Paper detail

Surface Dynamic Deformation Estimates from Local Seismicity: the Itoiz Reservoir, Spain

We analyze the ground motion time histories due to the local seismicity near the Itoiz reservoir to estimate the near-source, surface 3D displacement-gradients and dynamic deformations. The seismic data were obtained by a semi-permanent broadband and accelerometric network located on surface and at underground sites. The dynamic deformation field was calculated by two different methodologies. First, by the Seismo-Geodetic method using the data from a three-station micro-array located close to the dam; second, by Single-Station estimates of the displacement gradients. The dynamic deformations obtained from both methods were compared and analyzed in the context of the local free-field effects. The shallow 1D velocity structure was estimated from the seismic data by modeling the body wave travel times. Time histories obtained from both methods results quite similar in the time-window of body-wave arrivals. The strain misfits between methods vary from 1.4% to 35.0% and rotational misfits vary from 2.5% to 36.0%. Amplitudes of displacement gradients vary in the range of 10-8 to 10-7 strains. From these results, a new scaling analysis by numerical modeling is proposed in order to estimate the peak dynamic deformations for different magnitudes, up to the expected maximum MW in the region (M5.5). Peak dynamic deformations due to local MW5.5 earthquakes would reach amplitudes of 10-5 strain and 10-3 radians at the Itoiz dam. The Single-Station method shows to be an adequate option for the analysis of local seismicity, where few three-component stations are available. The results obtained here could help to extend the applicability of these methodologies to other sites of engineering interest.