We propose a reference site for the site effect study in and around the Kathmandu valley, Nepal. The used data were the accelerograms recorded at two stations, DMG and KKA, and velocity seismograms co-recorded at the PKIN station during nine shallow local and regional earthquakes of local magnitude equal to or greater than 5.0. The DMG station is located on the thick sediments of the Kathmandu valley, whereas the others are rock sites. The KKA station is located on the granite and gneisses of the Shivapuri Lekh about 10 km northwest of the capital, and the PKIN station is in the tunnel of an old iron mine on the southern slope of the Phulchauki Hill about 15 km southeast. The spectral ratios of the ground motion records of the DMG station compared to those of the PKIN station, for all considered earthquakes, confirm that the DMG station has amplification ranging from 1 to 10 in the frequency range of 0.5–10 Hz, and spectral ratios of the KKA station referenced by the PKIN station show that the KKA station has significant amplification in the frequency range of 4–10 Hz and the peak value of the spectral ratio is at most over 25. Therefore, the site amplification in and around Kathmandu valley would be significantly underestimated in the frequency range from 4 to 10 Hz if the records of the KKA station were used as a proxy for input seismic motions to the sediment. Based on the above analysis, we propose that the PKIN station should be considered as a reliable reference site for the assessment of seismic hazards in and around the Kathmandu valley.
