Journal of Applied Geophysics 45 2000.

1932
www.elsevier.nlrlocaterjappgeo

Mapping soft soils in the Segura river valley SE Spain/ : a case

study of microtremors as an exploration tool
J. Delgado a,) , C. Lopez
Casado b, A. Estevez

a, J. Giner a, A. Cuenca c , S. Molina a

a

Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra, Uniersidad de Alicante, Ap. Correos 99, 03080 Alicante, Spain
b
Departamento de Fsica
Teorica
y del Cosmos, Uniersidad de Granada, 18003 Granada, Spain

c
Laboratorio de Carreteras, COPUT, Generalidad Valenciana, Ctra. Ocana
s r n, Alicante, Spain
Received 1 November 1999; accepted 4 May 2000

Abstract
This study analyses the spatial distribution of soft soils in a valley with a significant amount of recently accumulated
Late PleistoceneHolocene. sediments, but where the available geotechnical information on the subsurface is inadequate to
study the entire valley. To analyse this distribution, we have used a new geophysical prospecting technique, which consists
of estimating the thickness of soft soils based on their resonance frequency. This frequency has been determined from the
HrV ratios of microtremors measured at 180 sites in the valley. The results indicate the generalised presence of soft soils
along almost the entire valley, with thicknesses of up to 67 m. Based on the interpolation of the results, we have drawn up a
map showing the spatial distribution and thickness of the soft soils in the valley. This map is of great interest both for future
plans regarding the use of the soil in the region as well as for seismic zoning and soil-response studies. q 2000 Elsevier
Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Soft soils; Microtremors; HrV ratios; Frequency of resonance; Soil thickness; Geophysical exploration

1. Introduction
Soft soils are at the root of numerous
geotechnical problems due to their low density,
high compressibility and low strength. These
characteristics make them potentially collapsible, causing huge settlements of foundations,
even under low-magnitude loads. In seismic
areas, these soils amplify the shake effects site
effects., usually resulting in severe damage to

Corresponding author. Tel.: q34-965-903-400; fax:

q34-965-903-552.
E-mail address: jose.delgado@ua.es J. Delgado..

buildings sited over them. Therefore, knowledge

of the thickness of these soils, as well as their
spatial distribution within a region is of great
interest for land-use planning and for civil engineering. However, abundant geotechnical information, frequently unavailable, is essential for
such knowledge.
Recent studies have applied traditional seismology and seismic engineering methods to
estimate the thickness of such soils and so
partially solve this lack of information Ibs-von
Seht and Wohlenberg, 1999. . It is well known
that the frequency of resonance of a soil layer
f . is closely related to its thickness Z . through
the relationship f s Vsr4Z, where Vs is the

0926-9851r00r$ - see front matter q 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
PII: S 0 9 2 6 - 9 8 5 1 0 0 . 0 0 0 1 6 - 1

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J. Delgado et al.r Journal of Applied Geophysics 45 (2000) 1932

average shear velocity of the soil. Ibs-von Seht

and Wohlenberg 1999. have studied both parameters f and Z . and demonstrated that it is
possible to establish a direct functional relationship between them, without knowing Vs. In
their study, they used the method of HrV spectral ratios of microtremors to determine the
frequency of resonance. Delgado et al. 2000.
have studied the viability of this technique as a
method of geophysical exploration. Their study
reveals that, based on the frequency of resonance, the thickness of the soil can be estimated
with a margin of error of less than 15%. Both
the above studies considered a microtremor as
any vibration of the soil which is of low amplitude and whose origin is neither seismic nor
explosive. The definition thus includes perturbations due to human activity traffic, motors. as
well as those due to natural causes sea waves,
wind, etc.. .
The aim of this study is to apply these methods to determine the distribution and thickness
of soft soils in the Segura river valley Alicante,
SE Spain., an area where these types of soils
are known to exist but where the available
geotechnical information is insufficient for such
determinations.

