Shallow Structure and Seismic Amplification Effects in the Weifang Segment of the Tanlu Fault Zone Based on the Spectral Ratio Method

Abstract

Abstract The Weifang segment of the Tanlu fault zone (TLFZ) is located in the central section of the TLFZ, eastern China, and has been identified as an earthquake gap zone. Previous studies in the region have mainly focused on the crustal velocity structure and anisotropy, with limited attention to the shallow near-surface structures. In this study, we analyzed the distribution of sediment thickness and evaluated the seismic amplification effects in the Weifang segment of the TLFZ using the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) method and the standard spectral ratio (SSR) method. The data we used are from a dense array of 302 three-component seismometers deployed in 2017 for three months. The lowest peak frequency of HVSR indicates that the northwestern part of the study area exhibits relatively thicker sedimentary deposits, estimated to be 800–1200 m in thickness, consistent with both tomographic and geological studies. The SSRs are calculated from 43 regional and teleseismic earthquakes with respect to 12 reference stations. The results from SSR show strong amplification in the 0.2–2 Hz frequency range for sites on the northwestern part, and the amplitude can be up to 15 times larger than that of the bedrock site. We also find significant amplification effects as well as thick sedimentary layers at specific stations along the eastern branch of the TLFZ, suggesting a localized low-velocity zone along the fault. Our results also demonstrate that using the single-site seismic method can provide new constraints on the fine structure and site responses of the fault zone, which are important for seismic hazard assessment.