Quantifying the Impact of a Tsunami on Data-Driven Earthquake Relief Zone Planning in Los Angeles County via Multivariate Spatial Optimization

Yueqi Gu,Orhun Aydin,Jacqueline Sosa

doi:10.3390/geosciences11020099

Yueqi Gu, Orhun Aydin + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences11020099

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Abstract

Post-earthquake relief zone planning is a multidisciplinary optimization problem, which required delineating zones that seek to minimize the loss of life and property. In this study, we offer an end-to-end workflow to define relief zone suitability and equitable relief service zones for Los Angeles (LA) County. In particular, we address the impact of a tsunami in the study due to LA’s high spatial complexities in terms of clustering of population along the coastline, and a complicated inland fault system. We design data-driven earthquake relief zones with a wide variety of inputs, including geological features, population, and public safety. Data-driven zones were generated by solving the p-median problem with the Teitz–Bart algorithm without any a priori knowledge of optimal relief zones. We define the metrics to determine the optimal number of relief zones as a part of the proposed workflow. Finally, we measure the impacts of a tsunami in LA County by comparing data-driven relief zone maps for a case with a tsunami and a case without a tsunami. Our results show that the impact of the tsunami on the relief zones can extend up to 160 km inland from the study area.

Highlights

Introduction and Jesus MartinezFriasA recent study conducted by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) shows that a portion of the San Andreas Fault close to Los Angeles (LA) could be overdue for a major earthquake
Tsunamis in California are perceived as an unlikely extreme event due to their low frequency; our analysis shows that a tsunami can change relief plans considerably
We present a workflow that quantifies the impact of a tsunami on datadriven relief zones

Summary

Introduction

Introduction and Jesus MartinezFriasA recent study conducted by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) shows that a portion of the San Andreas Fault close to Los Angeles (LA) could be overdue for a major earthquake. Areas along the coast are threatened by post-earthquake tsunamis, despite the low probability [1]. Under such circumstances, an efficient and manageable evacuation plan can help authorities and citizens to make appropriate decisions in preparing and responding to a massive earthquake. The majority of the tsunamis that impact the county originate from distal subduction zone events from the Pacific Rim, such as 1964 Alaska [3], 2010 Chile [4], and 2011 Tohoku earthquakes [4], with few reports of local tsunami-generating events, such as the Santa Barbara earthquake of 1812 [5]. The resulting tsunamis can lead to severe damage, such as thirty block inundation in downtown

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