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Hsi-Ping Liu

Publications and source records attributed to Hsi-Ping Liu.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2012

Tidal variation of seismic travel times in a Massachusetts granite quarry

Conflicting results on tidal variation of seismic travel times exist in the literature. With improved methods, we have conducted a seismic survey at a Massachusetts granite quarry. The survey was conducted in the intervals (230d 23h, 231d11h) and (231d22h, 233d10h), 1983 (U.T.) along a 148 m baseline situated in nearly flat topography. The source for the present experiment was an air gun placed in a mud-filled pit. Travel times for the first five body wave extrema were analyzed. The results are: I. The 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th extrema show travel time variations; the 3rd extremum remains constant throughout the experiment. The magnitude of the fractional travel time variation, Δt/t, ranges from 0.5 to 0.9%. II. Changes in travel times of the 1st and 2nd extrema correspond to opposite changes in travel times of the 4th and 5th extrema. III. Two sets of nearly orthogonal joint systems are observed in the granite; the theoretical tidal strain in the direction perpendicular to the nearly vertical joints matches the travel time variations of the 1st and 2nd extrema whereas the tidal strain in the direction perpendicular to the nearly horizontal sheets matches the travel time variations of the 4th and 5th extrema, when a 4-hr delay is introduced for all the tidal strains. These results are interpreted in terms of the velocity changes of seismic rays as the two joint systems open and close due to the tidal stress.

Geophysical Research Letters↗
USGS2012

Investigation of internal friction in fused quartz, steel, Plexiglass, and Westerly granite from 0.01 to 1.00 Hertz at 10-8 to 10-7 strain amplitude

A detailed evaluation on the method of internal friction measurement by the stress-strain hysteresis loop method from 0.01 to 1 Hz at 10 −8 to 10 −7 strain amplitude and 23.9°C is presented. Significant systematic errors in relative phase measurement can result from convex end surfaces of the sample and stress sensor and from end surface irregularities such as nicks and asperities. Preparation of concave end surfaces polished to optical smoothness having a radius of curvature >3.6×10 4 cm reduces the systematic error in relative phase measurements to <(5.5±2.2)×10 −4 radians. The values of Q E −1 (internal friction under uniaxial compression) determined from the relative phase measurements are | Q E −1 – Q s −1 |< 2.8×10 −3 for the tool steel sample and | Q E −1 – Q s −1 |< 2.2×10 −3 for the Westerly granite sample, where Q s −1 is the internal friction of the fused quartz stress sensor under uniaxial compression. These values are consistent with those inferred from the relative modulus dispersion data also presented in this paper. The polymethyl methacrylate (PMM, trade name Plexiglass) sample shows high values of internal friction ( Q E −1 ≅5×10 −2 ) with strong frequency dependence and with a maximum in Q E −1 at ≅0.4 Hz.

Journal of Geophysical Research Solid Earth↗
USGS2000

Comparison of phase velocities from array measurements of Rayleigh waves associated with microtremor and results calculated from borehole shear-wave velocity profiles

Shear-wave velocities (V S ) are widely used for earthquake ground-motion site characterization. V S data are now largely obtained using borehole methods. Drilling holes, however, is expensive. Nonintrusive surface methods are inexpensive for obtaining V S information, but not many comparisons with direct borehole measurements have been published. Because different assumptions are used in data interpretation of each surface method and public safety is involved in site characterization for engineering structures, it is important to validate the surface methods by additional comparisons with borehole measurements. We compare results obtained from a particular surface method (array measurement of surface waves associated with microtremor) with results obtained from borehole methods. Using a 10-element nested-triangular array of 100-m aperture, we measured surface-wave phase velocities at two California sites, Garner Valley near Hemet and Hollister Municipal Airport. The Garner Valley site is located at an ancient lake bed where water-saturated sediment overlies decomposed granite on top of granite bedrock. Our array was deployed at a location where seismic velocities had been determined to a depth of 500 m by borehole methods. At Hollister, where the near-surface sediment consists of clay, sand, and gravel, we determined phase velocities using an array located close to a 60-m deep borehole where downhole velocity logs already exist. Because we want to assess the measurements uncomplicated by uncertainties introduced by the inversion process, we compare our phase-velocity results with the borehole V S depth profile by calculating fundamental-mode Rayleigh-wave phase velocities from an earth model constructed from the borehole data. For wavelengths less than ~2 times of the array aperture at Garner Valley, phase-velocity results from array measurements agree with the calculated Rayleigh-wave velocities to better than 11%. Measurement errors become larger for wavelengths 2 times greater than the array aperture. At Hollister, the measured phase velocity at 3.9 Hz (near the upper edge of the microtremor frequency band) is within 20% of the calculated Rayleigh-wave velocity. Because shear-wave velocity is the predominant factor controlling Rayleigh-wave phase velocities, the comparisons suggest that this nonintrusive method can provide V S information adequate for ground-motion estimation.

