Date of Graduation
12-2018
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Civil Engineering
Advisor/Mentor
Wood, Clinton M.
Committee Member
Hernandez, Sarah V.
Second Committee Member
Barry, Michelle L.
Keywords
Earthquake Engineering; Geophysics; Site Characterization
Abstract
Ambient noise data from 24 sites within the Mississippi Embayment were analyzed to estimate the fundamental frequency using the horizontal to vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) method. The fundamental frequency ranged from 0.17 to 3.43 Hz for the tested sites. At seventeen of the sites, a second higher frequency HVSR peak, which ranged from 0.617 Hz to 2.154 Hz, was observed in addition to the fundamental HVSR peak. The second peak frequency in the HVSR curve has been attributed by previous researchers as either an odd harmonic of the fundamental peak or a shallow impedance contrast from the Memphis sand layer in the Mississippi embayment. Shear wave transfer functions are compared for select sites with the HVSR curves and geologic boring logs are analyzed to determine which cause is most likely. Finally, a full scale inversion of active and passive surface wave data is carried out at one site using the HVSR fundamental frequency to constrain the bedrock depth and the second peak frequency to constrain the shallow impedance contrast depth to demonstrate the usefulness of the HVSR second peak.
Citation
Himel, A. (2018). Utilizing the HVSR Second Peak for Surface Wave Inversions in the Mississippi Embayment. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/3025
Included in
Civil Engineering Commons, Geophysics and Seismology Commons, Geotechnical Engineering Commons, Structural Engineering Commons