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Evaluation of earthquake hazards-correlation of seismic activity and tectonic elements of Turkey

Évaluation des risques séismiques. Corrélation entre l'activité séismique etles éléments tectoniques en Turquie

  • IAEG Symposium “Engineering Geological Mapping for Planning, Disign and Construction in Civil Engineering”, Newcastle Upon Tyne, 3–6 September 1979
  • THEME 2 Hazard Mapping in Risk Evaluation for Engineering Structures General Report Contributions
  • Published:
Bulletin of the International Association of Engineering Geology - Bulletin de l'Association Internationale de Géologie de l'Ingénieur Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

For countries prone to heavy seismic activity such as Turkey, seismic risk maps are urgently needed for evaluation of earthquake hazards and rational aseismic design of civil construction.

A seismo-tectonic map of Turkey, for the period 1900–1977 has been compiled by the authors. It is planned that results obtained will constitute the ground material for seismic risk study of Turkey in order to obtain the physical and statistical characteristics of the possible seismic sources. For greater accuracy of epicentral coordinates, the shocks of magnitude 5.9 or greater have been found useful in such a correlation.

After collection and collation of the aforesaid seismic record of 138 events, it is observed that there exists a one-to-one correspondence between the earthquakes and the tectonic elements.

For a sound and justifiable physical basis, the seismic sources required for quantitative risk analysis should not be selected on the sole basis of geographical distribution, but rather this selection should be consistent with the geologic structure and plate tectonic model.

Résumé

Pour les pays soumis à une activité séismique importante comme la Turquie, il y a un besoin urgent de cartes de risques séismiques pour l'évaluation des dommages dûs aux tremblements de terre et pour l'étude de constructions civiles rationnellement aséismiques.

Les auteurs ont réalisé une carte séismo-tectonique de la Turquie pour la période 1900–1977. On prévoit que les résultats obtenus constitueront le matériel de base pour l'étude des risques séismiques en Turquie en vue d'obtenir les caractéristiques physiques et statistiques des sources séismiques possibles. Pour une meilleure précision des coordonnées des épicentres, les séismes de magnitude 5,9 ou plus se sont révélés les plus aptes à une telle corrélation.

Après avoir réuni et collationné les 138 séismes qui constituent cette liste, les auteurs observent qu'il y a une correspondance bijective entre les tremblements de terre et les éléments tectoniques.

Pour obtenir une base physique saine et justifiable on ne devrait pas choisir les sources séismiques nécessaires à l'analyse quantitative du risque sur la seule base de leur répartition géographique, mais ce choix devrait être en accord avec la structure géologique et avec le schéma de la tectonique des plaques.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey

    Erdik M.

  2. Geological Survey of India, Jaipur, India

    Mathur S. K.

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  1. Erdik M.
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  2. Mathur S. K.
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Additional information

S. K. Mathur, Geologist (Sr.), for research at Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, Ankara, Turkey, from January to July, 1977.

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Erdik, M., Mathur, S.K. Evaluation of earthquake hazards-correlation of seismic activity and tectonic elements of Turkey. Bulletin of the International Association of Engineering Geology 19, 145–152 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02600468

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