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Instrumental Intensity Scales For Geohazards, Steven Kramer, Sarah B. Upsall

Geohazards

The relationship between ground motion characteristics and geohazard-related earthquake damage was investigated for slope instability, lateral spreading, settlement, and buried pipeline damage, and the results used to develop two instrumental intensity scales. The scales are based on three velocity-related ground motion parameters that reflect the amplitude, frequency content, and duration of a ground motion. The scales provide intensity values that are strongly correlated to potential damage – one scale expresses intensity on a 0-10 scale and the other in terms of an apparent earthquake magnitude. The former is expected to be particularly useful for rapid identification of potential damaged areas …