Active fault characterization and seismotectonic zoning of the Hispaniola island

Designing a seismic source model based on the most complete description of potentially active faults and on the kinematics of their latest movements is an essential requirement in seismic hazard studies, at regional and local scales. A study to characterize active faults in the Hispaniola island (today’s Haiti and Dominican Republic) has been conducted in the framework of the probabilistic seismic hazard assessment for Santo Domingo (capital of the Dominican Republic). In this work, we present a seismotectonic map of Hispaniola and its surroundings, based on a compilation and synthesis of geological, geophysical, geodetic and seismological data. Based on these data, distinct seismic zone sources are proposed and classified as either intercrustal domains, major active faults or subduction zones. Each seismic source is described according to several parameters, including its mechanism and current rate of deformation, the associated seismicity and its estimated maximal magnitude. These results constitute an essential database for a homogeneous evaluation of the seismic hazards of Hispaniola.

Site Characterization and Evaluation of Seismic Sources for Amaravati Region

After the bifurcation of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh (AP) state in 2014, the Amaravati and adjoining localities has been proposed as a new capital region to the state of AP, India. As per the seismic zonation map of India, the proposed region falls in zone III. However, the prediction of damage level due to earthquakes is highly impossible, as it is influenced by many regional factors. In order to estimate the damage level from the future earthquakes in the present study, the various compositions involved in the regional fields of geological, geomorphological and soil characteristics are evaluated for the selected study region. In addition to this, to understand the seismicity of this region the earthquake catalogue and seismotectonic map have been prepared by collecting the data within 300km radial distance from Velgapudi (16° 52'N, 80° 51'E) as a center. The results of different fields represented in the form of thematic maps for this geographical information system (GIS) software has been used.