RESEARCH
Members of the Earthquake Effects Project of the USGS Menlo Park Science Center are
conducting research that include the following areas:
- Earthquake Engineering M. Celebi
1) Structural Response and SSI Research Conduct
studies of structural response and Soil-Structure Interaction (SSI) for improvements in
NEHRP/UBC building codes.
2) Structural Testing and Post Earthquake Studies
Conduct, evaluate and recommend appropriate dynamic tests to infer in-situ structural
response for earthquake safety evaluations and develop post earthquake loss reconnaissance
capabilities.
- Strong-Motion Prediction D. Boore.
Develop equations to predict strong motion as a function of earthquake magnitude,
distance, and geologic conditions.
- Surface-Wave Site Characterization Develop and evaluate
surface wave inversion techniques as a cost effective alternative to drilling boreholes
and borehole characterizations of local site response in order to interpret critical
strong-motion recordings of damaging earthquakes. Analyze and publish results from array
measurements of surface waves. Study influences of higher-order-mode surface-waves and
lateral heterogeneity at sites.
- NEHRP/UBC Site Amplification Factors, Predictive GIS Maps of Ground Shaking,
and Anelastic Wave Propagation R. Borcherdt.
Empirical and theoretical studies of soil response for NEHRP, UBC, and AASHTO
site-specific, code provisions and site classes for CA law AB-3897, Predictive GIS maps of
ground shaking for SF Bay Region.
- Dynamic Rupture Propagation P.
Spudich. Develop dynamically appropriate rupture models for large
earthquakes.
- Santa Clara Valley Weak Motion Array & UPSAR J. Fletcher. Implement finite difference
models of wave propagation for large earthquakes in the Bay Area that include basin
response and near-fault effects.
- Probabilistic Seismic Hazard T.
Hanks. Further develop the methodology and constrain the uncertainties
critical for probabilistic seismic hazard analysis.
- Ground Motion Maps for Scenario Earthquakes J. Boatwright. Map the expected ground motion,
intensity, landslides, and ground failure for a set of scenario earthquakes in the Bay
Area.
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