SSA 2014

Posters and Presentations

• Broadband Platform Poster
• UCVM
• UCERF3
• CSEP
• High-F
• Testing for Ontological Errors in Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Models
• Full-3D waveform tomography for crustal structure in Southern California (CVM-S4.26)

Abstracts

From the Earthquake Source to Damage of Buildings: Bridging the Gap between Seismology and Earthquake Engineering

Seismologists and engineers with the capability to understand the scientific and technical features of physical and numerical models including the physics of earthquake source, wave propagation effects, site specific ground motion predictions and seismic vulnerability of structures, are key professional figures within the framework of seismic risk assessment and mitigation studies. Building these professional skills requires seamless cooperative efforts between earthquake scientists and earthquake engineers. This expertise is routinely employed and optimized by a number of governmental, academic and industrial stakeholders. With the aim of gathering and promoting the discussion amongst the aforementioned scientists and engineers, in this session we welcome innovative studies on the topics mentioned above, with strong emphasis placed on practical applications, characterized by a successful integration of seismological and engineering advancements, tailored to the mitigation of seismic risk.

Session Chairs

• Luis A. Dalguer <dalguer [at] sed [dot] ethz [dot] ch>
• Carrlo Cauzzi <carlo [dot] cauzzi [at] sed [dot] ethz [dot] ch>
• Aysegul Askan <aaskan [at] metu [dot] edu [dot] tr>
• Philippe Gueguen <philippe [dot] gueguen [at] ujf-grenoble [dot] fr>

Merging Paths: Earthquake Simulations and Engineering Applications

Recent and continuing efforts in broadband hybrid and deterministic modeling of earthquake processes indicate that we are approaching a junction where physics-based ground motion simulation techniques can be integrated with seismic hazard analysis, risk and loss assessment studies, engineering analysis and design. This session invites participants to contribute their work in the broader area of earthquake modeling and simulation (coupled) with engineering applications. Topics of interest include: high-frequency ground motion simulation; integrated earthquake simulation, end-to-end and/or rupture-to-rafters simulation; integration of nonlinear soil, surface topography and other site effects in simulation; local and regional simulations including soil-structure and site-city interaction effects; structural systems modeling, analysis and design using simulation synthetics as input; earthquake simulations coupled with GIS data; loss and damage assessment based on synthetic datasets; use of ground motion simulations for evacuation plans and emergency response.

Session Chairs

• Ricardo Taborda <ricardo [dot] taborda [at] memphis [dot] edu>
• Aysegul Askan <aaskan [at] metu [dot] edu [dot] tr>
• Tsuyoshi Ichimura <ichimura [at] eri [dot] u-tokyo [dot] ac [dot] jp>

Pillars of Simulation: Seismic Velocity and Material Models

Various research and application areas in geophysics, seismology and engineering are strongly dependent on the seismic velocity and material models used in simulation today. While much progress has been done over the last decades in advancing such models, our knowledge about the geology and structure of the crust and its sedimentary basins and the near-surface geotechnical layers, as well as our modeling approaches to represent the mechanical properties of materials beneath the surface are somewhat limited. This session solicits contributions in the broad area of seismic velocity and material models and their application in earthquake (source and ground-motion) simulation. Topics of particular interest include but are not limited to: development of new and improvement of currently available community velocity models, description of velocity models software, discrete representation of velocity models used for simulation, verification and validation of velocity models, full waveform tomography and inversion, attenuation and/or quality factor rules, visco-elastic material models, off-fault and near-surface plasticity, initial stress conditions and elasto-visco-plastic models in simulations including material nonlinear behavior, integration of geotechnical data, and representation of heterogeneous media.

Session Chairs

• Ricardo Taborda <ricardo [dot] taborda [at] memphis [dot] edu>
• Po Chen <pchen [at] uwyo [dot] edu>
• En-Jui Lee <elee8 [at] uwyo [dot] edu>

Recent Advances in Ground Motions Simulation Methods and Their Validation This session is targeted to highlight recent advances in the development and validation of ground motion simulation methods. Topics of interest include: formulation of new or updated simulation methods with description of parameterizations of the source, path and/or (nonlinear) site effects; models including small-scale heterogeneity in the source or surrounding medium or incorporating 3D complexity of the medium and/or mountain topography; methods for better constraining input; sensitivity of methods to ranges of plausible input parameters; and quantification of uncertainty in simulated ground motions. We also invite case histories comparing ground motions from various simulation techniques, as well as calibration and validation of methods against recordings and/or ground motion prediction equations. The session is open to a wide range of simulation methodologies, including deterministic and stochastic models of wave propagation, with stochastic, kinematic or dynamic models of the source description.

