Estimation of Ground Motion in Kuala Lumpur Due to Sumatra Subduction Earthquake

Abstract

Kuala Lumpur has undesirable subsurface features and yet is the most important and densely populated city in Peninsular Malaysia. Due to this, it should be covered and protected from seismic impact possibilities. An attenuation model that can best estimates ground motion is essential prior to conducting seismic hazard assessment. With the scarcity of historical data, an attenuation model is difficult to be developed for Peninsular Malaysia. The present research focuses on subjecting five existing attenuation models, particularly for subduction earthquakes, to comparison with the actual ground motion records in Kuala Lumpur. Seismic records of Sumatra subduction earthquakes with the moment magnitude from 5.7 to 9.1 spanning in a distance range of 395–834 km were obtained from Malaysian Meteorology Department and other catalogues. Results are presented in graphs and root mean squared error (RMSE) between estimated PGA and actual records was also computed for each attenuation model. The result shows that Adnan et al. (Selection and development of appropriate attenuation relationship for Peninsular Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, 2004) provides the smallest RMSE of differences between predicted PGA and actual PGA on soil sites in Kuala Lumpur for interface mechanism and on both rock and soil sites for intraslab mechanism of subduction earthquakes while Zhao et al. (Attenuation relations of strong ground motion in Japan using site classification based on predominant period 96(3):898–913, 2006) gives best prediction to PGA on rock site for interface subduction earthquakes.