@phdthesis{Kieling2015, author = {Kieling, Katrin}, title = {Quantification of ground motions by broadband simulations}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-85989}, school = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {XIV, 118}, year = {2015}, abstract = {In many procedures of seismic risk mitigation, ground motion simulations are needed to test systems or improve their effectiveness. For example they may be used to estimate the level of ground shaking caused by future earthquakes. Good physical models for ground motion simulation are also thought to be important for hazard assessment, as they could close gaps in the existing datasets. Since the observed ground motion in nature shows a certain variability, part of which cannot be explained by macroscopic parameters such as magnitude or position of an earthquake, it would be desirable that a good physical model is not only able to produce one single seismogram, but also to reveal this natural variability. In this thesis, I develop a method to model realistic ground motions in a way that is computationally simple to handle, permitting multiple scenario simulations. I focus on two aspects of ground motion modelling. First, I use deterministic wave propagation for the whole frequency range - from static deformation to approximately 10 Hz - but account for source variability by implementing self-similar slip distributions and rough fault interfaces. Second, I scale the source spectrum so that the modelled waveforms represent the correct radiated seismic energy. With this scaling I verify whether the energy magnitude is suitable as an explanatory variable, which characterises the amount of energy radiated at high frequencies - the advantage of the energy magnitude being that it can be deduced from observations, even in real-time. Applications of the developed method for the 2008 Wenchuan (China) earthquake, the 2003 Tokachi-Oki (Japan) earthquake and the 1994 Northridge (California, USA) earthquake show that the fine source discretisations combined with the small scale source variability ensure that high frequencies are satisfactorily introduced, justifying the deterministic wave propagation approach even at high frequencies. I demonstrate that the energy magnitude can be used to calibrate the high-frequency content in ground motion simulations. Because deterministic wave propagation is applied to the whole frequency range, the simulation method permits the quantification of the variability in ground motion due to parametric uncertainties in the source description. A large number of scenario simulations for an M=6 earthquake show that the roughness of the source as well as the distribution of fault dislocations have a minor effect on the simulated variability by diminishing directivity effects, while hypocenter location and rupture velocity more strongly influence the variability. The uncertainty in energy magnitude, however, leads to the largest differences of ground motion amplitude between different events, resulting in a variability which is larger than the one observed. For the presented approach, this dissertation shows (i) the verification of the computational correctness of the code, (ii) the ability to reproduce observed ground motions and (iii) the validation of the simulated ground motion variability. Those three steps are essential to evaluate the suitability of the method for means of seismic risk mitigation.}, language = {en} } @article{KielingRoesslerKrueger2011, author = {Kieling, Katrin and R{\"o}ßler, Dirk and Kr{\"u}ger, Frank}, title = {Receiver function study in northern Sumatra and the Malaysian peninsula}, series = {Journal of seismology}, volume = {15}, journal = {Journal of seismology}, number = {2}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Dordrecht}, issn = {1383-4649}, doi = {10.1007/s10950-010-9222-7}, pages = {235 -- 259}, year = {2011}, abstract = {In this receiver function study, we investigate the structure of the crust beneath six seismic broadband stations close to the Sunda Arc formed by subduction of the Indo-Australian under the Sunda plate. We apply three different methods to analyse receiver functions at single stations. A recently developed algorithm determines absolute shear-wave velocities from observed frequency-dependent apparent incidence angles of P waves. Using waveform inversion of receiver functions and a modified Zhu and Kanamori algorithm, properties of discontinuities such as depth, velocity contrast, and sharpness are determined. The combination of the methods leads to robust results. The approach is validated by synthetic tests. Stations located on Malaysia show high-shear-wave velocities (V (S)) near the surface in the range of 3.4-3.6 km s (-aEuro parts per thousand 1) attributed to crystalline rocks and 3.6-4.0 km s (-aEuro parts per thousand 1) in the lower crust. Upper and lower crust are clearly separated, the Moho is found at normal depths of 30-34 km where it forms a sharp discontinuity at station KUM or a gradient at stations IPM and KOM. For stations close to the subduction zone (BSI, GSI and PSI) complexity within the crust is high. Near the surface low V (S) of 2.6-2.9 km s (-aEuro parts per thousand 1) indicate sediment layers. High V (S) of 4.2 km s (-aEuro parts per thousand 1) are found at depth greater than 6 and 2 km at BSI and PSI, respectively. There, the Moho is located at 37 and 40 km depth. At station GSI, situated closest to the trench, the subducting slab is imaged as a north-east dipping structure separated from the sediment layer by a 10 km wide gradient in V (S) between 10 and 20 km depth. Within the subducting slab V (S) a parts per thousand aEuro parts per thousand 4.7 km s (-aEuro parts per thousand 1). At station BSI, the subducting slab is found at depth between 90 and 110 km dipping 20A degrees +/- 8A degrees in approximately N 60A degrees E. A velocity increase in similar depth is indicated at station PSI, however no evidence for a dipping layer is found.}, language = {en} }