Abstract
Peninsular Malaysia is susceptible to large magnitude earthquakes induced by the regional sources as it is surrounded by countries that are known for their active seismicity. Tremors were felt in Penang Island of Pulau Pinang due to earthquake events in Sumatra, Indonesia in 2005 and 2009. Presence of cracks on buildings in the island was reported caused by the earthquake on 2nd November 2002. The tsunami that hit the island on 26 December 2004 was the aftermath of the Great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake with magnitude 9.1. The investigation of earthquake risks ensures that the effect of earthquake disasters in the inclined region can be reduced effectively. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive seismic hazard assessment in Penang Island by analysing the predominant natural frequency distribution in Balik Pulau through a passive seismic survey method known as horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) and evaluating the ground motion throughout the island using probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA) approach. The natural frequencies of Balik Pulau mostly falls in the range of 3 to 4 Hz which is associated with loose deposits and stiff soil layer. The amplification factor extracted from the HVSR curves ranges approximately 4 to 5. The minimum ground motions estimated for a fixed intensity in 50 years for Penang Island is 0.006 g1 and can reach up to 0.025 g. While the minimum ground motions for a fixed return period of 98 years in 50 years is 0.016 g with maximum of 0.035 g.
Highlights
Malay Peninsula is considered free from earthquake induced by local sources due to its location outside of the Ring of Fire region
The two significant measurements that can be extracted from the generated H/V curve are natural frequency and amplification factor
Based on the analysis of substantial data of microtremors acquired in Balik Pulau, the natural frequencies mostly fall in the range of 3 to 4 Hz which is commonly associated with loose deposits and stiff soil layer
Summary
Malay Peninsula is considered free from earthquake induced by local sources due to its location outside of the Ring of Fire region. It is well aware that the area close to the earthquake epicenter will experience the most catastrophic damage compared to the site far from the focus. This is because the seismic waves from the earthquake will be attenuated into harmless waves after propagating for some distance. The Mexico City 1985 earthquake had proven that source to site distance was not the only factor controlling the degree of destruction. The common essence taken from the previous studies show that the evaluation of local site effects is significant in order to determine the impact of ground shaking towards an area
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