Seismic hazard assessment in continental Ecuador

A seismic hazard assessment study of continental Ecuador is presented in this paper. The study begins with a revision of the available information on seismic events and the elaboration of a seismic catalog homogenized to magnitude Mw. Different seismic source definitions are revised and a new area-source model, based on geological and seismic data, is proposed. The available ground motion prediction equations for crustal and subduction sources are analyzed and selected for the tectonic environments observed in Ecuador. A probabilistic seismic hazard assessment approach is carried out to evaluate the exceedance probability of several levels of peak ground acceleration PGA and spectral accelerations SA (T) for periods (T) of 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1 and 2s. The resulting hazard maps for continental Ecuador are presented, together with the uniform hazard spectra of four province capital cities. Hazard disaggregation is carried out for target motions defined by the PGA values and SA (1s) expected for return periods of 475 and 2475 years, providing estimates for short-period and long-period controlling earthquakes.     

Seismic hazard assessment and design spectra for the Kozani-Grevena region (Greece) after the earthquake of May 13, 1995

The Kozani-Grevena (Greece) destructive earthquake occurred in a region of low seismicity. A considerable amount of strong-motion data was acquired from the permanent strong motion network of the Institute of Engineering Scismology and Earthquake Engineering (ITSAK) as well as from a temporary one installed after the earthquake. On the basis of this data set as well as on the observed macroseismic intensities, local attenuation relations for peak ground acceleration and velocity are proposed. A posteriori seismic hazard analysis is attempted for the affected and surrounding areas in terms of peak ground acceleration, velocity, bracketed duration and spectral acceleration. The analysis shows that the event of May 13, 1995 can be characterized as one with a mean return period of 500 to 1000 years. Relying on the observed spectral-acceleration amplification factors and the expected peak ground acceleration for mean return period of 500 years, region-specific elastic design spectra for the buildings of the Kozani and Grevena prefectures are proposed.     

Seismic coupling and structure of the Hellenic subduction zone in the Ionian Islands region

The western Hellenic arc has been commonly considered as a largely aseismic subduction zone, from the comparison of a small rate of shortening derived from the seismic moment release, with a large rate of convergence inferred from geology. Complete seismic coupling would instead be expected from models that consider a control by plate tectonic forces, because of the trenchward velocity of the Hellenic–Aegean upper plate now confirmed with GPS measurements. In the region of the Ionian Islands, a subduction interplate boundary has been recently imaged and its seismogenic downdip width suggested to be moderate, from reflection seismic profiling and local earthquake tomography. In the appropriate model for such an earthquake source region, which considers a single interplate fault and takes into account these features, the moderate seismic moment release is found consistent with complete seismic coupling of this subduction. The shallow downdip limit of the seismogenic zone can be interpreted as due to the interplate boundary being overlain there by the ductile deeper crust of the orogenically thickened Hellenides.     

雄安新区地震危险性评估

地震危险性评估对确定工程抗震设防等级、制定城市规划与减轻地震灾害等具有重要意义.由于传统分析方法存在诸多缺陷,用其对特定区域进行地震危险性评估可靠性差.本文基于孕震断层多锁固段脆性破裂理论,提出了利用岩石破裂自相似性预测研究区标志性预震的方法,并进而创立了一种以地震物理预测为基础的地震危险性评估新方法.雄安新区位于唐山地震区内,近邻运城地震区.基于唐山和运城地震区地震趋势分析结果及主要断裂展布与雄安新区位置关系,在唐山地震区内划分了保定研究区,在运城地震区内划分了行唐和十渡研究区.采用上述方法,预测了这三个区将发生的较大预震.根据某些学者提出的地震烈度经验公式,评估了唐山地震区发生标志性地震、预震及运城地震区发生预震导致的雄安新区地震烈度.结果表明,未来50年内,雄安新区抗震设防烈度从原7度调整为8度为宜.

