Assessing Basin Amplification and Rupture Directivity Effects Using Physics-Based Ground Motion Simulations in Wellington
Abstract
Near-surface velocity structure plays a crucial role in modulating ground motion, and, in turn, contributes to seismic risk. However, a complete understanding of the basin effect is limited, owing to the paucity of detailed shallow basin structure, geological structures and near-field seismic sources. In this study, we perform physics-based simulations of ground motions incorporating the sedimentary low-shear velocity layers in the Wellington basin to evaluate the fundamental characteristics of regional seismic responses. We simulate ground motions of frequency up to ~2 Hz for intermediate-size earthquakes around Wellington, then validate acceleration time series and spectral amplitude ratio against GeoNet strong motion records. After that, we simulate potential dynamic ruptures of Mw> 7 earthquakes on the Wellington Fault, investigating the impact of rupture directivity effects on basin amplification. Our models demonstrate distinct ground intensity patterns arising from dynamic fault ruptures, rather than from distant seismic point sources, revealing significant spatial variation in basin amplification.
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BibTeX
@misc{li2026assessing,
title = {{Assessing Basin Amplification and Rupture Directivity Effects Using Physics-Based Ground Motion Simulations in Wellington}},
author = {Duo Li and Kiran Thingbaijam and Sanjay Bora and Rafael Benites and Shihao Yuan and Matt Hill and Anna Kaiser and Matt Gerstenberger},
howpublished = {EarthArXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.31223/x51j7w},
url = {https://eartharxiv.org/repository/view/15735/},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Assessing Basin Amplification and Rupture Directivity Effects Using Physics-Based Ground Motion Simulations in Wellington
AU - Duo Li
AU - Kiran Thingbaijam
AU - Sanjay Bora
AU - Rafael Benites
AU - Shihao Yuan
AU - Matt Hill
AU - Anna Kaiser
AU - Matt Gerstenberger
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/24
PB - EarthArXiv
DO - 10.31223/x51j7w
UR - https://eartharxiv.org/repository/view/15735/
AB - Near-surface velocity structure plays a crucial role in modulating ground motion, and, in turn, contributes to seismic risk. However, a complete understanding of the basin effect is limited, owing to the paucity of detailed shallow basin structure, geological structures and near-field seismic sources. In this study, we perform physics-based simulations of ground motions incorporating the sedimentary low-shear velocity layers in the Wellington basin to evaluate the fundamental characteristics of regional seismic responses. We simulate ground motions of frequency up to ~2 Hz for intermediate-size earthquakes around Wellington, then validate acceleration time series and spectral amplitude ratio against GeoNet strong motion records. After that, we simulate potential dynamic ruptures of Mw> 7 earthquakes on the Wellington Fault, investigating the impact of rupture directivity effects on basin amplification. Our models demonstrate distinct ground intensity patterns arising from dynamic fault ruptures, rather than from distant seismic point sources, revealing significant spatial variation in basin amplification.
ER -