74st Geological Congress of Turkey, Ankara, Türkiye, 11 Nisan 2022, ss.230
Various parameters are used for geotechnical
characterization and considering seismic site conditions. Among them, the most
widely used one is the average shear wave velocity (Vs30) of the first 30
meters of the Earth's surface. Within the scope of the study, Vs30 measurements
of accelerometer stations which are operated by the Disaster and Emergency
Management Presidency (AFAD) throughout Turkey, were mapped, and the slope and
elevation values of these points were calculated using high resolution digital
elevation models. In addition, the geological units and the morphological
terrain classes in which the stations are located were determined, and their
correlations with the measured Vs30 values were examined. As expected, the Vs30
values were found sensitive to slope, morphology, and geology, while the
sensitivity to elevation was weak. Two different Vs30 prediction models were
examined for performance analysis. The predictions of the global Vs30 model of
the United States Geological Survey (USGS), which is based on the topographic
slope for different soil classes, differ from the measurements in Turkey, especially
in low-slope regions. On the other hand, the Vs30 prediction model based on the
available borehole and geophysical data throughout Italy which includes
different factors such as lithology, slope, morphological land classes, and
elevation, resulted in generally higher Vs30 values than the measured ones
across Turkey. Performance analysis results showed that current Vs30 prediction
models across Turkey are especially less consistent in younger units characterized
by low Vs30 values. This implies that a more detailed characterization of young
lithologic units is needed for Vs30 prediction. In this study, classification
of young units on the basis of water saturation level was established using
spatial factors, and new Vs30 prediction models were developed. This approach
better reflects the divergent Vs30 values observed in younger units.