Estimation of Peak Ground Acceleration and Its Uncertainty for Northern Indian Region

Abstract

In the present study the authors evaluate uncertainties in the seismic hazard assessment for the Northern Indian region, based on the probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA). The newly compiled earthquake data has been treated for the quality, consistency, and homogeneity in a systematic manner to find out the uncertainties in every step of calculations. Based on the geological and tectonic setup, seismicity and other geophysical anomalies, a seismotectonic model of the region has been developed. The seismic hazard parameters are calculated based on giving proper weight to specific region. The peak ground acceleration (PGA) is estimated for various return periods for the Northern Indian region using a logic tree approach. The variation at the input level in terms of the source models and different Ground Motion Prediction Equations (GMPEs) is used. To examine into the effect of source modelling and GMPEs, the Coefficient of Variation (COV) maps have been generated. To encompass the region and for better resolution, the peak ground acceleration (PGA) is estimated at 15 minute intervals. The COV values due to all branch points in the logic tree decrease with distance from the source and conspicuous increase toward fault boundaries are observed.