2. Geological framework
The study zone, the Bajo Segura basin, constitutes one of the Neogene-Quaternary depressions developed in the Betic Cordillera
Montenat, 1977. . The basement of the basin is
composed of limestones and marls of Triassic to
Cretaceous age. Present-day outcrops of these
materials occur on slopes to the north and northwest of the Segura valley Fig. 1. .
The sedimentary fill of the basin comprises
materials from the Upper Miocene Upper Tortonian. right up to contemporary materials.
These are mainly composed of conglomerates,
sandstones and marls. The latter exhibit significant quantities of gypsums during the Messinian
Upper Miocene.. The distribution of these ma-

terials during the Upper Miocene and Pliocene

is controlled by the presence of the foreland
emergent terrain. to the north and west of the
basin and by the Mediterranean Sea to the south
and east. Close to the slopes, alluvial fans have
developed, with accumulations of conglomerates and sandstones. Towards the south and east
of the basin, the presence of the open sea has
permitted the accumulation of littoral sediments
sandstones and marls. and deep deposits
marls.. During the Lower Pliocene, the Bajo
Segura fault, situated in the south of the basin
Fig. 2., underwent significant activity which
elevated the southern part of the basin Alfaro,
1995.. From this time until the present day,
sedimentation in the basin has been continental
alluvial and fluvial., except in the extreme east
where the transition to the marine environment
occurs.
Since its formation, the basin has been subject to compression in a NNW-SSE direction
Alfaro, 1995.. As a result, the sedimentary fill
has been deformed creating a broad syncline in
which progressively younger sediments have
been deposited Fig. 2. .
The youngest Quaternary sediments deposited in the basin are related with the sea-level
rise after the last glaciation and the simultaneous activity of Segura river and of alluvial fans.
They are of diverse origin. Thus, alluvial sediments were accumulated by various alluvial fans
derived from the surrounding mountains, particularly along the northern border of the valley.
They are thick, detritic sediments gravels and
sands. , with a progressive increase in fine sediments fine sands, silts and clays. in the distal
portions of the fans. These sediments frequently
develop carbonate crusts under the arid climatic
conditions of the region and consequently show
a certain degree of cementation. Towards the
valley interior, fluvial and palustrine sediments
dominate, related with the dynamics of the Segura river. These sediments are finely detritic
fine sands, silts and clays., frequently containing remnants of organic matter. Next to the
mouth of the river, these sediments coexist with

J. Delgado et al.r Journal of Applied Geophysics 45 (2000) 1932

Fig. 1. Simplified geological map of the study zone.

21

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J. Delgado et al.r Journal of Applied Geophysics 45 (2000) 1932

Fig. 2. Cross-section of the Bajo Segura basin. The vertical dimension of the block has been plotted without vertical scale.

fine beach sands, evidencing the progressive

progradation of the fluvial medium on the littoral one Soria et al., 1999. .

3. Geotechnical properties of soft soils in the

study zone
The geotechnical characteristics of these materials are known from geotechnical boreholes

Delgado, 1997. . This information shows that

the superficial part of the fluvialpalustrine and
littoral sediments of the valley must be considered soft soils Table 1. . Apart from some
exceptions, they are characterised by the high
compressibility of the clayey and silty soils and
by the low relative density of the sand 40
45%., which is highly susceptible to liquefaction Delgado et al., 1998.. Since most of the
available boreholes are shallow 20 m., it is not

Table 1
Average mechanical properties of soils and soft rocks in the valley of the Segura river

r kgrm3 .

Void ratio

Qu MPa.

N SPT.

cc

Soft soils (fluial, palustrine and coastal sediments)

Sand a
1940
Silt
1950
Clay
1925

0.84
0.77
0.87

0.067
0.075

13
10
8

0.0561
0.0561

Stiff soils (alluial sediments)

Coarse gravel and sandy soils.
Fine fine sand, silt and clay.