     

Seismic hazard assessment for the Itoiz dam site (Western Pyrenees,Spain)

This work summarises the seismic hazard analysis performed for the complete characterisation of strong ground-motion at the site of the Itoiz dam (Western Pyrenees, Spain). The hazard analysis includes the compilation of a composite catalogue from French and Spanish agencies, the definition of an original hybrid seismogenic source model (including zones and major faults) and the selection of ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs). Hazard results are provided as hazard curves and acceleration response spectra on rock for the 1000- and 5000-year return periods, which correspond respectively to the operating basis earthquake (OBE) and safety evaluation earthquake (SEE). The impact of truncating GMPEs at a number of standard deviations (epsilon) has been found not critical here for the return periods targeted. Subsequently, an analysis of the contribution of each source to total hazard and a hazard disaggregation analysis are performed in order to establish the earthquake-source parameters for both the OBE and SEE scenarios consistently with the seismotectonics of the region. The European Strong Motion database is then searched and a selection of records is proposed for each of the scenarios. Our results suggest that seismic hazard in the region is underestimated by the official Spanish seismic hazard map included in the current version of the code (NCSE-02), which is the reference document for the definition of seismic actions for dam projects in the whole Pyrenees.     

Seismic hazard assessment of the Province of Murcia (SE Spain): analysis of source contribution to hazard

A probabilistic seismic hazard assessment of the Province of Murcia in terms of peak ground acceleration (PGA) and spectral accelerations [SA(T)] is presented in this paper. In contrast to most of the previous studies in the region, which were performed for PGA making use of intensity-to-PGA relationships, hazard is here calculated in terms of magnitude and using European spectral ground-motion models. Moreover, we have considered the most important faults in the region as specific seismic sources, and also comprehensively reviewed the earthquake catalogue. Hazard calculations are performed following the Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment (PSHA) methodology using a logic tree, which accounts for three different seismic source zonings and three different ground-motion models. Hazard maps in terms of PGA and SA(0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 s) and coefficient of variation (COV) for the 475-year return period are shown. Subsequent analysis is focused on three sites of the province, namely, the cities of Murcia, Lorca and Cartagena, which are important industrial and tourism centres. Results at these sites have been analysed to evaluate the influence of the different input options. The most important factor affecting the results is the choice of the attenuation relationship, whereas the influence of the selected seismic source zonings appears strongly site dependant. Finally, we have performed an analysis of source contribution to hazard at each of these cities to provide preliminary guidance in devising specific risk scenarios. We have found that local source zones control the hazard for PGA and SA(T ≤ 1.0 s), although contribution from specific fault sources and long-distance north Algerian sources becomes significant from SA(0.5 s) onwards.     

红河断裂带库仑应力演化及未来地震危险性估计

现今地震活动性显示红河断裂带强震主要发生在断裂带的北段,中段长期存在地震空区.为了更好地理解红河断裂带不同段落地震活动性差异和评估未来潜在地震危险性,本研究基于分层半无限空间黏弹性地球模型计算了自1833年嵩明M8.0地震以来,红河断裂带上及其周边共25次强震由于同震应力阶变、震后黏滞松弛和震间构造应力加载的综合作用,红河断裂带上库仑应力变化的演化过程.结果表明,在近180年红河断裂带南北两段得到加载,中段始终位于应力影区,这可能部分解释红河断裂带南北段地震相对活跃、中段长期存在的地震平静现象.假设未来三十余年该地区不再发生大震,考虑震后和震间作用,红河断裂带中段应力影区仍然存在,但范围在缩小;洱源附近、大理至大斗门以北地区、元江以南地区应力增加超过0.1 MPa,可能仍是地震潜在危险区段.

