Multi scenario seismic hazard assessment for Egypt

Egypt is located in the northeastern corner of Africa within a sensitive seismotectonic location. Earthquakes are concentrated along the active tectonic boundaries of African, Eurasian, and Arabian plates. The study area is characterized by northward increasing sediment thickness leading to more damage to structures in the north due to multiple reflections of seismic waves. Unfortunately, man-made constructions in Egypt were not designed to resist earthquake ground motions. So, it is important to evaluate the seismic hazard to reduce social and economic losses and preserve lives. The probabilistic seismic hazard assessment is used to evaluate the hazard using alternative seismotectonic models within a logic tree framework. Alternate seismotectonic models, magnitude-frequency relations, and various indigenous attenuation relationships were amended within a logic tree formulation to compute and develop the regional exposure on a set of hazard maps. Hazard contour maps are constructed for peak ground acceleration as well as 0.1-, 0.2-, 0.5-, 1-, and 2-s spectral periods for 100 and 475 years return periods for ground motion on rock. The results illustrate that Egypt is characterized by very low to high seismic activity grading from the west to the eastern part of the country. The uniform hazard spectra are estimated at some important cities distributed allover Egypt. The deaggregation of seismic hazard is estimated at some cities to identify the scenario events that contribute to a selected seismic hazard level. The results of this study can be used in seismic microzonation, risk mitigation, and earthquake engineering purposes.     

龙门山和成都地震构造区的划分

新编制的地震动参数区划图采用了潜在震源区三级划分方案,以体现背景地震活动空间分布的不均匀性,并在地震构造区内归纳出统一的地震构造模型。本文根据西南地区潜在震源区三级划分的成果,分析了龙门山地震统计区内的龙门山和成都地震构造区的基本特征,历史地震活动强度及频度,主要活动构造的构造变形样式,建立了地震构造区的发震构造模型,确定了构造区的本地地震及划分构造源的地震构造标志。同时,提出了确定背景源空间分布函数的简单方法。     

面状发震构造在地震构造法中的应用：以大姚—姚安发震构造鉴定为例

核电厂地震安全性评价中的地震构造法,要求鉴定发震构造和划分地震构造区,在以往实践中,发震构造鉴定往往基于地表活动断裂构造,且表征为线状震源.当存在较强非随机分布的地震活动且难以找到清晰的地表活动断裂构造形迹时,地震构造法就难以合理地表现这些地震的危险性.本文以云南滇中大姚—姚安发震构造鉴定为例,探讨了在地表活动构造形迹不清,中强地震活动性较强的滇中大姚—姚安地区,采用面状发震构造来表征地震危险性的方法,讨论了在地震构造法中采用面状发震构造的必要性、鉴定思路和方法,并建议在今后的核工程地震危险性评价地震构造法中应充分考虑面状发震构造的应用.     

论发震构造特性在潜在震源区参数确定中的应用

发震构造特性是潜在震源区划分及其地震年发生率确定的重要依据。潜在震源区除了反映“未来具有发生破坏性地震的地区”的内涵外,还应反映高震级档地震具有相似复发特征的涵义。由于在地震活动性参数统计单元内,有一些具有不同本底地震的活动构造块体,为更好地反映地震活动的空间不均匀性,考虑潜在震源区的三级划分是有必要的。通过分析潜在震源区内高震级档地震的复发特征,计算预测时段内潜在震源区的高震级档地震的发震概率,采用预测时段内概率等效转换获得地震年平均发生率的方法,有助于在中国地震危险性分析框架内考虑潜在震源区的强震复发特性。另外,文中还对潜在震源区内特征地震次级震级档频度不足的特性和发震构造上强震非均匀性在地震危险性分析中的应用问题进行了探讨     

新地震区划图潜在震源区划分的主要技术特色

简要介绍了新地震区划图潜在震源区划分方案的形成过程,重点分析了潜在震源区三级划分、东西部地区潜在震源区划分技术途径的差异、不同级别活动块体边界带对高震级潜在震源区划分的控制作用、发震构造模型及其在潜在震源区划分中的应用等主要技术特色.共划分出29个地震带、77个地震构造区和1199个潜在震源区.与中国地震动参数区划图(2001)中综合方案相比,东西部地区潜在震源区的个数都有较大的增加,其中东部地区体现在震级上限6.0、6.5和7.0级的中强潜在震源区个数的明显增加,与划分工作中加强了该地区中强地震发震构造的判识研究相关;而西部地区体现在震级上限7.5和8.0级的高震级潜在震源区个数的大幅度增加,与划分工作中注重了活动块体边界带高震级潜在震源区划分,以及强调应用发震构造模型指导潜在震源区划分的技术特色相协调.     

