Questionnaire for Module 2

Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering

1) Explain the principal of Tsunami warning system.

2) Explain various earthquake hazards.

3) Describe any two recent scientific methods developed to forecast earthquakes
4) Explain the parameters associated with a Tsunami wave and how they change from
deep waters to the shores, giving the reasons for the same
5) The seismicity of a region is described by the Gutenberg-Richter recurrence law:
log m = 3 - 0.75 M. What is the probability of | M<7 | M>6 |?
6) What are the various steps in DSHA.
7) Using DSHA compute the PHA for the site below. Use the following attenuation relationship.
ln PHA (gals) = 6.74 + 0.859 M 1.8 ln (R+25)
(note :R in km)

Source 3,
Mmax= 6

Source 2, Mmax= 6.5

site

40 km
Source 1, Mmax= 7.5

40 km
8) Why do we need distance correction factor in Richters scale? What will happen to the
distance correction factor with the increase in distance from epicenter?
9) Earthquakes have been recorded over a 175 year period. The distribution is shown
below.
Moment magnitude
34
45
56
>6

Number of earthquakes
1790
200
15
3

(i) Derive the Gutenberg-Richter recurrence relationship for the region.

(ii) What is the probability that at least one earthquake of magnitude greater than 5.5 in a
10 year period, and in a 200 year period, will occur?
10) Explain how temporal uncertainty of earthquakes is considered in PSHA.
The seismicity of a region is described by the Gutenberg-Richter recurrence law:
log m = 3 - 0.75 M. Compute the probability of
a) At least one earthquake of magnitude greater than 7.0 will occur in a 10 year period
b) Exactly one earthquake of magnitude greater than 7.0 will occur in a 10 year period

11) The strong motion data of an earthquake recorded for 3 seconds near epicenter with a
sampling interval of 0.1 sec is given in table. Plot acceleration-time history of the
earthquake. Find out PHA, PVA, vmax, maximum displacement, bracketed duration,
predominant period, sustained maximum acceleration (peaks need not be successive)
and local magnitude of the earthquake [ML = log10 A (A in micrometers)]. Comment on
the intensity of this earthquake and expected hazards.
No. Acceleration
(g)
1
-0.01
2
-0.02
3
0.01
4
-0.05
5
0.03
6
0.02
7
-0.01
8
0.18
9
0.08
10
0.02
11
-0.02
12
-0.14
13
-0.16
14
0.04
15
0.10
16
0.01

Velocity
(cm/sec)
0.00
-15.59
-19.08
-21.44
-22.48
-23.57
-19.73
-9.83
-0.01
3.48
10.43
1.63
-10.44
-12.78
-5.41
-6.36

Displacement No. Acceleration

(cm)
(g)
0.00 17
-0.26
-0.05 18
-0.01
-0.21 19
0.03
-0.52 20
-0.20
-0.99 21
-0.16
-1.63 22
0.49
-2.44 23
-0.33
-3.42 24
-0.02
-4.65 25
0.12
-6.14 26
0.12
-7.90 27
-0.11
-9.84 28
-0.06
-12.11 29
0.01
-14.37 30
0.01
-16.48 31
-0.04
-18.14

Velocity Displacement
(cm/sec)
(cm)
-8.60
-18.52
-14.63
-18.23
-16.49
-17.49
-31.36
-16.79
-48.31
-17.20
-27.86
-18.59
-3.09
-19.61
-4.11
-20.08
-16.42
-20.52
-17.17
-21.97
-12.13
-23.64
-5.24
-25.83
-0.12
-29.81
1.25
-34.22
4.66
-35.04

12) Define the terms: Peak ground acceleration, Earthquake magnitude, Predominant
period and Bracketed duration
If an earthquake is recorded at four equally spaced locations along a straight line, show
the variation of all the above parameters along the straight line if the epicenter lies
exactly at the center, dividing the line into two equal parts.
13) What is the working principle of accelerometer? Name different types of
accelerometers.