     

Carbon dioxide and radon gas hazard in the Alban Hills area (central Italy)

The sudden and catastrophic, or slow and continuous, release at surface of naturally occurring toxic gases like CO₂, H₂S and Rn poses a serious health risk to people living in geologically active regions. In general this problem receives little attention from local governments, although public concern is raised periodically when anomalous toxic-gas concentrations suddenly kill humans or livestock. For example, elevated CO₂ concentrations have been linked to the death of at least 10 people in the central Italian region of Lazio over the last 20 years, while it was the CO₂ asphyxiation of 30 cows in a heavily populated area near Rome in 1999 which prompted the present soil-gas study into the distribution of the local health risk. A detailed geochemical survey was carried out in an area of about 4 km² in the Ciampino and Marino districts, whereby a total of 274 soil-gas samples were collected and analysed for more than 10 major and trace gas species. Data were then processed using both statistical and geostatistical methods, and the resulting maps were examined in order to highlight areas of elevated risk. General trends of elevated CO₂ and Rn concentrations imply the presence of preferential pathways (i.e. faults and fractures) along which deep gases are able to migrate towards the surface. The CO₂ and Rn anomalous trends often correspond to and are usually elongated parallel to the Apennine mountain range, the controlling structural feature in central Italy. Because of this fundamental anisotropy in the factors controlling the soil-gas distribution, it was found that a geostatistical approach using variogram analysis allowed for a better interpretation of the data. With regard to the health risk to local inhabitants, it was found that although some high risk areas had been zoned as parkland, others had been heavily developed for residential purposes. For example, many new houses were found to have been built on ground which has soil-gas CO₂ concentrations of more than 70% and radon values of more than 250 kBq m⁻³. It is recommended that land-use planners incorporate soil-gas and/or gas flux measurements in environmental assessments in areas of possible risk (i.e. volcanic or structurally active areas).     

Recent Seismic Electric Signals (SES) activities in Greece

Quite recently two intense Seismic Electric Signals activities were recorded at Pirgos station in western Greece. They have been followed by two strong earth-quakes with magnitudes 6.1 and 6.9 that occurred in western Greece and southern Greece; the latter is the strongest earthquake that occurred in Greece during the last two decades. The compatibility of these results with some relationship between selectivity and earthquake focal mechanism suggested by Uyeda et al. (1999) is discussed.     

Seismic hazard in southern Calabria (Italy) based on the analysis of a synthetic earthquake catalog

The application of a newly developed physics-based earthquake simulator to the active faults inferred by aeromagnetism in southern Calabria has produced a synthetic catalog lasting 100 ky including more than 18,000 earthquakes of magnitude ≥?4.0. This catalog exhibits temporal, spatial and magnitude features, which resemble those of the observed seismicity. As an example of the potential use of synthetic catalogs, a map of the peak ground acceleration (PGA) for a given exceedance probability on the territory under investigation has been produced by means of a simple attenuation law applied to all the events reported in the synthetic catalog. This map was compared with the existing hazard map that is presently used in the national seismic building regulations. The comparison supports a strong similarity of our results with the values given in the present Italian seismic building code, despite the latter being based on a different methodology. The same similarity cannot be recognized for the comparison of our present study with the results obtained from a previous study based on our same methodology but with a different geological model.     

Seismic hazard assessment for derivation of earthquake scenarios in Risk-UE

The main features of the Risk-UE project approach to assessing the ground-shaking (and related hazards) distribution within urban areas are described, as a basis for developing seismic damage scenarios for European cities. Emphasis was placed in the project on adoption of homogeneous criteria in the quantitative treatment of seismicity and in constructing the ground-shaking scenarios, despite wide differences in amount and quality of data available for the cities involved. The initial steps of the approach include treatment of the regional seismotectonic setting and the geotechnical zonation of the urban area, while the hazard assessment itself takes the form of both a deterministic analysis, and of a probabilistic, constant-hazard spectra analysis. Systematic 1D site response analyses were used, mostly in the softer soil zones, to modify (when needed) the obtained ground motion maps. Earthquake induced hazard effects, such as liquefaction and landsliding, are also briefly dealt with at the end.     

