Near-field ground motions from the July, 2019 Ridgecrest, California, earthquake sequence

Seismological Research Letters
By: , and 

Metrics

17
Crossref references
Web analytics dashboard Metrics definitions

Links

Abstract

The 2019 Ridgecrest, California, earthquake sequence, including an Mw 6.4 event on 4 July and an Mw 7.1 approximately 34 hr later, was recorded by 15 instruments within 55 km nearest‐fault distance. To characterize and explore near‐field ground motions from the Mw 6.4 foreshock and Mw 7.1 mainshock, we augment these records with available macroseismic information, including conventional intensities and displaced rocks. We conclude that near‐field shaking intensities were generally below modified Mercalli intensity 9, with concentrations of locally high values toward the northern and southern termini of the mainshock rupture. We further show that, relative to near‐field ground motions at hard‐rock sites, instrumental ground motions at alluvial near‐field sites for both the Mw 6.4 foreshock and Mw 7.1 mainshock were depleted in energy at frequencies higher than 2–3 Hz, as expected from ground‐motion models. Both the macroseismic and instrumental observations suggest that sediments in the Indian Wells Valley experienced a pervasively nonlinear response, which helps explain why shaking intensities and damage in the closest population center, Ridgecrest, were relatively modest given its proximity to the earthquakes.

Study Area

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Near-field ground motions from the July, 2019 Ridgecrest, California, earthquake sequence
Series title Seismological Research Letters
DOI 10.1785/0220190279
Volume 91
Issue 3
Publication Date February 26, 2020
Year Published 2020
Language English
Publisher Seismological Society of America
Contributing office(s) Earthquake Science Center
Description 14 p.
First page 1542
Last page 1555
Country United States
State California
Additional publication details