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Design Earthquakes in the U.K.

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Abstract

Three sites in the UK are taken, representative of low, medium and high hazard levels (by UK standards). For each site, the hazard value at 10−4 annual probability is computed using a generic seismic source model, and a variety of ground motion parameters: peak ground acceleration (PGA), spectral acceleration at 10 Hz and 1 Hz, and intensity. Disaggregation is used to determine the nature of the earthquakes most likely to generate these hazard values. It is found (as might be expected) that the populations are quite different according to which ground motion parameter is used. When PGA is used, the result is a rather flat magnitude distribution with a tendency to low magnitude events (\le 4.5 ML) which are probably not really hazardous. Hazard-consistent scenario earthquakes computed using intensity are found to be in the range 5.8–5.9 ML, which is more in accord with the type of earthquake that one expects to be a worst-case event in the UK.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. British Geological Survey, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3LA, U.K

    R.M.W. Musson

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  1. R.M.W. Musson
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Musson, R. Design Earthquakes in the U.K.. Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering 2, 101–112 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:BEEE.0000039047.77494.c7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:BEEE.0000039047.77494.c7

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