H/V spectral ratios and array techniques applied to ambient noise recorded

Abstract

Abstract The Colfiorito Basin is a small intramountain depression in the southern section of the Northern Apennine chain that is filled with Quaternary alluvial de-posits. The presence of soft alluvial deposits has significantly influenced the level of local damage that was caused by two major earthquakes (ML 5.6 and 5.8) belonging to the swarm that started in September 1997. To verify the effects of the basin structure on the predominant frequency of seismic motion, ambient noise measure-ments were carried out in the Colfiorito Basin during two experiments in May and July of 2002. The horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratios (HVSRs) were calculated for data collected at four profiles in the basin. Array techniques were applied to determine the wave types that composed the noise, to estimate their apparent velocity and azimuth of propagation, and to calculate a velocity-dispersion curve from which a velocity-depth structure was derived. The data analysis shows a high amplification in the HVSR at low frequency. This feature is common to most of the sites, including the reference site, and it is interpreted as being due to weather disturbances. The peak frequencies of the spectral ratio calculated at the sites located in the center o