2080

0.52

0.313

refusal
23

Soft rocks
Marls Weathered.
Marls Un-weathered.
Sandstone
Conglomerates

2020
2160
2440

0.68
0.47

0.272
0.642
)1
)4

30
refusal
refusal
refusal

0.0541
0.0282

Symbol explanation: r bulk density; Qu unconfined shear strength; c c consolidation coefficient.

a
Density and void ratio estimated from average relative density of sand in the valley 4045%..

J. Delgado et al.r Journal of Applied Geophysics 45 (2000) 1932

known how deep these poor mechanical properties persist; the few deep drillings carried out
indicate the presence of soft soils down to 40 m.
It should also be noted that the geotechnical
information available on the transition zones
between fluvialpalustrine sediments soft soils.
and alluvial ones stiff soils; Table 1. is scarce.
The dynamic properties of soft soils are also
known. Cano et al. 1994. measured Vs by
techniques of down-hole logging and dispersion
of surface waves. Their results show that Vs is
low at the surface 85 mrs. and increases to an
average value of 200 mrs at a depth of 20 m.

23

CEDEX 1996. measured the degradation of the

shear modulus and the increase of damping with
increasing deformation.
Older sedimentary rocks Tortonian to Pleistocene. show a greater degree of cementation
see Table 1., which increases their resistance
and rigidity with respect to the younger sediments soft rocks and soft soils, respectively. . In
a study on the seismic zoning in this valley,
Delgado 1997. demonstrated that the most superficial part of some sedimentary rocks under
the recent sediments exhibits a certain degree of
alteration, degrading their mechanical proper-

Fig. 3. Transfer functions of those sites exhibiting more than one resonance in spectral ratios and where geotechnical
information of the subsoil is also available. The solid line is the transfer function resulting from microtremor HrV spectral
ratios; the dashed line is the 1-D transfer function.

J. Delgado et al.r Journal of Applied Geophysics 45 (2000) 1932

24

Table 2
Sites where geotechnical information is available and microtremors where also measured
Site name

Thickness of soft soils m.

Frequency Hz.

Estimated thickness Eq. 4. m.

DERRAM
CORRO
A2
S2
S1
P1
S3
A3
P2
P7
S4
A4
SCDN
S5
S6
AG1
AG2
P4
AG4
AG6
SF2
SF1
AG7
ISI2
IES-PA
ED-CAL
ED-SF

40.6
38.7
13.7
42
40
41.9
43.5
35
44.7
4.1
44
35.6
35.3
27
33
29.8
40.5
35
41
16.3
4.2
8.2
11.6
11.1
29
40.5
6.2

1.16
1.4
3.6
1.16
1.34
1.46
1.28
1.59
1.34
7.57
1.34
1.53
1.53
1.83
1.46
1.46
1.34
1.34
1.16
2.01
8.3
4.27
2.69
3.66
1.46
1.34
5.92

45.7
36.1
11.0
45.7
38.2
34.3
40.4
30.8
38.2
4.3
38.2
32.3
32.3
25.8
34.3
34.3
38.2
38.2
45.7
22.9
3.9
8.9
15.9
10.8
34.3
38.2
5.9

ties. This circumstance is quite frequent in

Pliocene and Pleistocene marls. According to
the above author, in such cases, it is appropriate
to consider this portion of the rock and the
overlying sediments jointly in order to analyse
any geotechnical or seismic response problems
in the soil. Finally, as indicated by their elevated density and rigidity much higher than the
Table 3
Statistics of fit Zs af b
Estimate

Standard T value
error

Intercept
4.00938 0.04194
Slope
y1.25566 0.04766

Probability
level

95.5978 0.0000
y26.3444 0.0000

Standard error of estimation is 0.145; coefficient of correlation r 2 . is 0.965; intercept is equal to log a..

rest of the materials in the basin. , the basement

materials of the basin comprise hard rocks.

