Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio (HVSR) Passive-Seismic Data Collected in the Cedar River Floodplain, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 2015
Description
In April 2015, a total of 34 passive seismic surveys were conducted in the Cedar River Floodplain. The horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) method is a passive seismic technique that uses a three-component seismometer to measure the vertical and horizontal components of ambient seismic noise. Seismic noise in the range of approximately 0.1 to 1 Hertz (Hz) is caused by ocean waves, large regional storms, and tectonic sources. A resonance frequency (f0) is induced in the unconsolidated deposits when there is a substantial contrast (greater than 2:1) in shear-wave acoustic impedance between the overburden and the bedrock. The f0 is determined from the analysis of the spectral ratio of the horizontal and vertical components of the seismic data. The thickness of the overburden can be related to the f0. In general, lower f0 relates to thicker sediments, and higher f0 relates to relatively thinner overburden.