Differential interferometry, structural lineaments and terrain deformation analysis applied in Zero Zone 2016 Earthquake (Manta, Ecuador)

Abstract

The earthquake of April 16, 2016 caused huge economic losses and human lives in Ground Zero of the city of Manta, Ecuador. The present study delimited the affected areas by superficial deformation and vertical displacements of the relief in this zone by means of the differential interferometry analysis (DInSAR), with the support of geophysical techniques such as electrical tomography of the subsoil and of georadar in combination with the analysis of concentration of structural lineaments-tectonic deformation, seismicity and geotechnical parameters such as soil liquefaction indexes, cutting wave velocity Vs30, among others. This combination of techniques allowed the spatial location with greater certainty of areas susceptible to seismic risk for construction and related to the soils typology of the Ecuadorian Construction Standard-NEC 2015. This proposed methodology improved forecasting mechanisms for the reduction of seismic risk based on maps of its susceptibility to the possible occurrence of an earthquake of magnitude as that of 16 April 16, 2016. Forecast that can be done to protect engineering works and to the population, especially in tectonically deformed areas.