New Seismic Hazard Assessment for Canada

Abstract

INTRODUCTION The Seismology Program of the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) and its predecessor agencies (Dominion Observatory and Earth Physics Branch) have prepared seismic hazard assessments for input to seismic zoning maps for the National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) since the first zoning map appeared in the Code in 1953 (Hodgson, 1956). Subsequent updates to this early map have appeared in the NBCC in 1970 (Whitham et al. , 1970) and 1985 (Basham et al. , 1985). A recent review of this history of three generations of seismic zoning maps can be found in Basham (1995). A fourth generation is now justified because there is sufficient new information available to improve the hazard estimates (Adams et al. , 1995; Basham, 1995). The principal document describing the new seismic hazard model and results is GSC Open File 3283 (Adams et al. , 1996), prepared to present the new results to the Canadian National Committee...