Estimation of Seismic Kappa Parameter and Near-Surface Attenuation in Morocco

The goal of this study is to estimate the kappa (κ) parameter for a group of 12 broadband stations, located in different geological structures in Morocco, a country with moderate seismic activity. In this study, the kappa, κ has been obtained from the spectral analysis of the shear waves of 42 earthquakes, recorded in Morocco. Using 321 seismograms recorded in the period between 2009 and 2012 by the Picasso Project, the average κ-values have been computed from the horizontal components. For each station, the relationship between κ values and the hypocentral distance was determined. We separately investigated and studied the distance dependence of the stations located on soft soil and hard rock sites. The estimated average factor of the κ value ranges from 0.0682 for the hard sites to 0.0763 for the soft sites, with 0.072 as an average value. The lack of a significant correlation found between κ and magnitude at all stations considered in this study suggests that kappa is mainly dependent on local site characteristics. To the best of our knowledge, no studies related to kappa parameter estimation have been published for this region. The results generated in this study can be used for the seismic hazard evaluation of Morocco.