Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Micro-seismic hazard assessment of Ahmedabad city, Gujarat (Western India) through near-surface characterization/soil modeling

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The micro-seismic hazard estimation including quantification of the ground motion amplification has been conducted at Ahmedabad city based on near-surface characterization/soil modeling. The city has experienced substantial damage in the course of the 2001 Bhuj earthquake. A total of 20 boreholes were drilled in the city up to the depths of 40–80 m. A five-fold methodology is adopted: (1) Assessment of the seismic perspective of the area under study, (2) demarcation of the engineering bed layer (EBL) through geophysical (seismic) surveys and the soil properties, (3) soil modeling using geotechnical and the geophysical parameters, (4) assessment of the strong ground motion at EBL through simulation considering far-field earthquake scenarios and near-field earthquakes scenario and (5) surface strong-motion estimation by ground response analysis based on equivalent-linear approach. The near-surface soil models were prepared from the borehole logs, shear-wave velocity estimated from the seismic survey and the soil properties like soil classification and density. The strong motion at EBL is computed by simulating seismotectonically justified scenario earthquakes through the stochastic finite-fault source modeling technique using the region-specific input parameters. The surface-strong motion is estimated by performing ground response analysis (with SHAKE) at every borehole using EBL-strong motion and prepared soil models. The EBL was found varying from 28 to 54 m in depth in Ahmedabad city. The effect of far-field and near-field earthquake sources was considered for assessing the hazard. To compensate for the uncertainty, a total of 108 and 81 input parametric combinations for near-field earthquake scenarios, and far-field earthquake scenarios, respectively have been considered for estimating the strong motion at EBL. The peak ground acceleration (PGA) of 52–111 cm/s2 and 108 cm/s2 are estimated at EBL due to near-field earthquake scenarios and far-field earthquake scenarios, respectively. The PGA through ground response analysis at surface level is found to be varying from 101 to 279 cm/s2 for near-field earthquake scenarios and, 118–161 cm/s2 for the far-field earthquake scenarios. The spectral acceleration (SA) (at surface level) has also been calculated for damping of 5%. The average SA distribution maps for 0.2 s (1–2 story), 0.55 s (4–5 story), 1 s (high rise) and 1.25 s period (large structures) have been prepared for both types of scenario earthquakes. The strong motion amplification is computed to be in the range of 1.6–3.3 for near-field earthquake scenarios and 2.2–3.0 for near-field earthquake scenarios.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig 17

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aki K (1966) Generation and propagation of G waves from the Niigata earthquake of June 14, 1964. Part 2: Estimation of earthquake moment, released energy and stress-strain drop from G wave spectrum. Earthquake Research Institute, University of Tokyo, vol 44, pp 73–88

  • Aki K (1967) Scaling law of seismic spectrum. J Geophys Res 72:1217–1231

    Google Scholar 

  • Anbazhagan P, Sitharam TG (2008) Seismic microzonation of Bangalore. J Earth Syst Sci 117(S2):833–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson JG, Hough SE (1984) A model for the shape of the Fourier amplitude spectrum of acceleration at high frequencies. Bull Seismol Soc Am 74(1):969–1993

    Google Scholar 

  • Atkinson GM, Boore DM (1995) Ground motion relations for eastern North America. Bull Seismol Soc Am 85:17–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Beresnev IA, Atkinson GM (1998a) Stochastic finite-fault modeling of ground motions from the 1994 Northridge, California, earthquake. I. Validation on rock sites. Bull Seismol Soc Am 88:1392–1401

    Google Scholar 

  • Beresnev IA, Atkinson GM, (1998b) FINSIM--a FORTRAN program for simulating stochastic acceleration time histories from finite faults. Seismol Res Lett 69:27–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhandari T, Thaker TP Rao KS (2013) Seismic hazard analysis of Ahmedabad City. In: Proceedings of Indian geotechnical conference December 22–24, 2013, Roorkee, pp 1–8

  • BIS (2016) IS 1893: Part 1: 2016: Criteria for earthquake resistant design of structures—Part 1: General provisions and buildings, Bureau of Indian standard

  • Biswas SK (1982) Rift basins in western margin of India and their hydrocarbon prospects with special reference to Kutch Basin. J Ame Assoc Petrol Geol 10:1497–1513

    Google Scholar 

  • Biswas SK (1987) Regional tectonic framework, structure and evolution of western marginal basins of India. Tectonophysics 135:307–327

    Google Scholar 

  • Biswas SK, Bhasin AL, Ram J (1994) Classification of sedimentary basins of India in the framework of plate tectonics. In: Proc.Second Symp. Petroliferous basins of India, KDMIPE, Dehradun, vol 1, pp 1–42