Analysis of Seismic Risk at an Engineering Site from Site Effect Seismic Intensity Data Using the Seismotectonic Method Taking Six Reservoir Dam Sites in Western Anhui as an Example

The seismotectonic method is used to study the seismogenic structures and the maximum potential earthquake around an engineering site in order to determine the seismic risk at the site. Analysis of seismic risk from site effect seismic intensity data, in combination with regional seismo-geologieal data, using the seismotectonic method can provide a more reliable result. In this paper, taking the area of six reservoir dam sites in western Anhui as an example, we analyze the seismic risk from site effect seismic intensity data in combination with the seismotectonic conditions and find that P (I≥i) = 10% over 50 years. The result shows that the seismogenic structure and the maximum potential earthquake have a controlling effect on seismic risk from future earthquakes in the area around the site.     

龙门山和成都地震构造区的划分

新编制的地震动参数区划图采用了潜在震源区三级划分方案,以体现背景地震活动空间分布的不均匀性,并在地震构造区内归纳出统一的地震构造模型.本文根据西南地区潜在震源区三级划分的成果,分析了龙门山地震统计区内的龙门山和成都地震构造区的基本特征,历史地震活动强度及频度,主要活动构造的构造变形样式,建立了地震构造区的发震构造模型,确定了构造区的本底地震及划分构造源的地震构造标志.同时,提出了确定背景源空间分布函数的简单方法.     

唐山－河间－磁县新生地震构造带

地震构造研究往往注重那些形成历史长且规模较大的活动断裂带。实际上还存在一种与现代地质环境和区域应力状态基本保持一致的最近构造阶段新发育的断裂带，即新生断裂带。地震活动与这两种构造带关系密切。根据地震和地质构造等资料分析认为，唐山－河间－磁县地震带是一条晚第三纪开始发育的新生地震构造带。     

唐山－河间－磁县新生地震构造带

地震构造研究往往注重那些形成历史长且规模较大的活动断裂带。实际上还存在一种与现代地质环境和区域应力状态基本保持一致的最近构造阶段新发育的断裂带，即新生断裂带。地震活动与这两种构造带关系密切。根据地震和地质构造等资料分析认为，唐山－河间－磁县地震带是一条晚第三纪开始发育的新生地震构造带     

西南地区区域地震构造图数据库

利用西南地区多年来积累的地震安全性评价工作成果,借助地理信息系统MapInfo强大的空间信息表达能力,使在MapInfo平台上构建西南地区区域地震构造图数据库成为可能。文中使用空间数据库与属性数据库分开设计的方法,采用多个层次、多种基本类型、多表关联的数据库格式,在MapInfo平台上构建了西南地区区域地震构造图数据库     

Seismic evaluation of an existing complex RC building

The seismic evaluation of existing buildings is a more difficult task than the seismic design of new buildings. Non-linear methods are needed if realistic results are to be obtained. However, the application to real complex structures of various evaluation procedures, which have usually been tested on highly idealized structural models, is by no means straightforward. In the paper, a practice-oriented procedure for the seismic evaluation of building structures, based on the N2 method, is presented, together with the application of this method to an existing multi-storey reinforced concrete building. This building, which is asymmetric in plan and irregular in elevation, consists of structural walls and frames. It was designed in 1962 for gravity loads and a minimum horizontal loading (2% of the total weight). The main results presented in terms of the global and local seismic demands are compared with the results of non-linear dynamic response-history analyses. As expected, the structure would fail if subjected to the design seismic action according to Eurocode 8. The shear capacity of the structural walls is the most critical. If the shear capacity of these elements was adequate, the structure would be able to survive the design ground motion according to Eurocode 8, in spite of the very low level of design horizontal forces. The applied approach proved to be a feasible tool for the seismic evaluation of complex structures. However, due to the large randomness and uncertainty which are involved in the determination of both the seismic demand and the seismic capacity, only rough estimates of the seismic behaviour of such structures can be obtained.     

Expert Assessment of the Displacements Provoked by Seismic Events: Case Study for the Sofia Metropolitan Area

— The paper discusses the very recent seismotectonic and geological investigations for the Sofia valley. It also reviews available historical and recent seismological data. One possible variant of seismic zoning (interpretation of available geological and seismological data) is used to evaluate uniform probability Fourier spectra of strong ground motion at Sofia City. The distribution of the maximum expected displacements, using 1-D models and SHAKE91 techniques for 50 years of exposure time is mapped. The maps of eigensolution results for 30 m, 50 m depths to the rock are illustrated. These issues are important for definition of design parameters for evaluation of seismic safety of underground infrastructure, as well as for tall structures.     