Seismic hazard assessment in the megacity of Blida (Algeria) and its surrounding regions using parametric-historic procedure

The region of Blida is characterized by a relatively high seismic activity, pointed especially during the past two centuries. Indeed, it experienced a significant number of destructive earthquakes such as the earthquakes of March 2, 1825 and January 2, 1867, with intensity of X and IX, respectively. This study aims to investigate potential seismic hazard in Blida city and its surrounding regions. For this purpose, a typical seismic catalog was compiled using historical macroseismic events that occurred over a period of a few hundred years, and the recent instrumental seismicity dating back to 1900. The parametric-historic procedure introduced by Kijko and Graham (1998, 1999) was applied to assess seismic hazard in the study region. It is adapted to deal with incomplete catalogs and does not use any subjective delineation of active seismic zones. Because of the lack of recorded strong motion data, three ground prediction models have been considered, as they seem the most adapted to the seismicity of the study region. Results are presented as peak ground acceleration (PGA) seismic hazard maps, showing expected peak accelerations with 10% probability of exceedance in 50-year period. As the most significant result, hot spot regions with high PGA values are mapped. For example, a PGA of 0.44 g has been found in a small geographical area centered on Blida city.     

Seismic hazard assessment in the volcanic region of Mt. Etna (Italy): a probabilistic approach based on macroseismic data applied to volcano-tectonic seismicity

In the framework of the UPStrat-MAFA project, a seismic hazard assessment has been undertaken in the volcanic region of Mt. Etna as a first step in studies aimed at evaluating the risk on an urban scale. The analysis has been carried out with the SASHA code which uses macroseismic data in order to calculate, starting from the site seismic history, the maximum intensity value expected in a given site with a probability of exceedance of 10 % (I_ref), for a fixed exposure time. Depending on the aims of the project, hazard is estimated for local volcano-tectonic seismicity and short exposure times (10 and 30 years), without taking into account the contribution of “regional” events characterized by much longer recurrence times. Results from tasks A, B and D of the project have produced an updated macroseismic dataset, better performing attenuation models and new tools for SASHA, respectively. The maps obtained indicate that the eastern flank of Etna, the most urbanized sector of the volcano, is characterized by a high level of hazard with I_ref values up to degree VIII EMS, and even IX EMS locally. The disaggregated data analysis allows recognizing the “design earthquake” and the seismogenic fault which most contribute to the hazard at a site-scale. The latter analysis is the starting point to select the scenario earthquake to be used in the analyses of tasks C and F of the project dealing with, respectively, synthetic ground motion simulations and the evaluation of the Disruption Index.     

Seismic hazard estimation based on the distributed seismicity in northern China

In this paper, we have proposed an alternative seismic hazard modeling by using distributed seismicites. The distributed seismicity model does not need delineation of seismic source zones, and simplify the methodology of probabilistic seismic hazard analysis. Based on the devastating earthquake catalogue, we established three seismi- city model, derived the distribution of a-value in northern China by using Gaussian smoothing function, and cal-culated peak ground acceleration distributions for this area with 2%, 5% and 10% probability of exceedance in a 50-year period by using three attenuation models, respectively. In general, the peak ground motion distribution patterns are consistent with current seismic hazard map of China, but in some specific seismic zones which in-clude Shanxi Province and Shijiazhuang areas, our results indicated a little bit higher peak ground motions and zonation characters which are in agreement with seismicity distribution patterns in these areas. The hazard curves have been developed for Beijing, Tianjin, Taiyuan, Tangshan, and Ji’nan, the metropolitan cities in the northern China. The results showed that Tangshan, Taiyuan, Beijing has a higher seismic hazard than that of other cities mentioned above.     

基于华北区域地震活动性分布的地震危险性评价模型

采用了分布式地震活动性模型. 该模型无需潜在震源区划分,同时简化了地震危险性概率分析方法. 根据破坏性地震目录建立了3个地震活动性模型,利用高斯光滑函数获得了华北区域内的a值分布特征,使用3种典型的衰减模型,分别计算了50年内超越概率10%, 5%和2%的地震动峰值加速度分布. 其分析结果显示了峰值加速度分布特征与我国第四代区划图大体一致,特定地震活动区（太原、 石家庄等地区）的峰值加速度略高于第四代区划图的结果,而这种峰值加速度分布特征与该地区较高的地震活动性特征是一致的. 概率危险性曲线结果表明,唐山、太原和北京等地区的潜在地震危险性比华北区域内其它城市高.      

