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A ground‐motion prediction model for shallow crustal earthquakes in Greece

December 29, 2020

Using a recently completed database of uniformly processed strong‐motion data recorded in Greece, we derive a ground‐motion prediction model (GMPM) for horizontal‐component peak ground velocity, peak ground acceleration, and 5% damped pseudoacceleration response spectra, at 105 periods ranging from 0.01 to 10 s. The equations were developed by modifying a global GMPM, to account for more rapid attenuation and weaker magnitude scaling in the Greek ground motions than in the global GMPM. Our GMPM is calibrated using the Greek data for distances up to 300 km, magnitudes from 4.0 to 7.0, and time‐averaged 30 m shear‐wave velocities from 150 to 1200  m/s">1200  m/s1200  m/s⁠. The GMPM has important attributes for hazard applications including magnitude scaling that extends the range of applicability to M">MM 8.0 and nonlinear site response. These features are possible because they are well constrained by data in the global GMPM from which our model is derived. An interesting feature of the Greek data, also observed previously in studies of mid‐magnitude events (6.1–6.5) in Italy, is that they are substantially overpredicted by the global GMPM, which may be a repeatable regional feature, but may also be influenced by soil–structure interaction. This bias is an important source of epistemic uncertainty that should be considered in hazard analysis.

Publication Year 2021
Title A ground‐motion prediction model for shallow crustal earthquakes in Greece
DOI 10.1785/0120200270
Authors David Boore, Jonathan P. Stewart, Andreas Skarlatoudis, Emel Seyhan, Basil Margaris, Nikos Theodoulidis, Emmanual Scordilis, Ionnis Kalogeras, Nikos Klimis, Nikos Melis
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America
Index ID 70236888
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Earthquake Science Center