Abstract
The 2001 Gujarat earthquake was one of the most destructive intraplate earthquakes ever recorded. It had a moment magnitude of M w 7.6 and had a maximum felt intensity of X on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale. No strong ground motion records are available for this earthquake, barring PGA values recorded on structural response recorders at thirteen sites. In this paper, synthetic ground motions are generated at surface level using the stochastic finite-fault method. Available PGA data from thirteen stations are used to validate the synthetic ground motions. The validated methodology is extended to various sites in Gujarat. Response spectra of synthetic ground motions are compared with the prescribed spectra based on the seismic zonation given in the Indian seismic code of practice. Ground motion characteristics such as peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity, frequency content, significant duration, and energy content of the ground motions are analyzed. Response spectra of ground motions for towns situated in the highest zone, seismic zone 5, exceeded the prescribed spectral acceleration of 0.9 g for the maximum considered earthquake. The response spectra for towns in seismic zone 5 exhibit peaks in the low period ranges, indicating high vulnerability of low rise structures designed as per the provisions of the Indian seismic code of practice. The response spectra for towns situated in seismic zone 3 were considerably lower than the prescribed maximum spectral acceleration of 0.4 g. The substantial damage reported in towns situated in seismic zone 3 is due to poor construction practices and non-compliance with provisions of seismic design standards.
Highlights
The Mw 7.6 earthquake which struck Gujarat on 26 January, 2001 was the largest intraplate earthquake in India [1]
After validation of peak ground acceleration (PGA) at rock level, surface level strong ground motions are obtained by incorporating local site effects in the EXSIM code
The modified stochastic finite-fault method is used to derive synthetic ground motions at surface level for various towns across various seismic zones level for various towns across various seismic
Summary
The Mw 7.6 earthquake which struck Gujarat on 26 January, 2001 was the largest intraplate earthquake in India [1]. 9 km southwest of the village of Chobari in the Kutch region of Gujarat, India [3]. The earthquake caused widespread damage in the province of Gujarat. It is estimated that the earthquake caused 13,819 deaths, damaged over a million structures, and the consequent economic loss was close to US$ 10 billion [4,5,6]. While the main fault rupture did not reach the surface, extensive secondary features, such as liquefaction in the form of sand blows/boils, craters and ground fissures were observed in the epicentral area [7] to a maximum environmental seismic intensity [8] degree of VIII.
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