  • Biswas SK (1999) A review on the evolution of rift basins in India during Gondwana with special reference to western Indian basins and their hydrocarbon propects. Proc Indian Natl Sci Acad 65:261–283

    Google Scholar 

  • Bodin P, Horton S (2004) Source parameters and tectonic implications of aftershocks of the Mw 7.6 Bhuj Earthquake. Bull Seismol Soc Am 94:1658–1669

    Google Scholar 

  • Bodin P, Malagnini L, Akinci A (2004) Ground-motion scaling in the kachchh basin, India, deduced from aftershocks of the 2001 Mw 7.6 Bhuj earthquake. Bull Seismol Soc Am 94:1658–1669

    Google Scholar 

  • Boore DM, Joyner WB (1997) Site amplification for generic rock sites. Bull Seismol Soc Am 87(2):327–341

    Google Scholar 

  • Chandler AM, Lam NTK, Tsang HH (2006) Near-surface attenuation modelling based on rock shear-wave velocity profile. Soil Dyn Earthq Eng 26:1004–1014

    Google Scholar 

  • Chopra S, Kumar D, Rastogi BK (2010) Attenuation of high-frequency P and S waves in the Gujarat Region, India. PAGEOPH. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-010-0143-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chopra S, Kumar D, Rastogi BK, Choudhary P, Yadav RBS (2012) Deterministic seismic scenario in Gujarat, India. Nat Hazards 60:1157–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Chopra S, Kumar V, Suthar A, Kumar P (2012) Modeling of strong motions for 1991 Uttarkashi, 1999 Chamoli earthquakes, and a hypothetical great earthquake in Garhwal-Kumaun Himalaya. Nat Hazards 64(2):1141–1159

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen C‑T, Chang S‑C, Wen K‑L (2017) Stochastic ground motion simulation of the 2016 Meinong, Taiwan earthquake. Pl Space 69:62. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40623-017-0645-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Costa G, Panza GF, Suhadolc P,Vaccari F (1993) Zoning of the Italian territory in terms of expected peak ground acceleration derived from complete synthetic seismograms. J Appl Geophys 30:149–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/0926-9851(93)90023-R

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Danda N, Rao CK, Kumar A (2017) Geoelectric structure of northern Cambay rift basin from magnetotelluric data. Earth Pl Space 69:140

    Google Scholar 

  • Dixit MM, Tewari HC, Rao CV (2010) Two-dimensional velocity model of crust beneath the South Cambay Basin, India from refraction and wide-angle reflection data. Geophys J Int 181:635–652

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferritto JM (1993) Effects on high plasticity clay deposits on site ground amplification. In: the Proceeding Third international conference on case histories in Geotechnical Engineering, St. Louis, Missouri, 1–4 Jun 1993, paper No. 3.33 pp. 1521-1527 (https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/icchge/3icchge/3icchge-session03/19

  • Ganpathy GP (2011) First level seismic microzonation map of Chennai city- a GIS approach. Nat Hazards Earth Syst Sci 11(2):549–559

    Google Scholar 

  • Gupta A, Sutar AK, Chopra S, Kumar S, Rastogi BK (2012) Attenuation characteristics of coda waves in Mainland Gujarat (India). Tectonophysics 530–531:264–271

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartzell SH (1978) Earthquake aftershocks as green functions. Geophys Res Lett 5:1–4

    Google Scholar 

  • Irikura K (1983) Semi empirical estimation of strong ground motion during large earthquakes. Bull Dis Prev Res Inst (Kyoto Univ.) 33:63–104

    Google Scholar 

  • Irikura K (1992) The construction of large earthquake by a superposition of small events. In: Proceedings of the 10th world conference on earthquake engineering, vol 1, pp 727–730

  • Irikura K, Kamae K (1994) Estimation of strong ground motion in broad frequency band based on a scismic source scaling model and an empirical Green’s function technique. Annali di Geo Fisica XXXVII:1721–1743

    Google Scholar 

  • ISR (2013) Annual report of the institute of seismological research of the year 2012–13, pp. 256

  • Iyenger RN, Raghukanth STG (2006) SGM estimation during the Kutch, India. Earthq Pure Appl Geophys 163:154–173

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaila KL, Tewari HC, Krishna VG, Dixit MM, Sarkar D, Reddy MS (1990) Deep seismic sounding studies in the north Cambay and Sanchor basins, India. Geophys J Int 103:621–637

    Google Scholar 

  • Kramer SL (1996) Geotechnical earthquake engineering. Prentice Hall, New Jersey, p 653

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar S (2015) Source parameters, scaling relations and kappa model for small earthquakes in Kachchh and Saurashtra regions of Gujarat, India. Ph.D. thesis. Kuk. Uni. Kurukshetra. p 131