Session Chairs

Christine Goulet <goulet [at] berkeley [dot] edu>

Kim B. Olsen <kbolsen [at] mail [dot] sdsu [dot] edu>

Development of 2014 U.S. National Seismic Hazard Maps and Their Implementation in Engineering Applications

The 2014 National Seismic Hazard Maps (NSHMs) produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) incorporate significant changes in the earthquake catalog, source models, and ground motion models. These seismic hazard maps are based on the USGS’ assessment of the “best available science” at the time of the update, and incorporate a broad range of scientific input models contributed by the seismological research community. The NSHMs are used to produce science-based products that will be considered for inclusion in future building codes, risk assessments, and other public policy applications. We invite papers that discuss major changes to the maps or to the input data and models (e.g., catalog, source models, ground motion models) since 2008; or discuss improvements in data, methods, and models that could be used in future maps. Papers that discuss the impact of the 2014 NSHMs on design maps and future building codes are encouraged.

Session Chairs

• Sanaz Rezaeian <srezaeian [at] usgs [dot] gov>
• Christine Goulet <goulet [at] berkeley [dot] edu>
• John Anderson <jga [at] seismo [dot] unr [dot] edu>
• Mark Petersen <mpetersen [at] usgs [dot] gov>

New Directions in PSHA: Ins, Outs, and Uncertainty

In light of recent advances in earthquake science, data, and computational resources, probabilistic seismic hazard analyses (PSHAs) have increased in complexity. Such complexity manifests as larger logic trees, more sophisticated data-integration techniques, better understanding of input data uncertainties, and the computational capacity to undertake high-resolution simulations (e.g., CyberShake) and inversions for earthquake rate models (e.g. UCERF3). We invite papers on topics that include uncertainty analysis in PSHA, new approaches to gridded, area, and finite-fault source representations, logic-tree analysis and trimming, deaggregation, site-specific methodologies, computational algorithms, simulation based methods, urban hazard maps, new source and ground motion models, and other research or approaches related to PSHA.

Session Chairs

• Peter Powers <pmpowers [at] usgs [dot] gov>
• Morgan Moschetti <mmoschetti [at] usgs [dot] gov>
• Ned Field <field [at] usgs [dot] gov>

75 Years of Frequency-Size-Distribution of Earthquakes: Observations, Models and Understanding

Since the power-law scaling of the earthquake-size distribution has been documented for the first time by Ishimoto and Iida in 1939, 75 years ago, it has become most commonly characterized by the b-value in logN=a-bM, published in 1944 by Gutenberg and Richter and cited more than 1500 times since then. A multitude of studies have since been devoted to uncover the nature of b: From suggestions of being universal and unity to reports of significant spatial and temporal variation. From global catalogs to local microseismicity and acoustic emissions in laboratory experiments. From natural earthquakes to induced seismicity. From statistical robustness analysis to b-value imaging and physical interpretation. Beyond these aspects, the b-value is frequently used in seismic hazard analysis for linking the observed smaller to the infrequent larger event rates, and an improved understanding of its properties and meaning is crucial to advance future seismic hazard assessment. Recent years have offered exciting new insights, according to which the observed natural b-value variability can be related to physical properties of the crust, in particular its stress distribution, such as has been suggested from lab experiments for decades. We invite b-value related contributions from all scales – laboratory, induced and natural seismicity – addressing variability or stability in space and through time. We would like to discuss statistical requirements, appropriate techniques and uncertainty treatment; we are particularly interested in approaches of physical interpretation – (what) can we learn from b-value analysis about the physics of the crust and spatiotemporal earthquake potential? We also invite studies from different backgrounds that face similar analysis challenges or reveal related characteristics, such as strong along fault heterogeneity – do they offer new correlation prospects with b? Or what about b-values in the physical earthquake simulator world? We aim for a forum to discuss the state-of-the-art in b-value analysis and its impact and outline future challenges and opportunities.

Session Chairs

• Thessa Tormann <thessa [dot] tormann [at] sed [dot] ethz [dot] ch>
• Max Wyss <wyss [dot] adh [at] gmail [dot] com>
• Jeanne Hardebeck <jhardebeck [at] usgs [dot] gov>

Staff

• Scott - CyberShake (New Directions in PSHA)
• Kevin - Earthquake Simulation (Session TBD)
• Fabio - Broadband (Recent Advances in Ground Motion Simulations)
• David - UCVM (Pillars of Simulations)
• Masha - CSEP (75 years of frequency distribution)