On the use of the microtremor HVSR for tracking velocity changes: a case study in Campo de Dalias basin (SE Spain)

The stability of the low-frequency peaks (<1 Hz) obtained in the passive seismic survey of Campo de Dalias basin (CDB) by applying the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) method was investigated. Three temporary seismic stations were installed in remote sites that enabled studying the stationarity of their characteristic microtremor HVSR (MHVSR) shapes. All stations began to operate in mid-2016 and recorded at least 1 yr of continuous seismic ambient noise data, having up to 2 yr in some. Each seismic station was counted with a monitored borehole in their vicinity, registering the groundwater level every 30 min. The MHVSR curves were calculated for time windows of 150 s and averaged hourly. Four parameters have been defined to characterize the shape of the MHVSR around the main peak and to compare them with several environmental variables. Correlations between MHVSR characteristics and the groundwater level are shown to be the most persistent. The robustness of MHVSR method for applications to seismic engineering was not found to be compromised since the observed variations were within the margins of acceptable deviations. The results of this study have widen the possibilities of the MHVSR method from being a reliable predictor for seismic resonance to also being an autonomous monitoring tool, especially sensitive to the S-wave modifications.