[1] A joint inversion of phase velocity and H/V ratio curves, both obtained from seismic-noise recordings, permits the retrieval of the shear-wave velocity structure of local sedimentary cover. Our inversion scheme uses a genetic algorithm and considers the influence of higher modes on the data sets. Encouraged by the results published previously on joint inversion (Parolai et al., 2005) we went one step further. We found, using a synthetic data set, that the impedance contrast at the sediment-bedrock interface has a strong influence on the shape of the H/V ratio curve, which therefore allows the bedrock S-wave velocity to be well constrained in the joint-inversion procedure. Our observations were further confirmed using a real data set. Citation: Picozzi, M., S. Parolai, and S. M. Richwalski (2005), Joint inversion of H/V ratios and dispersion curves from seismic noise: Estimating the S-wave velocity of bedrock, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L11308,

Local S-wave velocity-depth profiles are a key factor in seismic hazard assessment, as they allow the amplification potential of the sedimentary cover to be evaluated. Ambient seismic noise is mainly composed of surface waves, and therefore contains vital information about the S-wave velocity structure, allowing polarization or dispersion curves to be obtained from single station or array noise recordings. At two sites in the area of Cologne, Germany, the extended spatial correlation method was applied to such recordings and apparent phase velocity curves in the frequency range of interest for earthquake engineering were obtained. Using this data, a linearized inversion, the simplex downhill method, and a genetic algorithm yielded similar S-wave profiles. However, the latter method is recommended since it is less dependent upon a good starting model. Importantly, the presence of low-velocity layers in the Cologne area made it necessary to consider in the frequency range of interest higher modes in the inversion procedures. Finally, independent information on the total thickness of the sedimentary cover permitted the estimation of a 2D S-wave velocity profile crossing the Cologne area. Here, the H/V ratio inversion using 20 single-station noise recordings was used, with the results in good agreement with a geological profile.

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The town of Potenza (Southern Italy) is one of the test sites for preparing ground-motion scenarios within the framework of the Italian Dipartimento Protezione Civile–Instituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (DPC-INGV) 2004–2006 projects. An area in the neighboring village of Tito was selected to evaluate different techniques for estimating site effects involving a 40-m-deep instrumented borehole. This two-sensor vertical array records teleseismic, regional, and local seismicity. Close to the borehole, three seismological microarrays (utilizing short-period sensors\ud and digitizers with a high dynamic range) were installed in May 2005 to record seismic noise. Differing acquisition geometries allowed the checking of any dependency in the derived dispersion curves based on the adopted analysis method (extended spatial autocorrelation [ESAC] and frequency wave-number [F-K]). In general, the ESAC method appears to provide more reliable results in the low-frequency\ud range. Furthermore, the soil-velocity profiles obtained from the microarray data were compared with the S-wave velocity profile derived from down-hole measurements.\ud A good agreement was observed in the depth range well constrained by the data. Finally, empirical site responses were compared with those calculated numerically from the S-wave velocity profiles obtained from the microarray data. Although this comparison did not resolve a preference among the derived models, it showed the\ud importance of downgoing waves in modifying the site response at the Tito site

The aim of this work is to check the stability of the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratios (HVSRs) calculated at the Venosa station site (Italy). This site lies over a layer of anthropogenic fill (4 m thick), a rigid layer of conglomerates (15 m thick), and a thick layer of clays (about 300 m thick) above the seismic bedrock. The velocity inversion, which takes place at the conglomerates–clays interface, is of main importance for the amplification behavior of this site. We have analyzed nearly 2 years of data, composed of 244 triggered noise records and 44 earthquakes. The results obtained by the two data sets show different site-response characteristics. In particular, the earthquake HVSR is not deamplified in the frequency range 1–8 Hz\ud like the triggered noise HVSR. To find out the origin of this difference, we modeled both the triggered noise and the earthquakes, taking advantage of an improved version of the Thompson–Haskell propagation matrix method. The differences between triggered-noise- and earthquake-amplification functions might be explained by the difference in composition and propagation of the seismic wave fields. Moreover, we show that the nonlinear behavior of the anthropogenic fill might explain the presence of the misfit of the resonance frequency attributed to this layer between triggered noise and earthquakes