Aasha Pancha, John G. Anderson, and John N. Louie
Characterization of near-surface geology at strong-motion stations in the vicinity of Reno, Nevada
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (December 2007), 97(6):2096-2117

Abstract:
We evaluate site conditions at each of the 21 Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) strong-motion stations in the Reno-Sparks, Nevada, area. Shallow shear-wave velocities are measured using the refraction microtremor (ReMi) technique (Louie, 2001). Average velocities to depths of 30 and 100 m are compared with local geological and soil classifications. Generalized 1:250,000 scale geological classifications show some variations in unit averages of the measured velocities, but variations between units are much smaller than the standard deviations of velocities within units having multiple measurements. Site velocities are weakly correlated with the weight percent of gravel, sand, silt, and clay in the soil unit at the surface. Predictions of site velocities based on these soil sediment percentages fall within + or -20% of measured values for all but two of the 21 sites.