K-means cluster analysis and seismicity partitioning for Pakistan

Pakistan and the western Himalaya is a region of high seismic activity located at the triple junction between the Arabian, Eurasian and Indian plates. Four devastating earthquakes have resulted in significant numbers of fatalities in Pakistan and the surrounding region in the past century (Quetta, 1935; Makran, 1945; Pattan, 1974 and the recent 2005 Kashmir earthquake). It is therefore necessary to develop an understanding of the spatial distribution of seismicity and the potential seismogenic sources across the region. This forms an important basis for the calculation of seismic hazard; a crucial input in seismic design codes needed to begin to effectively mitigate the high earthquake risk in Pakistan. The development of seismogenic source zones for seismic hazard analysis is driven by both geological and seismotectonic inputs. Despite the many developments in seismic hazard in recent decades, the manner in which seismotectonic information feeds the definition of the seismic source can, in many parts of the world including Pakistan and the surrounding regions, remain a subjective process driven primarily by expert judgment. Whilst much research is ongoing to map and characterise active faults in Pakistan, knowledge of the seismogenic properties of the active faults is still incomplete in much of the region. Consequently, seismicity, both historical and instrumental, remains a primary guide to the seismogenic sources of Pakistan. This study utilises a cluster analysis approach for the purposes of identifying spatial differences in seismicity, which can be utilised to form a basis for delineating seismogenic source regions. An effort is made to examine seismicity partitioning for Pakistan with respect to earthquake database, seismic cluster analysis and seismic partitions in a seismic hazard context. A magnitude homogenous earthquake catalogue has been compiled using various available earthquake data. The earthquake catalogue covers a time span from 1930 to 2007 and an area from 23.00° to 39.00°N and 59.00° to 80.00°E. A threshold magnitude of 5.2 is considered for K-means cluster analysis. The current study uses the traditional metrics of cluster quality, in addition to a seismic hazard contextual metric to attempt to constrain the preferred number of clusters found in the data. The spatial distribution of earthquakes from the catalogue was used to define the seismic clusters for Pakistan, which can be used further in the process of defining seismogenic sources and corresponding earthquake recurrence models for estimates of seismic hazard and risk in Pakistan. Consideration of the different approaches to cluster validation in a seismic hazard context suggests that Pakistan may be divided into K?=?19 seismic clusters, including some portions of the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan, Tajikistan and India.     

Annealing algorithms in computing stress tensors: A set of numerical simulations for local stress tensor recovery

The determination of a local lithospheric stress pattern from low magnitude seismic activity recorded at a loca array is attempted by means of numerical simulations that include waveform inversion and annealing inversion techniques. A set of flat stratified layers are assumed for the propagating medium. The tests show that the annealing algorithm is a useful tool in this kind of study where collected seismic activity at local arrays could help us better understand local stress distributions in the lithosphere. Although real data recorded at local seismic arrays should be processed, assuming more realistic crust and upper mantle models, many characteristics of the annealing process described here could be used when studying real problems.     

Updated seismic hazard assessment of Tunisia

Modern earthquake loss models make use of earthquake catalogs relevant to the seismic hazard assessment upon seismicity and seismotectonic analysis. The main objective of this paper is to investigate a recently compiled catalog (National Institute of Meteorology or INM catalog: 412-2011) and to generate seismic hazard maps through classical probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA) and smoothed-gridded seismicity models for Tunisia. It is now established with the local earthquake bulletin that the recent seismicity of Tunisia is sparse and moderate. Therefore, efforts must be undertaken to elaborate a robust hazard analysis for risk assessment and seismic design purposes. These recommendations follow the recently published reports by the World Bank that describe the seismic risk in Tunis City as being beyond a tolerable level with an MSK intensity level of VII. Some attempts were made during the past two decades to assess the seismic hazard for Tunisia and they have mostly failed to properly investigate the historical and instrumental seismicity catalog. This limitation also exists for the key aspect of epistemic and random uncertainties impact on the final seismic hazard assessment. This study also investigates new ground motion prediction equations suitable for use in Tunisia. The methodology applied herein uses, for the first time in PSHA of Tunisia, seismicity parameters integrated in logic tree framework to capture epistemic uncertainties through three different seismic source models. It also makes use of the recently released version of OpenQuake engine; an open-source tool for seismic hazard and risk assessment developed in the framework of the Global Earthquake Model.     

