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Using Legacy Data to Improve Seismic Hazard Assessments in the Caucasus

Session: Back to the Future: Innovative New Research with Legacy Seismic Data

Type: Oral

Date: 4/19/2021

Presentation Time: 05:45 PM Pacific

Description: 

Significant amounts of earthquake bulletin, catalogue and waveform data from Soviet era are kept in seismological institutions across the Caucasus. Much of the data is in paper archives and slowly deteriorating. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, through the Seismic Cooperation Program, initiated a project to systematically digitize these paper based bulletins and waveforms in the past five years. The project allowed many previously unreported events to be added to the region's earthquake catalogue. We present a new probabilistic seismic hazard assessment for Azerbaijan taking advantage of this new dataset. The digitization of the data allowed relocation of earthquakes, which previously had low resolution locations, concentrated on grid points. In addition, it allowed direct calculation of moment magnitudes for over 100 events for which Soviet era magnitudes (including K Class) were also available (using data from co-located analogue and digital instruments), providing us with a solid basis to generate magnitude conversion relations specific to this region. In addition to the new hazard results, we present sensitivity analyses related to seismic source and ground motion characterization in Azerbaijan.

Presenting Author: Tuna Onur

Student Presenter: No

Authors