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Applicability of different ground-motion prediction models for northern Iran

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Abstract

A total of 163 free-field acceleration time histories recorded at epicentral distances of up to 200 km from 32 earthquakes with moment magnitudes ranging from M w 4.9 to 7.4 have been used to investigate the predictive capabilities of the local, regional, and next generation attenuation (NGA) ground-motion prediction equations and determine their applicability for northern Iran. Two different statistical approaches, namely the likelihood method (LH) of Scherbaum et al. (Bull Seismol Soc Am 94:341–348, 2004) and the average log-likelihood method (LLH) of Scherbaum et al. (Bull Seismol Soc Am 99:3234–3247, 2009), have been applied for evaluation of these models. The best-fitting models (considering both the LH and LLH results) over the entire frequency range of interest are those of Ghasemi et al. (Seismol 13:499–515, 2009a) and Soghrat et al. (Geophys J Int 188:645–679, 2012) among the local models, Abrahamson and Silva (Earthq Spectra 24:67–97, 2008) and Chiou and Youngs (Earthq Spectra 24:173–215, 2008) among the NGA models, and finally Akkar and Bommer (Seism Res Lett 81:195–206, 2010) among the regional models.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the Building and Housing Research Centre of Iran for providing them with the accelerograms and shear-wave velocities used in the current study. This study was supported by the International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES) funds, Project G-05-92: “Seismicity and Seismic Hazard Studies for an International Hotel in Tehran, Iran” This financial support is gratefully acknowledged. Finally, we are very grateful to two anonymous reviewers for their insightful and constructive comments, which significantly improved the manuscript.

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  1. International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES), No. 26, Arghavan St., North Dibajee, Farmanieh, P.O. Box 19395/3913, Tehran, Iran

    H. Zafarani

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Arak University, Arāk, Iran

    M. Mousavi

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  1. H. Zafarani
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  2. M. Mousavi
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Correspondence to H. Zafarani.

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Table 7 The records that is used in this study
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Zafarani, H., Mousavi, M. Applicability of different ground-motion prediction models for northern Iran. Nat Hazards 73, 1199–1228 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-014-1151-2

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