Seismic Risk Assessment and Maximum Magnitudes of Potential Earthquakes on Active Faults near Lanzhou City

The Zhuanglang river and Baiyin Baiyangshu river faults are late Quaternary faults near Lanzhou city,which pose a threat to the safety of the city. However,the cause of medium-strong earthquakes along the fault is rather complicated and even uncertain. It is important for us how to assess the magnitudes of maximum potential earthquakes and the seismic risk of the faults. The authors make reference to the method that Wen Xueze,et al.(2007) developed to assess the magnitudes of maximum potential earthquakes in sub-areas of moderately and weakly active faults in the eastern Chinese Mainland,and brought forward an empirical relationship between the maximum magnitudes M_max and the a_t/b values of the sub-areas' frequency-magnitude relationships in the Lanzhou area. By using this empirical relationship,the authors have estimated the upper-limits M_u of the Zhuanglang river and Baiyin Baiyangshu river active faults near Lanzhou city as M_S6.9 and 6.3,respectively. In addition,they have assessed the average interval recurrence time and the probabilities of destructive earthquakes on the faults.