California↗
USGS1996

Site amplification at five locations in San Francisco, California: A comparison of S waves, codas, and microtremors

We compare microtremor data to weak-motion S -wave and coda recordings at sites in San Francisco in order to clarify the range of applicability of microtremor data to ground-motion prediction. We also compare S -wave results to coda results. For each type of data, we compute spectral ratios of motions from two soil/rock station pairs and from an uphole/downhole pair in the Marina district. We compute horizontal/vertical ratios (Nakamura's method) at a soil site, a rock site, and the surface and borehole instruments. In the station-pair analyses, microtremor data show amplifications at the same fundamental frequency as S waves, but the frequencies of other peaks do not agree. The amplification at frequencies higher than 2 Hz is greater in the microtremor data. Station-pair ratios of coda data generally show spectral peaks occurring at the same frequencies, but with levels varying from one to four times the amplification from S -wave ratios. Nakamura's method of analyzing microtremors agrees better with S -wave station-pair results than the microtremor station-pair method over a limited frequency band that varies from station to station.

California↗
USGS1994

Seismic velocities and geologic logs from boreholes at three downhole arrays in San Francisco, California

The Loma Prieta earthquake of October 17, 1989 (1704 PST), has reinforced observations made by Wood and others (1908) after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, that poor ground conditions (soft soil) increase the likelihood of shaking damage to structures. Since 1908 many studies (for example Borcherdt, 1970, Borcherdt and Gibbs, 1976, Borcherdt and Glassmoyer, 1992) have shown that soft soils amplify seismic waves at frequencies that can be damaging to structures. Damage in the City of San Francisco from the Loma Prieta earthquake was concentrated in the Marina District, the Embarcadero, and the China Basin areas. Each of these areas, to some degree, is underlain by soft soil deposits. These concentrations of damage raise important questions regarding the amplification effects of such deposits at damaging levels of motion. Unfortunately, no strong-motion recordings were obtained in these areas during the Loma Prieta earthquake and only a limited number (< 10) have been obtained on other soft soil sites in the United States. Consequently, important questions exist regarding the response of such deposits during damaging earthquakes, especially questions regarding the nonlinear soil response. Towards developing a data set to address these important questions, borehole strong-motion arrays have been installed at three locations. These arrays consist of groups of wide-dynamic-range pore-pressure transducers and three-component accelerometers, the outputs of which are recorded digitally. The arrays are designed to provide an integrated set of data on ground shaking, liquifaction-induced ground failure, and structural response. This report describes the detailed geologic, seismic, and material-property determinations derived at each of these sites.

California↗
USGS1994

In situ measurement of seismic shear-wave absorption in the San Francisco Holocene Bay Mud by the pulse-broadening method

By the pulse-broadening method, seismic absorption of San Francisco Holocene Bay Mud has been determined with the use of an impulsive shear-wave source at the surface, two receivers embedded in clay (Holocene Bay Mud), and digital seismic recording. The seismic anelastic quality factor is determined from 20 measurements to be 16.0 with a random error of ±0.9. Three sources of systematic error are examined. The fractional systematic error on the anelastic quality factor is estimated to be ∼ 11%. Details of experimental arrangement and error analysis are given.

Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America↗
USGS1990

Near-surface velocities and attenuation at two boreholes near Anza, California, from logging data

To investigate near-surface site effects in granite rock, we drilled 300-m-deep boreholes at two sites which are collocated with stations from the digital array at Anza, California. The first borehole was sited at station KNW (Keenwild fire station), which is located along a ridge line about 8.7 km east of the San Jacinto Fault zone. Station PFO (Piñon Flat Observatory), chosen for the second site, is another 6 km further to the east of station KNW and is located on a gently sloping hillside. We logged each borehole for P- and S-wave velocities, as well as for crack density and orientation.

California↗
USGS1990

Calculation of zero-offset vertical seismic profiles generated by a horizontal point force acting on the surface of an elastic half-space

Impulse responses including near-field terms have been obtained in closed form for the zero-offset vertical seismic profiles generated by a horizontal point force acting on the surface of an anelastic half-space. The method is based on the correspondence principle. Through transformation of variables, the Fourier transform of the elastic impulse response is put in a form such that the Fourier transform of the corresponding anelastic impulse response can be expressed as elementary functions and their definite integrals involving distance, angular frequency, phase velocities, and attenuation factors. These results are used for accurate calculation of shear-wave arrival rise times of synthetic seismograms needed for data interpretation of anelastic-attenuation measurements in near-surface sediment.

Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America↗
USGS1986

MODE IDENTIFICATION OF AN ARCH DAM BY A DYNAMIC AIR-GUN TEST.

Thirteen natural frequencies of a concrete arch dam (Monticello Dam near Sacramento, California) have been identified by using a dynamic testing method which employs an air gun firing in the reservoir as the excitation source. These vibrations modes are determined from the peak responses in the Fourier amplitude spectra of the free-vibration data recorded at three crest locations using three-component geophones. Comparisons of the first five natural frequencies with results obtained by forced vibration tests using rotating mass shakers show good agreement. The next eight higher-frequency modes, not previously identified, are determined from data of the present tests.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1980

Driving- stress waveform and the determination of rock internal friction by the stress-strain curve method.

Harmonic distortion in the stress-time function applied to rock specimens affects the measurement of rock internal friction in the seismic wave periods by the stress-strain hysteresis loop method. If neglected, the harmonic distortion can cause measurements of rock internal friction to be in error by 3O% in the linear range. The stress-time function therefore must be recorded and Fourier analysed for correct interpretation of the experimental data. Such a procedure would also yield a value for internal friction at the higher harmonic frequencies.-Author

Geophysical Journal of the Royal Astronomical Soci↗