4. Determination of the frequency of resonance of the soil: microtremor measurement

There are various means of measuring the
frequency of resonance of soil. One is the HrV
spectral ratios of microtremors. Detailed descriptions of this method can be found in Nakamura 1989. and Finn 1991. . The reliability of
this method to determine the frequency of resonance of a soil column has been studied both
numerically Field and Jacob, 1993; Lermo and
Chavez-Garca,

1993; Lachet and Bard, 1994.

and experimentally Duval, 1994; Field et al.,

J. Delgado et al.r Journal of Applied Geophysics 45 (2000) 1932

Fig. 4. Plot of frequency of resonance Hz. vs. soil thickness m..

1995; Bard et al., 1997; Seo, 1998.. The results

show that the latter is more robust and is a
cheaper method for estimating the frequency
Bard, 1998. .
The practical application of this method requires the existence in the ground surface of a
layer of relatively soft material overlying another, more rigid layer or semi-space. . This
contrast between the media is essential, since if
it is lacking, there is no resonance. This fact is
what makes the method of the HrV ratios of
microtremors especially appropriate for the
study of soft soils, as such soils always provide
a significant mechanical contrast with underlying materials and, therefore, a clearly identifiable resonance. On the other hand, when this
contrast is lacking, there is no resonance of the
surface layer and the resulting spectral ratios are
flat.
Applying the microtremor HrV ratios, the
transfer function of a point located on the surface of the soft soils is obtained by dividing the
spectrum of the horizontal components of the
microtremors by the spectrum of the vertical
component of the microtremors measured at the
same site. This transfer function has a maximum, or amplification peak, for the frequency
of resonance of the soil. Lermo and Chavez

.
Garca
1993
applied
this
method
in
Mexico

and found that the frequency of resonance determined from the HrV ratios is comparable to
that resulting from considering the one-dimen-

25

sional 1-D. propagation of vertically incident

SH waves. Their results also demonstrate that
this method offers no information on the harmonics of this frequency.
The measurement and analysis of microtremors was performed as follows: a portable
IDS-3602 station was used, with a triaxial velocity Mark L4C 1 Hz. sensor digitising the
signal at 250 samplesrs. No instrumental correction is carried out, as the sensor components
employed have the same response characteristics in the frequency range of 0.320 Hz.
Therefore, we focused the analysis of spectral
ratios on this frequency range only. At each
point, eight microtremor samples of 2-min duration were taken at 2-min intervals. From each
sample, we eliminated those portions with
strong, local impulsive sources of large amplitude traffic.. The remaining measurements were
divided into windows of 4096 samples, which
were corrected for the base line and the spectrum was calculated. Before determining the
spectral ratio, the spectra were smoothed with a
three-point sliding window. The group of spectral ratios was used to determine the transfer

Fig. 5. Spectral ratios at sites on hard rock Triassic

limestones. and on soft soils Holocene fluvial sediments..
See Fig. 1 to locate points in the figure.

J. Delgado et al.r Journal of Applied Geophysics 45 (2000) 1932

26

function of the site in accordance with the expression Duval, 1994. :

HrV s

( S

2
2
NS q S EW

. r 2 SZ2 .

1.

