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The Dead Sea Basin Ministry of Energy and Water Resources Geological Survey of Israel Simulation of Seismic-Wave Propagation through Geometrically Complex Basins: The Dead Sea Basin Shahar Shani-Kadmiel1,4, Michael Tsesarsky2, John N. Louie3, and Zohar Gvirtzman4 1 – Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. 2 – Department of Structural Engineering, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. 3 – Nevada Seismological Laboratory University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada. 4 – Geological Survey of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel. Prepared for the Steering Committee for Earthquake Readiness in Israel Jerusalem, December 2012 Ministry of Energy and Water Resources Geological Survey of Israel Simulation of Seismic-Wave Propagation through Geometrically Complex Basins: The Dead Sea Basin Shahar Shani-Kadmiel1,4, Michael Tsesarsky2, John N. Louie3, and Zohar Gvirtzman4 1 – Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. 2 – Department of Structural Engineering, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. 3 – Nevada Seismological Laboratory University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada. 4 – Geological Survey of Israel, Jerusalem, Israel. Prepared for the Steering Committee for Earthquake Readiness in Israel במסגרת הפרויקט "איפיון סיכוני תנודות קרקע באגנים סדימנטריים בישראל" Jerusalem, December 2012 מדינת ישראל משרד התשתיות הלאומיות המכון הגיאולוגי State of Israel Ministry of National Infrastructures Geological Survey 8.12.2012 תנודות קרקע באגני סדימנטריי בישראל זהר גבירצמ מניסיו שהצטבר בעול ידוע שבאגני גיאולוגיי צרי ועמוקי , שבנויי מסלעי רכי ביחס לשוליה , תנודות הקרקע בזמ רעידת אדמה מתארכות ומתחזקות בשיעור ניכר . אגני סדימנטריי עמוקי בישראל מפוזרי לאור בקע י המלח ועמקי הצפו . בתחומי האגני הסדימנטריי בישראל מצויי ריכוזי אוכלוסיה , בי היתר הערי בית שא וקריית שמונה , אזורי תעשיה ותיירות בדר ו י המלח , אזור תעשיה ומתקני רגישי בעמק זבולו ועוד . יחד ע זאת , נכו להיו בישראל אי בידינו מדידות שמה נית לאפיי את התופעה ולכמתה , מפני שמאז הקמתה של מדינת ישראל ובפרט מאז הצבת הרשת הסיסמית שלה לא התרחשו בישראל רעידות בינוניות או חזקות . בנוס! , דליל ותה היחסית של הרשת הסיסמית בישראל , שכמעט ואינ ה כוללת תחנות באגני הסדימנטרי , גורמת לכ שאפילו רישומי של רעידות חלשות כמעט לא קיימי . במצב זה אי אפשרות להשוות בי התנודות באגני לתנודות בשוליה ולא נית להערי את גודל התופעה והיקפה . למח קר זה , שמתוכנ להימש מספר שני , הוגדרו שתי מטרות : ראשית , לפרוס בכל אג סדימנטרי חשוב במדינת ישראל רשת סיסמית ניידת שתרשו רעידות אדמה במש תקופה של כמה חודשי באתרי שוני באג ומחוצה לו . שנית , לערו סימולציות נומריות של אפקט האג ולכייל אות , במידת האפשר , על ידי המדידו ת שתיאספנ ה בהדרגה . אנו מצפי לתרומה משמעותית בשלושה מישורי שכל אחד חשוב בפני עצמו. (1 ) רישו הקלטות בו זמני של רעידות אדמה באגני ובשוליה הסלעיי. (2 ) פיתוח מתודולוגיה והבנה תיאורטית של אפקטי פני % ובינ % אגניי. (3 ) אפיו כמותי של ההגברה באגני ישרא ל לצ ור עריכת תרחישי ולצור תקני בנייה. בשני האחרונות הוקמה קבוצת מחקר בשיתו! פעולה בי ד"ר זהר גבירצמ מהמכו הגיאולוגי וד"ר מיכאל טסרסקי מאוניברסיטת ב גוריו ש במסגרתה התקדמנו בתחו הסימולציות הנומריות של התפשטות גלי באגני סדימנטריי. חלק ניכר מהמחקר נעשה על ידי סטודנט לדוקטורט (שחר שני % קדמיאל) שנסע ל פרופסור ג'ו לואי מה מעבדה הסיסמולוגי של נבדה בארה"ב ולמד ממנו כיצד להשתמש בשתי תוכנות שפותחו במש שני רבות בארה"ב וכוילו במסגרת מחקרי רבי. לאחר תקופת לימוד שבמהל כה בוצעו סימולציות דו % מימדיות עבור אג י המלח במחשבי המעבדה הסיסמולוגית של נבדה, הגענו למצב שמאפשר לנו עצמאות חישובית במכו הגיאולוגי. המחקר שתואר לעיל מומ בחלקו מתקציב פרויקט רב שנתי של יציבות התשתית בי המלח וכ מכספי ועדת ההיגוי. ה מאמר המצור! בזאת מתו ה עיתו של החברה הסיסמולוגית אמריקנית מדגי תוצאות מ סימולציות דו % ממדיות שערכנו לאג י המלח . ב שנה הבאה אנו מתכנני להמשי במחקר תופעת מיקוד גיאומטרי של הגלי סיסמיי באגני כמו י המלח וכ לבצע סימולציות של עמק זבולו. בכבוד רב ד"ר זהר גבירצמ .Malkhe Israel St 30 רח ' מלכי ישראל 30 דר ' זהר גבירצמן Dr. Zohar Gvirtzman Jerusalem, Israel 95501 ירושלים 95501 , ישראל 02-5314269 [email protected] Tel. 972-2-5314211 Fax. 972-2-5380688 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, Vol. 102, No. 4, pp. 1729–1739, August 2012, doi: 10.1785/0120110254 Simulation of Seismic-Wave Propagation through Geometrically Complex Basins: The Dead Sea Basin by Shahar Shani-Kadmiel, Michael Tsesarsky, John N. Louie, and Zohar Gvirtzman Abstract The Dead Sea Transform (DST) is the source for some of the largest earthquakes in the eastern Mediterranean. The seismic hazard presented by the DST threatens the Israeli, Palestinian, and Jordanian populations alike. Several deep and structurally complex sedimentary basins are associated with the DST. These basins are up to 10 km deep and typically bounded by active fault zones. The low seismicity of the DST, the sparse seismic network, and limited coverage of sedimentary basins result in a