Effect of topography and subsurface inhomogeneities on seismic SV waves

Abstract The effect of topography and subsurface inhomogeneity on surface motion is investigated in the case of incident SV waves. Several types of topography, such as a cliff, a cliff with a soft layer and filled land, are considered. Computations are made using a new method combining a particle model with a finite element method. The accuracy of this method is discussed through comparisons with Wong's solutions, which are in good agreement. It is found that the surface displacement is very much influenced by surface irregularities when the incident wavelengths are comparable to the size of the topographic features. Rayleigh waves are strongly produced in the neighbourhoods of the slopes of a cliff and a cliff with a soft layer, the latter being a cliff adjacent to and covered at its foot by a soft layer. Thus, a zone of large amplification takes place near a slope, combining incident SV waves and Rayleigh waves. A large displacement also occurs at the upper corner of the slope. In filled land, vertical and horizontal displacements are produced, which are 3 times larger than those at a distance. The present results are considered to be significant from the viewpoint of engineering seismology.