  • Mandal P, Chadha RK, Satyamurty C, Raju P, Kumar N (2005) Estimation of site response in Kachchh, Gujarat, India, region using H/V spectral ratios of aftershocks of the 2001 M w 7.7 Bhuj Earthquake. Pure Appl Geophys 162:2479–2504

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin S, Szeliga W (2010) A catalog of felt intensity data for 570 earthquakes in India from 1636 to 2009. Bull Seismol Soc Am 100(2):562–569

    Google Scholar 

  • Mehr SS, Chamyal LS (1997) The quaternary geology of Gujarat alluvial plains. Indian National Science Academy, p 98

  • Midorikawa S (1993) Semi empirical estimation of peak ground acceleration from large earthquakes. Tectonophysics 218:287–295

    Google Scholar 

  • Mishra PK (2004) The Kutch earthquake–2001: recollections, lessons, and insights. National Institute of Disaster Management, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohan K (2014) Seismic hazard assessment in the kachchh region of Gujarat (India) through deterministic modeling using a semi-empirical approach. Seismol Res Lett 85(1):117–125

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohan K, Kumar GP, Chaudhary P, Choudhary VK, Nagar M, Khushwaha D, Patel P, Gandhi D, Rastogi BK (2017) Magnetotelluric investigations to identify geothermal source zone near Chabsar hot-water spring site Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Northwest India. Geotherm 65(2017):198–209

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohan K, Rastogi BK, Pancholi V, Sairam B (2017) Estimation of strong motion parameters in the coastal region of Gujarat using geotechnical data, soil dynamics and earthquake engineering. Soil Dyn Earthq Eng 92:561–572

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohan K, Rastogi BK, Pancholi V, Gandhi D (2018) Seismic hazard assessment at micro level in Gandhinagar (the capital of Gujarat, India) considering soil effects. Soil Dyn Earthq Eng 109:354–370

    Google Scholar 

  • Motazedian D, Atkinson GM (2005) Stochastic finite-fault modeling based on dynamic corner frequency. Bull Seismol Soc Am 95:995–1010

    Google Scholar 

  • Motazedian D, Moinfar A (2006) Hybrid stochastic finite fault modeling of 2003, M6.5, Bam earthquake (Iran). J Seismol 10:91–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Nath SK, Thingbaijam KKS, Raj A (2008) Earthquake hazard in Northeast India—a seismic microzonation approach with typical case studies from Sikkim Himalaya and Guwahati city. J Earth Syst Sci 117(S2):809–831

    Google Scholar 

  • NDMA (2010) Development of probabilistic seismic hazard map of India, final technical report of the working committee of experts (WCE) constituted by the National Disaster Management Authority Govt. of India, New Delhi, p 80

  • NEHRP (2003) NEHRP recommended provisions for seismic regulations for new buildings and other structures (FEMA 450), p 338

  • Oldham T (1883) A catalogue of Indian earthquakes from the earliest time to the end of A.D. 1869. Meml Geol Surv India 19(3):163–215

    Google Scholar 

  • Ordonez Gustavo A (2012) SHAKE 2000- a compute program for the 1-D analysis of geotechnical earthquake engineering problems. GeoMotions, LLC, Lacey

    Google Scholar 

  • Parvez AI, Vaccari F, October GF (2003) A deterministic seismic hazard map of India and adjacent areas. Geophys J Int 155:489–508

    Google Scholar 

  • Peterson MD, Rastogi BK, Schweig GES, Harmsen SC, Gomberg JS (2004) Sensitivity analysis of seismic hazard for northwestern portion of the state of Gujarat, India. Tecto 390:105–115

    Google Scholar 

  • Pomonis A, Coburn AW, Spence RJS (1993) Seismic vulnerability, mitigation of human causalities sand guidelines for low-cost earthquake-resistant housing. STOP Disasters. Newsletter of the United Nations International Decade for natural disaster reduction no. 12

  • Raghucharan MC, Somala SN (2017) Simulation of strong ground motion for the 25 April 2015 Nepal (Gorkha) Mw 7.8 earthquake using the SCEC broadband platform. J Seismol 21(4):777–808

    Google Scholar 

  • Rao NP (2014) Seismic microzonation of Jabalpur Urban Area. GSI Publication, Bengaluru

    Google Scholar 

  • Rao SK, Thaker TP, Aggarwal A, Bhandari T (2012) Deterministic seismic hazard analysis of Ahmedabad region, Gujarat. Int J Earth Sci Eng 5(2):206–213

    Google Scholar 

  • Rapolu N, Mandal P (2014) Source parameters of the 2001 Mw 7.7 Bhuj earthquake, Gujarat, India, aftershock sequence. J Geol Soc India 83(5):517–531

