Along-Arc and Back-Arc Attenuation, Site Response, and Source Spectrum for the Intermediate-Depth 8 January 2006 M 6.7 Kythera, Greece, Earthquake

Abstract

An M 6.7 intermediate-depth (66 km), in-slab earthquake occurring near the island of Kythera in Greece on 8 January 2006 was well recorded on networks of stations equipped with acceleration sensors and with broadband velocity sensors. All data were recorded digitally using recording instruments with resolutions ranging from almost 11 to 24 bits. We use data from these networks to study the distance dependence of the horizontal-component Fourier acceleration spectra (FAS) and horizontal-component pseudoabsolute response spectral acceleration (PSA). For pur- poses of simulating motions in the future, we parameterize the distance decay using several forms of the geometrical-spreading function, for each of which we derive Q as a function of frequency. By extrapolating the distance decay back to 1 km, we obtain a reference spectrum that can be used in future simulations. This spectrum requires a more complicated spectral shape than the classic single-corner-frequency model; in particular, there appears to be an enhancement of motion around 0.2-0.3 Hz that may be due to the radiation of a 3-5 sec pulse from the source. We infer a κ0 value of about 0.055 sec for rock stations and a stress parameter in the range of 400-600 bars. We also find distinctive differences in the site response of stations on soft soil and soil; both the FAS and the 5% damped PSA amplifications have similar peak amplitudes (about 2 and 4 for soil and soft-soil sites, respectively, relative to the rock sites) at similar frequencies (between about 0.4 and 2.0 Hz, with the soft-soil amplifications peaking at somewhat lower frequencies than the soil amplifications). One of the most distinctive features of the data is the clear difference in the motions for along-arc and back-arc stations, with the former being significantly higher than the latter over a broad range of frequencies at distances beyond about 250 km. The motions from the Kythera earthquake are roughly comparable to those from intermediate-depth earthquakes elsewhere, but they appear to be significantly higher than those from re- cordings of shallow earthquakes in Greece of comparable magnitude and hypocentral distance.