A POWRE award supports the development of a geophysical method for geotechnical site characterization. Field experiments and analyses will be performed to develop a technique for establishing the lateral variability of geotechnical sites using seismic surface waves. The speed with which seismic waves travel through the earth is a function of the stiffness of the earth. By measuring the variability of seismic wave velocity through the earth, the variability of stiffness can be inferred. Surface waves are a type of seismic wave which propagate along the ground surface. In a layered medium, their propagation velocity varies with wavelength. This dispersive characteristic enables non-intrusive measurements of the variation of the earth's stiffness with depth. Surface waves are currently being employed in geotechnical engineering an geophysics to establish the variability of a site with depth. With further study, the method can be expanded to address lateral variations in stiffness as well. The POWRE award will help to bring about the involvement of a graduate student or post-doctorate researcher with complementary skills outside of geotechnical engineering. This will broaden the research base by developing its multidisciplinary aspects and will support development of partnerships between the Principal Investigator and experts in relevant fields, such as digital signal processing, statistical analysis of spatially correlated data, and geophysics.