critical knowledge gap. Therefore, it is necessary to complement the limited instrumental data with synthetic data based on computational modeling, in order to study the effects of earthquake ground motion in these sedimen- tary basins. In this research we performed a 2D ground-motion analysis in the Dead Sea Basin (DSB) using a finite-difference code. Cross sections transecting the DSB were com- piled for wave propagation simulations. Results indicate a complex pattern of ground- motion amplification affected by the geometric features in the basin. To distinguish between the individual contributions of each geometrical feature in the basin, we developed a semiquantitative decomposition approach. This approach enabled us to interpret the DSB results as follows: (1) Ground-motion amplification as a result of resonance occurs basin-wide due to a high impedance contrast at the base of the uppermost layer; (2) Steep faults generate a strong edge-effect that further ampli- fies ground motions; (3) Sub-basins cause geometrical focusing that may significantly amplify ground motions; and (4) Salt diapirs diverge seismic energy and cause a de- crease in ground-motion amplitude. Introduction Sedimentary basins are known to amplify ground mo- generalizations of semiquantitative rules, useful for other tions and to prolong the shaking by trapping seismic energy basins around the world. (Anderson et al., 1986; Joyner, 2000; Boore, 2004). The out- The second goal of this study is to model earthquake come of this phenomenon was observed in Mexico City ground motion in the DSB, which hosts important industrial (Singh, Mena, and Castro, 1988), the Los Angeles basin and tourist facilities in Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian (Graves, Pitarka, and Somerville, 1998), and Kobe, Japan Authority. The lack of seismic recordings in the basin, due to (Pitarka et al., 1998), among other places. The Dead Sea relatively low seismicity of the region and relatively sparse Basin (DSB) is a unique sedimentary basin due to its extreme national seismic network, produces the need for synthetic data depth, nearly 10 km, subvertical boundary faults, and com- in order to supplement the instrumental data. This study plex geometry formed by convex salt diapirs and concave explores principally the basin effects on earthquake ground sub-basins. Several active faults within the basin provide motion. internal seismic sources in addition to external sources from neighboring basins and the Dead Sea Transform (DST) itself. Geological Setting These circumstances provide an opportunity to study the influence of different intrabasin features on earthquake The DST is one of the largest active strike-slip faults of the ground motion. Our primary goal in this study is to develop world, connecting the east Anatolian fault in the north to the a semiquantitative methodology for decomposing a complex extensional zone of the Red Sea in the south (Fig. 1a; Garfun- basin effect to individual contributions derived from specific kel, Zak, and Freund, 1981). It defines the active boundary geometrical features. Such an analysis enables better under- between the Arabian and the African plates with an estimated standing of the integrated seismic phenomenon and allows ongoing slip rate of ∼3 to ∼5 mm=year (Wdowinski et al., 1729 1730 S. Shani-Kadmiel, M. Tsesarsky, J. N. Louie, and Z. Gvirtzman 2004; Marco et al., 2005; Le Beon et al., 2008). The ∼105 km (Fig. 1b) and the normal step faults Sedom and Ghor-Safi of left-lateral motion along the DST since its formation in the are active (Aldersons et al., 2003; Hofstetter et al., 2007; Early to Middle Miocene (Quennell, 1956; Freund, Zak, and Data and Resources). Garfunkel, 1968) has created several pull-apart basins, the lar- 100 20 gest being the DSB, km × km in size (Fig. 1b). Seismicity This study focuses on the DSB, which is bounded by active normal step faults, filled with ∼10 km of soft sedi- Moderate and strong earthquakes associated with the ments and penetrated by large salt diapirs. It is generally DST are evident in geological, historical, and archaeological accepted that both eastern and western boundary faults records. However, due to long return periods, the instrumental (a)32° 34° 36° (b) 35°18' 35°24' 35°30' 35°36' Jericho 36° t 31°48'l 31°48' t u l a u F a F ry ry o h c nda i r u e o Hotels ° J ° 31 42'B 31 42' km t l 34° n r u e 0 100 200 t a s F e i f Judea Mountains W a DST CGF S - r o rranean t 31°36'h l 31°36' Dragot u MediteSea G a F M. 32° JLM TLV AMN Shalem 1927 JV ° ° BS 31 30'Boundary 31 30' n r ° Sinai F 30 A Ein Gedi Easte ELT 31°24' 31°24' Mt. Massada NBA and plain 1995 Arabian Plate African Plate Cross-section A 28° 31°18' 31°18' Red Sea Lisan Diapir El Mazraa 31°12' 31°12' Hotels ns ountai Sedom Fault 31°06'DSI 31°06' Cross-section B Mt.
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