preview

A Brief Note On Seismic Hazard Analysis On The Event Of A Disastrous Seismic Event

Good Essays

Summary of proposed research
Seismic hazard analysis is an important tool in mitigating risks in the event of a disastrous seismic event like an earthquake. This can be done by studying the behaviour of the soil in locations that are within seismically active regions using several geophysical methods. This project employs the use the cost-effective microtremor method in studying the site response in Kathmandu, Nepal, following the April 25, 2015 M7.8 Gorkha. Analysis of the field data will yield information that could be used by the Government and people of Kathmandu, Nepal, in reviewing their building construction codes and other policies to minimize casualties in the event of an earthquake. This is very important considering the location of Kathmandu which is within the seismically active Himalayas.

Statement of the problem
Kathmandu lies within the tectonically active Himalayan mountain range, which is a continental-continental convergent boundary. Kathmandu is located in an approximately 500 m deep sedimentary basin, which is likely to amplify earthquake shaking (Paudyal et al, 2012). More than 9000 people were killed and about 22000 injured in Nepal during the magnitude 7.8 Gorkha earthquake on April 25, 2015, and the M 7.3 aftershock on May 12, 2015, (Nepal National Planning Commission, 2015). Over 500,000 buildings were either damaged or completely destroyed during the event with the damages estimated to exceed $6.7 billion (USD) (Nepal National Planning

Get Access