Assessing seismic site response at areas characterized by a thick buried low-velocity layer

Abstract

Earthquake ground motion is dependent on various factors, including local ground conditions. Whilst many studies have characterized the effect of having outcropping 鈥渟oft鈥� geological layers which have the ability to amplify ground motion, there is minimal literature on the effect of having such layers embedded between two harder layers. This situation creates a seismic wave velocity inversion. The Maltese islands (Central Mediterranean) present a good opportunity for the study of velocity inversion as almost half of the islands are characterized by a thick buried layer of clay. The results presented in this chapter are a combination of studies which have been conducted on the Maltese islands, using non-invasive geophysical prospecting techniques in areas characterized by a thick buried low-velocity layer, to characterize the response of earthquake ground shaking in such geological situations.