GG 5530/6330 Earthquake Seismology and Hazard Assessment

Spring 2006

 

Topical Outline of Earthquake Seismology and Hazards Assessment

  1. Introduction
    1. Overview of course, discussion of topics, grading, terms of reference, etc.
    2. Discussion of readings, homework assignments, etc.
    3. Introduction to timely topics

  2. Seismic wave transmission review
    1. Body and surface waves.
    2. Travel-times and amplitude variation with structure and distance.
    3. Nomenclature of seismic phases
    4. Geometric ray theory and generalized Snell's law for flat and spherical earth.
    5. Forward travel-time expressions and solutions of Eikonal equations

  3. Seismic instrumentation
    1. Inertial pendulums and electromagnetic seismometers.
    2. System response in time and frequency using Fournier and Laplace transforms.
    3. Seismic recording: FM and digital recording, timing, and telemetry.
    4. Seismic networks and seismic arrays.
    5. Accelerometers vs. velocity meters.
    6. Digital signal analyses
    7. Strong ground motion recording.

  4. Interpretation of earth structure.
    1. Regional traveltime curves, nomenclature, and crust-mantle structure
    2. Standard whole-earth travel-time curves (Bullen, Herrin, Kennett
    3. PREM and 3-D velocity models for crust, mantle and core.
    4. Linear inversion of earthquake data for hypocenters and structure.
    5. Herglotz-Wiechert-Williamson traveltime inversion and Adamson-Williamson density velocity relationship

  5. Generalized methods of hypocenter and velocity-model inversion
    1. Hypocenter errors and array sensitivities.
    2. Formal inversion of seismic data problem
    3. Array measurements of slowness for earthquake locations.

  6. Tomography (inversion) for 3-D earth structure
    1. Tomography methods
    2. Velocity models of the crust
    3. Velocity models of the mantle and core
    4. Anisotropy

  7. Earthquake size and frequency of occurrence
    1. Measurements of earthquake size: intensity, magnitude, moment, and energy
    2. Power law distribution and frequency of earthquake occurrence.
    3. Scaling relationships amongst fault length, displacement, magnitude, etc.
    4. Earthquake periodicity and seismic cycles.
    5. Regional earthquake characteristics and tectonics

  8. Focal mechanisms and stress
    1. Fault mechanics and 1st-motion focal mechanisms
    2. Geomorphic expression of faults
    3. Paleoseismicity and characteristic earthquakes
    4. Fault rupture mechanics and fault asperities

  9. Fault dynamics
    1. Elastodynamics: static and dynamic dislocation models of faulting.
    2. Fault plane solutions and source parameters
    3. Seismic moment tensors.

  10. Seismotectonics
    1. Earthquakes and plate tectonics
    2. Strain rates from seismic moments.
    3. Convergent and divergent boundaries.
    4. Intraplate earthquakes
    5. Paleoseismicity from faulting, displacements, etc. and comparisons to historic seismicity.

  11. Volcano seismology
    1. Earthquakes and magma movements.
    2. Focal mechanisms and stresses.
    3. Non double-couple sources
    4. Harmonic tremors

  12. What have learned from recent and nearby earthquakes:
    1. Basin-Range: 1959 Hebgen Lake and 1983 Borah Peak, Idaho.
    2. San Andreas fault: 1989 Loma Prieta, 1993 Landers, 1994 Northridge, and 1999 Hector, California.
    3. Subduction: 1994 Kobe earthquake
    4. 1999: Turkey, Greece, Taiwan, and California
    5. 2004 SE Asia great earthquake
    6. 2005 Pakastani event

    Outline of Sub Course: Earthquake Hazards Assessment

  13. Review of Seismic Wave Propagation (done in section 2 for seismology students)

  14. Review of Seismology Instrumentation (done in section 3 for seismology students)

  15. Review of Locating and Measuring Earthquakes (done in sections 7 and 8 for seismology students)

  16. Review of seismic geology, focal mechanisms and stress (done in sections 9 and 10 for seismology students)

  17. Review of Earthquake Frequency of occurrence

  18. Use of earthquake catalogs
    1. Assumption of stochastic properties
    2. Declustering
    3. Catalog completeness
    4. Recurrence methods

  19. Engineering seismology and strong ground motion.
    1. Peak ground accelerations and strong ground motion
    2. Spectral response (psuedo velocity and acceleration spectrums).
    3. Seismic wave attenuation and scaling.
    4. Strong and weak ground motion
    5. Amplification/attenuation due to near surface layers.
    6. Empirical strong ground motion time-series
    7. Theoretical time-series development

  20. Earthquake Hazards
    1. Ground shaking
    2. Surface rupture
    3. Ground deformation and earthquake induced flooding
    4. Landslides and avalanches.
    5. Liquefaction
    6. Triggered earthquakes

  21. Probabilistic approach to earthquake hazard assessment (PSHA)
    1. Deterministic versus probabilistic approach
    2. Stochastic models of earthquake occurrence
    3. Probabilistic risk methodology.
      1. Review of statistics, sample spaces, axioms, etc.
      2. Random variables
      3. Distributions
      4. Conditional and cumulative probability
      5. Logic trees
    4. Quantifying data for risk assessment: slip rates and repeat times of historic earthquakes; aseismic slip and fault loading and paleoseismology.
    5. Probabilistic fault displacement hazard
    6. Open source PSHA

  22. Use of PSHA for decision makers
    1. Land use planners
    2. Critical facility managers
    3. Engineering design
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