This paper examines the rationale of a method of nonstationary data processing and analysis, referred to as the Hilbert-Huang transform (HHT), for its application to a recording-based approach in quantifying influences of soil nonlinearity in site response. In particular, this paper first summarizes symptoms of soil nonlinearity shown in earthquake recordings, reviews the Fourier-based approach to characterizing nonlinearity, and offers justifications for the HHT in addressing nonlinearity issues. This study then uses the HHT method to analyze synthetic data and recordings from the 1964 Niigata and 2001 Nisqually earthquakes. In doing so, the HHT-based site response is defined as the ratio of marginal Hilbert amplitude spectra, alternative to the Fourier-based response that is the ratio of Fourier amplitude spectra. With the Fourier-based approach in studies of site response as a reference, this study shows that the alternative HHT-based approach is effective in characterizing soil nonlinearity and nonlinear site response.
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Research Article|
February 01, 2005
An Alternative Approach to Characterize Nonlinear Site Effects
Ray Ruichong Zhang, M.EERI;
Ray Ruichong Zhang, M.EERI
a)
Division of Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401
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Stephen Hartzell;
Stephen Hartzell
b)
U.S. Geological Survey, MS 966, Box 25046, Denver, CO 80225
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Jianwen Liang;
Jianwen Liang
c)
Department of Civil Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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Yuxian Hu
Yuxian Hu
d)
Institute of Geophysics, China Seismological Bureau, Beijing 100081, China
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Ray Ruichong Zhang, M.EERI
a)
Division of Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401
Stephen Hartzell
b)
U.S. Geological Survey, MS 966, Box 25046, Denver, CO 80225
Jianwen Liang
c)
Department of Civil Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Yuxian Hu
d)
Institute of Geophysics, China Seismological Bureau, Beijing 100081, China
Publisher: Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
First Online:
01 Jun 2020
Online ISSN: 1944-8201
Print ISSN: 8755-2930
© 2005 Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
Earthquake Spectra (2005) 21 (1): 243–274.
Article history
First Online:
01 Jun 2020
Citation
Ray Ruichong Zhang, Stephen Hartzell, Jianwen Liang, Yuxian Hu; An Alternative Approach to Characterize Nonlinear Site Effects. Earthquake Spectra 2005;; 21 (1): 243–274. doi: https://doi.org/10.1193/1.1853390
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Index Terms/Descriptors
- acceleration
- aftershocks
- amplitude
- Asia
- attenuation
- basins
- bedrock
- data processing
- earthquakes
- elastic waves
- Far East
- frequency
- ground motion
- guided waves
- Honshu
- Japan
- Niigata earthquake 1964
- Nisqually earthquake 2001
- peak ground acceleration
- propagation
- Puget Sound
- sediments
- seismic intensity
- seismic networks
- seismic waves
- seismograms
- soils
- stiffness
- surface waves
- thickness
- traveltime
- United States
- velocity
- Washington
- wave amplification
Latitude & Longitude
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