Comment on nhess-2022-73

Abstract

Colombia is in one of the most active seismic zones on Earth, where the Nazca, Caribbean, and South American plates converge. Approximately 83 % of the national population lives in intermediate to high seismic hazard zones, and a significant part of the country’s building inventory dates from before the nation’s first seismic design code (1984). At present, seismic risk scenarios are available for the major cities of the country, but there is still a need to undertake such studies in other regions. This paper presents a seismic risk scenario for the “Sabana Centro” province, an intermediate hazard zone located close to the country’s capital. An exposure model was created combining information from the Global Earthquake Model (GEM) Foundation, surveys, and the national census. Fragility and vulnerability curves were assigned to the building types of the region. A hazard model was developed for the region and eighteen earthquake scenarios with a return period of 475 years were simulated using the OpenQuake (OQ) hazard and risk assessment tool to estimate damage and economic losses. In addition, a social vulnerability index (SVI) based on demographic information was used to assess the direct economic loss in terms of replacement costs. The results show that 18 % of all buildings considered in the region would experience collapse, and 7 % would suffer severe damage. Losses account for 18 % of the total replacement cost of the buildings and represent 15 % of the annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the region.