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Velocity Ratio

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Engineering Geology

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

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Definition

The relationship of elastic longitudinal wave (Vp-waves) velocity to shear wave (Vs-waves) velocity or the relationship of elastic shear wave (Vs-waves) velocity to longitudinal wave (Vp-waves) velocity.

Characteristics

In engineering seismology, the velocity ratio Vp/Vs (TAU parameter) is considered as an indicator of the changes in stress state of rocks during the process of developing strong tectonic and volcanic earthquakes. It is well-known that deep fault zones, named gradiental zones, display rapid changes in the ratio Vp/Vs with a change of the anomalies’ sign (positive or negative). These can be considered as seismogenic zones. Relatively low values of Vp/Vs ratio indicate increases in activity in the magmatic chambers of volcanoes during their activization. The ratio of Vp-waves velocity to Vs-waves velocity (Vp/Vs) is used in engineering seismology and engineering geology (Slavina et al. 2015).

In engineering geology, the velocity ratios Vs/Vp and Vp/Vs аre used...

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References

  • Bondarev VI (1997) Seismic method of definition of physic-mechanical properties not rocky soils. USMGA, Ekaterinburg

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  • Nikitin VN (1981) Bases of engineering seismicity. MSU, Moscow

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  • Slavina LB, Kuchay MS, Lichodeev DV (2015) Assessment of kinematic parameter TAU behavior as indicator of the pressure variation on the example of the results of observations on Kamchatka and Caucasus. “Problems of complex geophysical monitoring of the Far East of Russia”. On 27th Sept – 3rd Oct 2015, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IPE RAS), Moscow, Russia

    Aleksandr Zhigalin

Authors
  1. Aleksandr Zhigalin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aleksandr Zhigalin .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Sidney, BC, Canada

    Peter T. Bobrowsky

  2. London, UK

    Brian Marker

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Zhigalin, A. (2018). Velocity Ratio. In: Bobrowsky, P.T., Marker, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Engineering Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73568-9_289

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