Analysis of Applicability of Seismic Intensity Estimation Using Fourier Spectrum of Ground Motions for Iranian Earthquakes

The intensity scales in different forms provide valuable information on regional earthquake effects. In this paper, a theoretical model which has been developed recently for seismic intensity estimation is re-examined by employing strong motion records from ten Iranian earthquakes. The analysis results confirmed the capability of the implemented method to estimate the seismic intensity in terms of the MMI scale based on a Fourier spectrum in the study area. The predicted intensity values were compared with another technique utilizing peak ground velocity (PGV) as a predictor. To reveal the high potential of the adopted approach, the theoretical isoseismal map was developed for the 1978 Tabas, Iran earthquake (Mw = 7.4) based on a stochastic finite-fault modelling of ground motions. Results showed good compatibility of predicted intensity values while the historical earthquake records are not enough for a given site.     

A checking method for probabilistic seismic-hazard assessment: case studies on three cities

The conventional Cornell’s source-based approach of probabilistic seismic-hazard assessment (PSHA) has been employed all around the world, whilst many studies often rely on the use of computer packages such as FRISK (McGuire FRISK—a computer program for seismic risk analysis. Open-File Report 78-1007, United States Geological Survey, Department of Interior, Washington 1978) and SEISRISK III (Bender and Perkins SEISRISK III—a computer program for seismic hazard estimation, Bulletin 1772. United States Geological Survey, Department of Interior, Washington 1987). A “black-box” syndrome may be resulted if the user of the software does not have another simple and robust PSHA method that can be used to make comparisons. An alternative method for PSHA, namely direct amplitude-based (DAB) approach, has been developed as a heuristic and efficient method enabling users to undertake their own sanity checks on outputs from computer packages. This paper experiments the application of the DAB approach for three cities in China, Iran, and India, respectively, and compares with documented results computed by the source-based approach. Several insights regarding the procedure of conducting PSHA have also been obtained, which could be useful for future seismic-hazard studies.     

Detection of pulse-like ground motions based on continues wavelet transform

This paper implements a quantitative approach to detect pulse-like ground motions based on continues wavelet transform, which is able to clearly identify sudden jumps in time history of earthquake records by considering contribution of different levels of frequency. These analyses were performed on a set of time series records obtained in near-fault regions of Iran. Pulse-like ground motions frequently resulted from directivity effects in near-fault area and are of interest in the field of seismology and also earthquake engineering for seismic performance evaluation of structures. The results of this study basically help us to establish a suitable platform for selecting pulse-like records, while performance evaluation of structure in near-fault area will need to account. The period of velocity pulses as a key parameter that significantly affects structural response is simply determined by using a pseudo-period of the mother wavelets. In addition, the efficiency of different types of mother wavelets on classification performance and the features of detected pulse are investigated by applying seven different kinds of mother wavelets. The analyses indicate that the selection of most appropriate mother wavelet plays a significant role in effective extraction of ground motion features and consequently in estimation of velocity pulse period. As a result, the user should be aware of what is selected as a mother wavelet in the analysis. The comparisons given here among different mother wavelets also show the better performance of BiorSpline (bior1.3) basis from biorthognal wavelet families for the preferred purpose in this paper.     

Comparative performance of new hybrid ANFIS models in landslide susceptibility mapping

Natural Hazards - Many landslides occur in the Karun watershed in the Zagros Mountains. In the present study, we employed a novel comparative approach for spatial modeling of landslides given the...     

