Measurement of shallow shear wave velocities at a rock site using the ReMi technique

Abstract

Shallow shear wave velocities beneath a rock site are characterized using the refraction microtremor (ReMi) technique developed by Louie [Faster, better: shear-wave velocity to 100 m depth from ReMi arrays. Bull Seism Soc Am 2001; 91: 347–64]. Ground motion from a passing train enabled capture of energy propagating parallel to the recording array. This allowed evaluation of the variation of the minimum phase-velocity of the dispersion curve envelope and better estimation of the true minimum velocity beneath the site. We use a new method to image and evaluate the dispersion curve envelope via power–slowness profiles through the slowness–frequency plots introduced by Louie [Faster, better: shear-wave velocity to 100 m depth from ReMi arrays. Bull Seism Soc Am 2001; 91: 347–64]. Data illustrated the frequency dependency of dispersion curve uncertainties, with greater uncertainty occurring at low frequencies. These uncertainties map directly into uncertainty of the inverted velocity–depth profile. Above 100 m depth velocities are well constrained with 10% variability. Variability is greatly reduced when the energy propagation is along the geophone array. Greater velocity variation is observed below 100 m depth.