    Google Scholar 

  • Rastogi BK (2014) Seismicity and earthquake hazard studies in Gujarat. J Earthq Sci Eng 1:110–123

    Google Scholar 

  • Rastogi BK (2016) Seismicity of Indian stable continental region. J Ind Soc Earthq Sci 3:57–92

    Google Scholar 

  • Rastogi BK, Aggarwal SK, Rao N, Choudhury P (2012) Triggered/migrated seismicity due to the 2001 Mw 7.6 Bhuj earthquake, Western India. Nat Hazards 65:1085–1107. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-011-0083-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sairam B, Singh AP, Patel V, Pancholi V, Chopra S, Dwivedi VK, Ravi Kumar M (2018) Influence of local site effects in the Ahmedabad mega city on the damage due to past earthquakes in Northwestern India. Bull Seismol Soc Am 108(4):2170–2182

    Google Scholar 

  • Schnabel PB (1973) Effects of local geology and distance from source on earthquake ground motion, Ph.D. Thesis, University of California, Berkeley, California

  • Seed HB, Idriss IM (1970) Soil moduli and damping factors for dynamicresponse analyses, earthquake engineering research center, University of California, Berkeley, California, Rep. No. EERC-70/10

  • Sharma ML, Narayan JP, Rao KS (2004) Seismic microzonation of Delhi region in India. In: 13th World Conference on Earthquake Engineering Vancouver, B.C., Canada during 1–6 Aug 2004, Paper No. 2043

  • Silva W, Darragh RB (1995) Engineering characterization of strong ground motion recorded at rock sites. EPRI Report TR102262

  • Singh SK, Ordaz M, Dattatrayam RS, Gupta HK (1999) A spectral analysis of the May 21, 1997, Jabalpur, India earthquake (Mw 5.8) and estimation of ground motion from future earthquakes in the Indian shield region. Bull Seism Soc Am 89:1620–1630

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh SK, Garcia D, Pacheco JF, Valenzuela R, Bansal BK, Dattatrayam RS (2004) Q of the Indian shield. Bull Seismol Soc Am 94(4):1564–1570

    Google Scholar 

  • Sitharam TG, Kolathayar S (2013) Seismic hazard analysis of India using areal sources. J Asian Earth Sci 62:647–653

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun JI, Golesorkhi R, Seed HB (1988) Dynamic moduli and damping ratios of cohesive soils. Report No.EERC 88-15, University of California, Berkeley

  • Trivedi SS (2011) Soil amplification studies for Ahmedabad region. In: Proceedings International Conference on Current Trends in Technology, ‘NUiCONE – 2011 held at Institute of Technology, Nirma University, Ahmedabad on 08-10 Dec 2011

  • Ugurhan B, Askan A (2010) Stochastic strong ground motion simulation of the 12 November 1999 Düzce (Turkey) earthquake using a dynamic corner frequency approach. Bull Seismol Soc Am 100(4):1498–1512

    Google Scholar 

  • Wani MR, Kundu J (1995) Tectonostratigraphic analysis of Cambay rift basin: leads for future exploration. In: Proceedings First Intern. Petrol. Conference, B.R. Publishing Corporation, Delhi. pp 147–174

  • Wells DL, Coppersmith KJ (1994) New empirical relationships among magnitude, rupture length, rupture width, rupture area, and surface displacement. Bull Seismol Soc Am 84:974–1002

    Google Scholar 

  • Yagi Y, Kikuchi M (2001) Western India Earthquake, website: http://www.eic.eriu-tokyo.ac.jp

  • Zengin E, Cakti E (2012) Scenario based ground motion simulations for Istanbul, Turkey. In: Proceedings of 15th world conference on. Earthquake engineering, 24–28 September 2012. Lisbon, Portugal, pp 24557–24566

Download references

Acknowledgements

Authors are thankful to Director General, Institute of Seismological Research for permitting to publish this research work and to the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) to provide funds for the Seismic Microzonation study of the Ahmedabad city, Gujarat (India) under grant MOES/P.O. (Seismo)/1(41)/2009.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Seismological Research, Knowledge Corridor, Vill. Raisan, Gandhinagar, 382009, India

    Kapil Mohan, Shruti Dugar, Vasu Pancholi, Vinay Dwivedi, Sumer Chopra & B. Sairam

Authors
  1. Kapil Mohan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shruti Dugar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Vasu Pancholi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Vinay Dwivedi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Sumer Chopra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. B. Sairam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kapil Mohan.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mohan, K., Dugar, S., Pancholi, V. et al. Micro-seismic hazard assessment of Ahmedabad city, Gujarat (Western India) through near-surface characterization/soil modeling. Bull Earthquake Eng 19, 623–656 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10518-020-01020-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10518-020-01020-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation