CHAOTIC CHARACTERISTIC ANALYSIS OF STRONG EARTHQUAKE GROUND MOTIONS

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze and understand the irregularity and complexity of earthquake ground motions from the perspective of nonlinear dynamics. Chaotic dynamics theory and chaotic time series analysis are suggested to examine the nonlinear dynamical characteristic of strong earthquake ground motions. Based on the power spectral analysis, principal component analysis and modified false nearest neighbors method, it is illustrated qualitatively that the acceleration time series of earthquake ground motions exhibit chaotic property. Next, the chaotic time series analysis is proposed to calculate quantitatively the nonlinear characteristic parameters of acceleration time histories of near-fault ground motions. Numerical results show that the correlation dimension of these ground motions is fractal dimension. Their Kolmogorov entropy is a limited positive value, and their maximal Lyapunov exponent is larger than 0. It is demonstrated that the strong earthquake ground motions present the chaotic property rather than the pure random signals, and the severe irregularity and complexity of ground motions are the reflection of high nonlinearity of earthquake physical process.