Seismic microzonation of Chania,Crete (Greece) based on SASW measurements and non-linear site response analyses

Following a brief overview of past applications of, and more recent advances on seismic microzonation, the results of a seismic microzonation study for the city of Chania, Greece, are presented. The study was based on V_s vs. depth profiles obtained at 19 sites of the urban area by performing SASW measurements. The spatial distribution of V_s values was utilized in estimating V_s30 values, depth to bedrock and the fundamental ground period variation across the area of the city as well as for conducting 1-D finite element non-linear inelastic site response analyses. The input earthquake excitations employed in the response analyses were based on the results of an available seismic hazard study for the Chania Area. The results of analyses were utilized for establishing the spatial distribution of rock motion amplification, the expected ground motions and spectral values in the area of the city. Contour maps providing values of the expected ground motion in the urban area are given which may become a practical tool in assessing the seismic risk and expected damage in the Chania area. The maps can also be used in the design of new earthquake resistant structures or the seismic retrofitting of existing ones. Finally, the results were utilized to demonstrate the inadequacy of using V_s,30 values for classifying the soil conditions in the Chania area.     

Seismic hazard assessment in Central Asia: Outcomes from a site approach

In the process of updating existing PSHA maps in Central Asia, a first step is the evaluation of the seismic hazard in terms of macroseismic intensity by applying a data driven method. Following the Site Approach to Seismic Hazard Assessment (SASHA) [11], the evaluation of the probability of exceedance of any given intensity value over a fixed exposure time, is mainly based on the seismic histories available at different locations without requiring any a-priori assumption about seismic zonation. The effects of earthquakes not included in the seismic history can be accounted by propagating the epicentral information through a Intensity Prediction Equation developed for the analyzed area. In order to comply with existing building codes in the region that use macroseismic intensity instead of PGA, we evaluated the seismic hazard at 2911 localities using a macroseismic catalog composed by 5322 intensity data points relevant to 75 earthquakes in the magnitude range 4.6–8.3. The results show that for most of the investigated area the intensity having a probability of at least 10% to be exceeded in 50 years is VIII. The intensity rises to IX for some area struck by strong earthquakes in the past, like the Chou-Kemin-Chilik fault zone in northern Tien-Shan, between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, or in Gissar range between Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. These values are about one intensity unit less than those evaluated in the Global Seismic Hazard Assessment Program (GSHAP; Ulomov, The GSHAP Region 7 working group [29]). Moreover, hazard curves have been extracted for the main towns of Central Asia and the results compared with the estimates previously obtained. A good agreement has been found for Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) and Dushanbe (Tajikistan), while a lower probability of occurrence of I=VIII has been obtained for Tashkent (Uzbekistan) and a larger one for I=IX in Almaty (Kazakhstan).     

Probabilistic seismic hazard assessment for the two layer fault system of Antalya (SW Turkey) area

Southwest Turkey, along Mediterranean coast, is prone to large earthquakes resulting from subduction of the African plate under the Eurasian plate and shallow crustal faults. Maximum observed magnitude of subduction earthquakes is Mw = 6.5 whereas that of crustal earthquakes is Mw = 6.6. Crustal earthquakes are sourced from faults which are related with Isparta Angle and Cyprus Arc tectonic structures. The primary goal of this study is to assess seismic hazard for Antalya area (SW Turkey) using a probabilistic approach. A new earthquake catalog for Antalya area, with unified moment magnitude scale, was prepared in the scope of the study. Seismicity of the area has been evaluated by the Gutenberg-Richter recurrence relationship. For hazard computation, CRISIS2007 software was used following the standard Cornell-McGuire methodology. Attenuation model developed by Youngs et al. Seismol Res Lett 68(1):58–73, (1997) was used for deep subduction earthquakes and Chiou and Youngs Earthq Spectra 24(1):173–215, (2008) model was used for shallow crustal earthquakes. A seismic hazard map was developed for peak ground acceleration and for rock ground with a hazard level of a 10% probability of exceedance in 50 years. Results of the study show that peak ground acceleration values on bedrock change between 0.215 and 0.23 g in the center of Antalya.