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Seismic vulnerability assessment in the new urban area of Diriyah Governorate, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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Abstract

Nine seismic refraction profiles were conducted and processed to study the near-surface sediments in the new urban area of Diriyah. The 2D geoseismic models illustrate two layers: a surface layer of soft sediments and weathered to hard limestone bedrock. Moreover, microtremor measurements were performed at 38 sites for 40 min using three-component seismographs and processed to assess the peak spectral amplitude and the corresponding fundamental resonance frequency. The seismic vulnerability index at each measurement site was estimated. These results correlate well with the geotechnical borehole data. The north-western zone is highly vulnerable due to the great thickness of the soft sediments.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University for its funding this research group (No. RG-1436-011).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geology and Geophysics Department, College of Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Kamal Abdelrahman & Mohammad Fnais

  2. Seismology Department National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, Cairo, Egypt

    Kamal Abdelrahman & Enayat Abdelmonem

  3. Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Mohammad Fnais

  4. Al-Farabi colleges, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Enayat Abdelmonem

  5. Undergraduate students, Geology and Geophysics Department of, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Khaled Magram & Abdullah Bin saadoon

Authors
  1. Kamal Abdelrahman
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  2. Mohammad Fnais
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  3. Enayat Abdelmonem
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  4. Khaled Magram
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  5. Abdullah Bin saadoon
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Correspondence to Kamal Abdelrahman.

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Abdelrahman, K., Fnais, M., Abdelmonem, E. et al. Seismic vulnerability assessment in the new urban area of Diriyah Governorate, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Arab J Geosci 10, 434 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-017-3222-7

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