Ergodic site response model for subduction zone regions

We present an ergodic site response model with regional adjustments for use with subduction zone ground-motion models. The model predicts site amplification of peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity, and 5% damped pseudo-spectral accelerations of the orientation-independent horizonal component for oscillator periods from 0.01 to 10 s. The model depends on the time-averaged shear-wave velocity in the upper 30 m (V-S(30)), basin depth, and region and is independent of subduction earthquake type. It has three components: a linear site-amplification term in the form of V-S(30)-scaling, a nonlinear term that depends on V-S(30) and shaking intensity parameterized by peak ground acceleration at the reference-rock velocity condition of 760 m/s, and a basin sediment-depth term for Japan and Cascadia conditioned on the depth to the 2.5 km/s shear-wave velocity isosurface (Z(2.5)). A global V-S(30)-scaling model is provided along with regional adjustments for Japan, Taiwan, South America, Alaska, and Cascadia. The nonlinear model is global, with a functional form that has often been used to fit nonlinear responses inferred from simulations, but here we calibrate it empirically. Relative to a prior model for shallow earthquakes in active tectonic regions, our subduction zone global V-S(30)-scaling is comparable at short periods (<1.0 s) but weaker at long periods, while the nonlinear site response is generally less pronounced but extends to lower levels of shaking. Basin depth models are conditioned on the difference of the actual Z(2.5) and a V-S(30)-conditioned mean Z(2.5). Sites with positive differential depths have increased long-period site responses and decreased short-period responses, with the opposite occurring for negative differential depths.

Automated summary

We present an ergodic site response model for subduction zone ground-motion models, which predicts site amplification of different ground-motion parameters for different oscillator periods. The model depends on shear-wave velocity, basin depth, and region, and is independent of subduction earthquake type. A global V-S(30)-scaling model is provided along with regional adjustments for different regions. Our model shows comparable results to a prior model for shallow earthquakes in active tectonic regions at short periods, but weaker results at long periods, and the nonlinear site response is generally less pronounced.