Seismic hazard in the Northwestern Apennines

A study of the seismic hazard for the Northwestern Apennines, based on seismotectonic and seismicity data, is presented. Starting from a seismotectonic analysis, showing the complex structural evolution of the region, the seismic activity in the period 1000–1975 has been modeled by some seismic source zones justified by geostructural and seismological considerations. The recurrence statistical parameters and the attenuation laws have been determined for all these sources. With an appropriate analysis method, maps of seismic hazard for return periods of 50, 200, and 500 years were elaborated. Finally, a comparison with the map of maximum felt intensity and with hazard values calculated by a different approach is presented.     

Zonation of Metropolitan France for the application of earthquake-resistant building regulations to critical facilities Part 1: Seismotectonic zonation

The seismotectonic zonation of Metropolitan France(part 1) and the derived seismic zonation (part 2)were carried out in order to facilitate andstandardize the application of earthquake-resistantbuilding regulations to critical facilities forreasons of environmental protection (Decree No.91-461, Ministerial Order dated 10 May 1993).According to current French legislation, adeterministic approach was adopted for the executionof these two successive zonations.The seismotectonic zonation is based on aseismotectonic analysis that included the followingstages: (1) collection and selection of base data(inherited tectonic structures, recent to contemporarydeformation and stress fields, seismicity); (2)comparison of the base data, interpretation andconstruction of a seismotectonic schema; (3) synthesisand compilation of the seismotectonic zonation.The zonation incorporates three types ofseismotectonic unit: faults or seismogenic structures,seismogenic structure systems and seismotectonicdomains. Reference earthquakes, corresponding to thestrongest known events, are associated with eachseismotectonic unit.The derived seismic zonation (see part 2) for theapplication of the legislation to critical facilitiesconstitutes an addendum, from a regulatory standpoint,to the `Nouveau zonage sismique de la France',developed in 1986 by Despeyroux and Godefroy for theapplication of earthquake-resistant buildingregulations to constructions at `normal risk'.     

Site response estimation and ground motion spectrum scenario in the Catania area

A realistic definition of seismic input for the Catania area is obtained using advanced modeling techniques that allow us the computation of synthetic seismograms, containing body and surface waves. With the modal summation technique, extended to laterally heterogeneous anelastic structural models, we create a database of synthetic signals which can be used for the study of the local response in a set of selected sites located within the Catania area. We propose a ground shaking scenario corresponding to a source spectrum of an earthquake that mimics the destructive event that occurred on 11 January 1693. Making use of the simplified geotechnical map for the Catania area, we produce maps which illustrate the spatial variability of the SH waveforms over the entire area. Using the detailed geological and geotechnical information along a selected cross section, we study the site response to the SH and P-SV motion in a very realistic case, adopting and comparing different estimation techniques.     

Delineation of Potential Seismic Source Regions of Moderately Strong Earthquakes Without Seismogenic Tectonics

In this paper,approaches are developed to delineate the potential seismic source regions of moderately strong earthquakes that do not have clear seismotectonic settings.Based on comprehensive analysis of regional tectonic backgrounds and seismicity,the data,such as isoseisrnals,spatial distribution of after shocks,regional tectonic stress field,and focal mechanisms,are employed for the delineation of the potential seismic source regions.The reliability of such potential seismic source regions is also discussed.     

Probabilistic seismic hazard analysis for spatially distributed infrastructure

Two key issues distinguish probabilistic seismic risk analysis of a lifeline or portfolio of structures from that of a single structure. Regional analysis must consider the correlation among lifeline components or structures in the portfolio, and the larger scope makes it much more computationally demanding. In this paper, we systematically identify and compare alternative methods for regional hazard analysis that can be used as the first part of a computationally efficient regional probabilistic seismic risk analysis that properly considers spatial correlation. Specifically, each method results in a set of probabilistic ground motion maps with associated hazard‐consistent annual occurrence probabilities that together represent the regional hazard. The methods are compared according to how replicable and computationally tractable they are and the extent to which the resulting maps are physically realistic, consistent with the regional hazard and regional spatial correlation, and few in number. On the basis of a conceptual comparison and an empirical comparison for Los Angeles, we recommend a combination of simulation and optimization approaches: (i) Monte Carlo simulation with importance sampling of the earthquake magnitudes to generate a set of probabilistic earthquake scenarios (defined by source and magnitude); (ii) the optimization‐based probabilistic scenario method, a mixed‐integer linear program, to reduce the size of that set; (iii) Monte Carlo simulation to generate a set of probabilistic ground motion maps, varying the number of maps sampled from each earthquake scenario so as to minimize the sampling variance; and (iv) the optimization‐based probabilistic scenario again to reduce the set of probabilistic ground motion maps. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.