Local site-effects for the city of Thessaloniki (N. Greece) using a 3-D finite-difference method: A case of complex dependence on source and model parameters

Abstract

The site effects of seismic motion in the metropolitan area of the city of Thessaloniki (Northern Greece) are investigated using a 3-D finite-difference modelling approach. Three different seismic scenarios are assumed with two different focal mechanisms for each one. Standard spectral ratios (SSR) are calculated from 3-D synthetics and compared with the ratios from the recorded motion, as well as ratios obtained from 1-D and 2-D modelling by other researchers. The average SSR curves from the six scenarios are in good agreement with the empirical ones, whereas the SSR results from 3-D modelling are different from those from 1-D modelling, exhibiting higher fundamental frequencies and larger amplification amplitudes, in much better agreement with observed SSR ratios. Comparisons of Fourier amplitude spectra obtained for various scenarios for the broader area of Thessaloniki show considerable dependence of the site effects on the source properties (position, depth and fault-plane solution), as well as on the local structure. © 2010 The Authors Journal compilation © 2010 RAS.