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This study develops a method for estimating site amplification that combines instrumentally observed site-specific amplification factors with adjustment factors from nonlinear site-response analyses. This approach provides estimates of site response for large-strain motions based on observations and sophisticated nonlinear modeling. A database of weak-to-moderate intensity ground motions recorded in three basins of Wellington, New Zealand is used to study the observed site amplification. A subset of nine strong-motion stations was selected to perform nonlinear site-response analyses with scaled strong ground motions to assess the influence of nonlinearity on site amplification factors and demonstrate the approach. Different shear-wave velocity (VS) profiles, constitutive models, and modeling approaches (e.g. one-dimensional (1D) site-response analyses vs empirical V S 30 -based approaches) are used to quantify the sensitivity and modeling uncertainty in the nonlinear site-response analyses. It was found that for soft sites subjected to strong ground motions, there may be a decrease in spectral acceleration amplification factors for periods up to approximately 2 s, relative to the expected linear site response. For longer periods, there is little to no amplification from the effects of soil nonlinearity. However, at stiffer sites, which generally experience less basin amplification in observations, there may be moderate amplification at longer periods when nonlinearity is considered due to softening of the soil profile. Empirical ground-motion models were found to under-represent the observed amplification between basin sites and the nearby reference site, especially at intermediate to long periods, corresponding to resonant frequencies of these basin sites. In addition, the empirical nonlinear site amplification models ( V S 30 -based) were found to deviate from nonlinear analyses at large strains, where such models are poorly constrained due to such a limited number of observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plane strain (2D) finite element models are used to examine factors contributing to basin effects observed for multiple seismic events at sites in the Thorndon basin of Wellington, New Zealand. The models consider linear elastic soil and rock response when subjected to vertically-propagating shear waves. Depth-dependent shear wave velocities are considered in the soil layers, and the effects of random variations of soil velocity within layers are modelled. Various rock shear wave velocity configurations are considered to evaluate their effect on the modelled surficial response. It is shown that these simple 2D models are able to capture basin reverberations and compare more favourably to observations from strong motion recordings than conventional 1D site response models. It is also shown that consideration of a horizontal impedance contrast across the Wellington Fault affects spectral response and amplification at longer periods, suggesting the importance of this feature in future ground motion modelling studies in the Wellington region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a generalised velocity model construction methodology, its computational implementation, and application in the construction of a New Zealand Velocity Model (NZVM2.0) for use in physics-based broadband ground motion simulation. The methodology utilises multiple datasets spanning different length scales, which is enabled via the use of modular subregions, geologic surfaces, and parametric representations of crustal velocity. A number of efficiency-related workflows to decrease the overall computational construction time are employed, while maintaining the flexibility and extensibility to incorporate additional datasets and refined velocity parameterisations as they become available. The methodology and computational implementation processes are then applied for development of a New Zealand Velocity Model (NZVM2.0) for use in broadband ground motion simulation. The model comprises explicit representations of the Canterbury, Wellington, Nelson-Tasman, Kaikōura, Marlborough, Waiau, Hanmer and Cheviot sedimentary basins embedded within an existing regional travel-time tomography-based velocity model for the shallow crust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]