Geochemistry and genesis of sulphide ore deposits in Sharosh Village,Qandil Series,Kurdistan Region,NE Iraq

The low-grade base metal sulphide Cu–Zn–Pb and Fe mineralization of Qandil Series develop in shear zones that occur in formations of the north-western part of the Zagros Orogen. This sulphide mineralization occurs either as quartz vein type or disseminated type associated with metamorphic rocks (marbles and phyllites). This study aims to characterize these sulphide-rich ores by means of their mineralogical and geochemical features, including also the features of the corresponded host formations and those of marbles (calcitic and dolomitic) and phyllites. Petrographical data indicate the presence of Cu, Zn, Pb and Fe sulphides in hydrothermal quartz (±calcite) veins of different generations. Geochemical data of surface samples indicate enrichment of Cu and Fe in shear zones with low concentrations in Zn and Pb. The REE data indicate that the genesis of these sulphide ores took place in a hydrothermal system and was generally attributed to high temperature (> 250 °C).The mineralization seems to be fault-controlled, which is favoured by the significant tectonic deformation of the area.     

Predicting mechanical properties and ultimate shear strength of gypsum,limestone and sandstone rocks using Vipulanandan models

ABSTRACT

In this study, over 1000 data from the literature was used to characterize and compare the density, strengths, modulus, fracture toughness, porosity and the ultimate shear strengths of the gypsum, limestone and sandstone rocks. The compressive modulus and Mode-1 fracture toughness of the gypsum rock, limestone rock and sandstone rocks varied from 0.7 GPa to 70 GPa, and from 0.03 MPa.m^0.5 to 2.6 MPa.m^0.5  respectively. Vipulanandan correlation model was effective in relating the modulus of elasticity, fracture toughness with the relevant strengths of the rocks. A new nonlinear Vipulanandan failure criterion was developed to quantify the tensile strength, pure shear (cohesion) strength and to predict the maximum shear strength limit with applied normal stress on the gypsum, limestone and sandstone rocks. The Vipulanandan failure model predicts the maximum shear strength limit was, as the Mohr-Coulomb failure model does not have a limit on the maximum shear strength. With the Vipulanandan failure model based on the available data, the maximum shear strengths predicted for the gypsum, limestone and sandstone rocks were 64 MPa, 114 MPa and 410 MPa respectively.     

A new site classification approach based on neural networks

Site classification is an important procedure for a reliable site-specific seismic hazard assessment. On the other hand, the site conditions at strong-motion stations are essential for accurate interpretation and analysis of the recorded ground motion data obtained from different regions of the world. For some countries with insufficient data on the subsurface geological settings, the required site condition information is not available. This paper presents a new and efficient approach for site classification based on artificial neural networks (ANN) along with a selected set of representative horizontal to vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) curves for four site classes. The nonlinear nature of ANN and their ability to learn in a complex environment make it highly suitable for function approximation and solving complicated engineering problems. Two types of radial basis function (RBF) neural networks, namely, probabilistic neural networks (PNN) and generalized regression neural networks (GRNN) were chosen in this study, as no separate training phase is required, rendering them particularly suitable for site classification. The proposed approach has been tested using data of the Chi-Chi, Taiwan, earthquake (Mw=7.6) recorded from 87 stations at which the site conditions are known. Analyses show that both the PNN and the GRNN perform very well with similar accuracy in estimating site conditions, with successful rates of 78% and 75%, respectively.     

A new combined framework for sustainable development using the DPSIR approach and numerical modeling

Relying on the conceptual DPSIR framework and MODFLOW analysis,this study used a mixed approach to produce groundwater resource management solutions for the Najafabad area in central Iran.According to DPSIR results,agricultural activities put the highest pressure on groundwater resources in this region.The results showed the effectiveness of reducing water withdrawal over 30 years in maintaining the aquifer in a state of equilibrium.The best scenario consisted of cutting down extraction by 10% over the said period.Output maps of the water table rise at the Najafabad aquifer clearly showed that the groundwater management scenario involving a 10% reduction of water withdrawal was the most effective solution,as it would raise the water level by 6.7 m.Regarding other scenarios,reducing cultivated area by 20% was found to raise the water table by 5.03 m on average,while cutting down water withdrawal by 5% increased the water table by 3.6 m,and a 10% reduction of the cultivated area resulted in a 1.85 m rise.The combined model proposed here can be used for similar aquifers and can aid decision-makers and managers.