Abstract: In this study, the seismic ground motion of the scarp topography under inclined P waves was analyzed using numerical simulation method. The effects of the incident degree, the slope angle, and the incident direction of seismic ground motion were discussed as well. It is found that from the bottom of scarp to the top, the amplification factor increased gradually, whereas it had no influence on the incident degree, the slope angle and the incident direction. When the incident degree was constant, the amplification factor of the scarp upside region was greater than that of the scarp downside region, regardless of the incident directions. At the same time, the amplification factor at the crest of the slope increased with the increase of the slope angle. When the slope angle was constant and the waves travelled away from the slope, the amplification factor of x component increased, while the amplification factor of z component decreased with the increase of incident angle. The results show that for waves travelling into the slope, the maximum amplification factor is generally found around the crest of the slope. For waves travelling away from the slope, the maximum amplification factor shifted from the slope crest. Moreover, the larger the slope angle, the farther the departure. The amplification factor of x component was larger for waves travelling away from the slope as compared to waves travelling into the slope, but the amplification factor of z component had no obvious change with the incident direction.

Key words: scarp topography, inclined P wave, ground motion, amplification factor