Upon analysing the resulting spectral ratios,

we observed that at some points, there was
more than one resonance peak Fig. 3. , causing
uncertainty in the analysis since the resonance
corresponding to the soils investigated must be
identified. To solve this problem, we took those
sites with more than one resonance in the spectral ratios, and for which deep geotechnical
drill-cores were available which cut through all
the recent sediments to reach the underlying
sedimentary rocks. We then calculated the theoretical transfer function of the soil. The nine
cases analysed all had altered marls beneath the
recent sediments. Following the criteria of Delgado 1997. in the modelling, we have considered that both materials recent sediments and
altered marls. are soft soils. As shear velocities
Cano et al., 1994. and curves of variation of
shear modulus and damping with strain
CEDEX, 1996. were available for this study,
we therefore performed the modelling using the
SHAKE computer program Schnabel et al.,
1972., which makes use of all these parameters.
Input motion was always chosen to be a pulse
of amplitude 0.01 g.
The modelling results show that the theoretical frequency of resonance of the studied soils
coincides with the resonance observed at higher
frequencies in the spectral ratios Fig. 3. . In
contrast, the resonance at lower frequencies
cannot be explained by the modelling. We interpret this frequency as due to another layer or
set of materials. existing under the soils that we
studied but not considered in our calculations.
This figure also clearly shows the aforementioned fact that the HrV spectral ratios do not

offer any information on the harmonics of the

fundamental frequency of resonance. Thus, the
harmonics in the modelling have no corresponding resonance in the spectral ratios of the microtremors.

5. Relationship between the frequency of resonance of soft soils and their thickness
The calculation of the thickness of a soil
based on its frequency of resonance requires
initially a series of control points where both the
thickness Z . and the frequency of resonance
f . of the materials to be studied are known.
Based on these parameters, we establish a law
of correspondence of the type Ibs-von Seht and
Wohlenberg, 1999. :
Z s Af yB

2.

Realisation of a fit of the type indicated by

the above equation represents a simplification of
the problem. Initially, both variables f and Z .
must be related by the shear velocity Vs..
Numerous authors have studied Vs and determined empirical relationships between this and
geotechnical parameters of the soil Kramer,
1996.. Regardless of the relationship, all of
them clearly show that Vs increases with the
confining pressure s X Dobry and Vucetic,
1987.. As the confining pressure is proportional
to the depth or soil thickness. , Vs is also
proportional to soil thickness according to an
expression:
Vs s aZ b

3.

By introducing this expression into the relationship f s Vsr4Z, it is easy to reach Eq. 2. or
the relationship fZ. The above equations
assume that the mechanical characteristics of

Fig. 6. Profiles showing thickness of soft soils and the spectral ratios obtained at sites on soft rocks Pliocene conglomerates
site 25., stiff soils gravels and sand with calcareous crusts at sites 27, 31, 33, 75 and 76; sand and silts with calcareous
crust at sites 37 and 78., and soft soils Holocene palustrine clays sites 81 and 83 and fluvial silty sediments site
52.. See Fig. 1 to locate points in the profiles.

J. Delgado et al.r Journal of Applied Geophysics 45 (2000) 1932

27

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J. Delgado et al.r Journal of Applied Geophysics 45 (2000) 1932

the soil are constant within the studied layer and

that they do not vary in the study zone either.
This is the main drawback of the method Ibsvon Seht and Wohlenberg, 1999; Delgado et al.,
2000.. In areas where the geological and mechanical characteristics of the soil are highly
variable, this relationship will necessarily be of
low quality.
In the Segura river valley, Delgado et al.
2000. measured the frequency of resonance
from microtremors at 23 points where Z was
known. Microtremors have also been measured
in another four new sites where deep boreholes
have recently been drilled which reach the underlying sedimentary rocks. With these 27 points
Table 2. , we calculated the coefficients of Eq.
2. , resulting in the following relationship Table 3; Fig. 4.:
Z s 55.11 f y1.256

4.

The value of parameters A and B are slightly

different from those previously calculated by
Delgado et al 2000. for this area A s 55.64
and B s y1.269.. The value of B is close to
that determined by Ibs-von Seht and Wohlenberg 1999. for the Rhine basin B s y1.388.,
whereas A is clearly lower in our study zone
55.11 vs. 96.. This similarity in the B values
may be an indication that this index is of low
variability, while A would actually be a characteristic parameter for each region.

