Site effect on strong-motion records of the 2011 Mw9.0 Tohoku earthquake in Japan

:Strong-motion site effect was checked for four sites at comparable epicentral distances from the March 11, 2011 Mw9.0 Tohoku earthquake in Japan. The result showed that site condition had a significant impact on peak acceleration, and on maximal amplitude and characteristic period of its response spectrum. Shorter-period seismic waves were amplified mainly in shallower soils, while longer-period waves in deeper soft rocks and soils, where the characteristic periods of response spectra were longer than those on ground surface.