2-D Modeling of Site Effects Along the EURO-SEISTEST Array (Volvi Graben, Greece)

--An estimation of local site effects in the Volvi basin as derived from observation and modeling is presented in this paper. The Volvi basin is located in the Mygdonian graben in northern Greece near the city of Thessaloniki. This test site has been studied and instrumented in the framework of the "EURO-SEISTEST" and "EURO-SEISMOD" projects funded by the European Union, aimed at improving knowledge of the influence of the local geology on the seismic response of a target area. In this context we calculate synthetic seismograms along a 2-D profile intersecting the graben, instrumented and accurately investigated with a geophysical survey and geotechnical tests. The seismic wavefield from the source to the target area has been computed with the modal summation method, while inside two of the investigated models representing the 2-D section, the wavefield has been numerically propagated with the finite-difference method. We compare the results of the two simulations, both in the time and frequency domain. We also compare the results with experimental data related to an event recorded by the Reftek network installed in the target area. This permits a better understanding of how the structural features of the 2-D models affect the seismic wavefield, especially in the frequency range between 2Hz and 4Hz, where one can observe differences between the simulations and the observations. This means that the general features of the models are able to reproduce observed amplification effects, apart from some discrepancies due to still unresolved structural features of the site.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]