6. Results
There exists a notable contrast in the mechanical properties of the soft soils and hard rock.
The method of the HrV spectral ratios of microtremors is based on the existence of a soil or
rock. layer of low rigidity overlying other more
rigid. In the case of sites located on rock, this
condition is not met since no contrast exists
between the material at the surface and those at
depth. Consequently, on outcropping hard rocks,
the HrV spectral ratios are flat, without meaningful peaks. Fig. 5 presents the spectral ratios

obtained on hard rock Triassic limestones. and

on soft soils. It clearly shows that spectral ratios
are very different in each case and that the
method allows differentiation of each type of
material.
According to data presented in Table 1, stiff
soils and soft rocks exhibit different properties,
although mutual differences are not so sharp as
in the previous case. Nevertheless, the spectral
ratios resulting from soft soil sites stand out
clearly from the ones obtained from stiff soils or
soft rock sites 52 and 83 in Fig. 6.. Fig. 6
shows the spectral ratios obtained at sites located on the three kinds of materials. The spectral ratios obtained at sites on soft rock and stiff
soil are quite similar. In the spectra shown,
there exists the mentioned amplification peak at
low frequency, showing greater amplitude on
stiff soils than on soft rocks. It is also observed
that the frequency of this peak is progressively
higher towards the south of the profiles. This is
probably related to the depth of the basin basement, which outcrops to the south of both profiles: the thinner layer giving rise to this resonance would explain the higher frequency of
resonance as the basement becomes shallower.
When the spectral ratios in Figs. 5 and 6 are
compared, it is clear that the main difference
between stiff soilrsoft rock and hard rock is the
absence of resonance at low frequencies at sites
on the latter material. From the spectral ratios
obtained, it seems that the HrV method cannot
be used in this zone for distinguishing stiff soils
from soft rocks.
The frequency of resonance was determined
at 180 sites. Spatial interpolation of this frequency allowed the map in Fig. 7 to be drawn.
This map shows that the frequency varies little
in the centre of the valley 11.5 Hz. , whilst it
increases rapidly close to the valley edges and
alluvial fans that flank the valley. The lowest
frequencies recorded were at the mouth of the
river, where they fell to as low as 0.85 Hz.
The map given in Fig. 7 is of great importance for earthquake engineering and seismic
zoning in so far as the resonance frequency is a

J. Delgado et al.r Journal of Applied Geophysics 45 (2000) 1932

Fig. 7. Resonance frequency of soft soils in the study zone.

29

30

J. Delgado et al.r Journal of Applied Geophysics 45 (2000) 1932

key parameter in seismic design. This frequency

was obtained based on an initial excitation of
very low amplitude microtremors., for which
the behaviour of the soil is clearly linear. It is
for this reason that the map is useful for seismic
zoning for weak soil motion. Nonetheless, given
that the method is not reliable for determining
the level of amplification of the soil Lachet and
Bard, 1994; Bard, 1998. , the map would need to
be complemented by other data to zone the area
fully.
The thickness of soft soils was obtained from
the previous map and Eq. 4. . A map based on
these data is shown in Fig. 8. To compare the
quality of the estimates, we have also included
the thicknesses of soft soils determined from
boreholes and core samples.

The maximum thickness determined for these

soils is 67 m, in an area close to the mouth of
the Segura river. The area of the valley where
the soft soils are thicker is orientated roughly
northwestsoutheast, with thicknesses of over
45 m. This may be due to a greater depth of the
valley before the accumulation of the more
recent sediments. Notwithstanding, the presence
of altered marls soft soils. underneath the recent sediments in many parts of the valley does
not allow a definitive interpretation of the figure, as more core sample data are necessary to
discern what part of the soft soils belong to
recent sediments and what part to altered marls.
In some cases, since the estimated depths always exceed the known maximum thicknesses
of the recent fluvial, palustrine or littoral sedi-

Fig. 8. Overall distribution of soft soils in the Segura river valley contour level in meters.. The thickness of soft soils at
those points where this depth is known from boreholes is also indicated.

