; 77(2): 322 - 346.
[Abstract] [PDF]


Home page
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of AmericaHome page
G. R. TORO and R. K. MCGUIRE
An investigation into earthquake ground motion characteristics in eastern North America
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, April 1, 1987; 77(2): 468 - 489.
[Abstract] [PDF]




JOURNAL HOME HELP CONTACT PUBLISHER SUBSCRIBE ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2009 by Seismological Society of America