J. Delgado et al.r Journal of Applied Geophysics 45 (2000) 1932

ments Late PleistoceneHolocene., the entire

thickness of these sediments must be classed as
soft soil.
The transition between the alluvial fans and
fluvialpalustrine sediments is generally sharp
and devoid of the characteristic resonance of
soft soils. This can be interpreted as the absence
or scarcity of this kind of soils in the alluvial
sediments. In fact, to the north of the valley, in
the alluvial fan zone, the thickness of soft soils
decreases quickly, corresponding to the substitution of finer sediments by coarser ones, and the
development of significant carbonate crusts cementing these detrital materials.
The basement rocks of the basin outcrop at
several points in the western sector of the valley. The abrupt increase in the thickness of the
soft soils around them is an indication that the
alluvial fan deposits starting from these basement outcrops are scarcely developed.

7. Conclusions
The Segura river valley contains a significant
fill of sediments of recent accumulation. From
the available geotechnical information, it was
known that some of these sediments were soft
soils, but their exact distribution and thickness
in most of the valley were unknown. The HrV
ratios of microtremors were used to determine
the distribution of these soils as well as their
thickness. With this aim, we measured microtremors at 153 sites in the valley. These data
were added to those of other 27 points that had
been previously used for establishing a quantitative relationship between the frequency of resonance of the soil and its thickness fZ relationship. .
The results obtained have demonstrated the
generalised presence of soft soils throughout the
valley, although their thickness varies irregularly. The substantial thicknesses estimated for
these soils in the zones of fluvial, palustrine and
littoral sedimentation imply poor geotechnical
characteristics for the whole recent-sediment fill

31

Late PleistoceneHolocene.. In the transition

zones between the alluvial fans and the
fluvialpalustrine sediments, where there is
scarce geotechnical information, we have also
noted the presence of these soils, although their
thickness is smaller.
The interpolation of these results has allowed
us to draw up a map which reflects the spatial
distribution of soft soils in the entire study zone,
including their frequency of resonance and
thickness. These maps are of great interest as an
initial document for planning future uses for the
soil in this area, as well as for the preliminary
estimation for the foundation depth of public
works. Moreover, it is useful for seismic zoning
because it denotes the boundaries of materials
more susceptible to amplify soil movements
during an earthquake, and because it offers information on both static and dynamic characteristics, namely the thickness and frequency of
resonance, respectively.
These results demonstrate the utility of the
method of the HrV ratios of microtremors in
the investigation of soft soils, as it rapidly and
accurately determines the frequency of resonance of the soil at low cost. Nonetheless, when
stiff soils overlie soft rocks, this method is not
suitable. The validity and practical usefulness of
establishing an fZ type relationship should be
noted. Its subsequent use together with the frequency of resonance obtained from the HrV
ratios of microtremors allows the thickness of
soft soils to be quickly and reliably determined.

Acknowledgements
This work has been supported by research
project PB96-0327. We wish to thank C.
ITC SA. and A. Corral SOSAIMA
Domenech

SL. for the geotechnical information that made

this study possible, and L. Macone for his collaboration during microtremors measurement.
We also wish to thank T.L.Youd, M. Ibs-von
Seht and J. Rector for their constructive comments and suggestions.

32

J. Delgado et al.r Journal of Applied Geophysics 45 (2000) 1932

References
Alfaro, P., 1995. Neotectonica
en la cuenca del Bajo

Segura extremo oriental de la Cordillera Betica

.. Tesis
doctoral. Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain.
Bard, P.Y., 1998. Microtremor measurement: a tool for
site effect estimation? In: Irikura, K., Kudo, K., Okada,
H., Sasatani, T. Eds.., The Effects of Surface Geology
on Seismic Motion, Balkema, Rotterdam, Yokohama,
December 13, 1998, 12511279.
Bard, P.Y., Duval, A.M., Lebrun, B., Lachet, C., Riepl, J.,
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