Special issue  

We perform a hazard sensitivity study for two sites in Israel, exploring effects of uncertainty on the calculated seismic hazard. We account for uncertainty in the earthquake source properties, such as their geometric representation and seismic activity. We also account for uncertainty in the wave propagation path, by using alternative models to describe the ground motion calculations. We conclude that the current practice in Israel should be updated as it is probably underestimating the hazard.

The Vienna Basin is a low seismicity area, where historical data do not identify all potential earthquake sources. Despite observed Quaternary offset, there are no earthquakes along the Markgrafneusiedl Fault (MF). Results from 3 palaeoseismic trenches show evidence for 5–6 earthquakes with magnitudes up to M = 6.8 during the last 120 kyr. Therefore the MF should be considered as a seismic source, together with similar faults in the Vienna Basin, increasing the seismic potential close to Vienna.

This contribution provides an updated planar seismic source characterization (SSC) model to be used in the probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA) for Istanbul. The state-of-the-art SSC model presented here is the first fully documented and ready-to-use fault-based SSC model developed for the PSHA of Istanbul.

The criteria for zoning the surface fault rupture hazard (SFRH) along-thrust faults are defined by analysing the characteristics of the areas of coseismic surface faulting in thrust earthquakes. The results and the database made available as supplementary material can be used for improving the attenuation relationships for distributed faulting, with possible applications in probabilistic studies of fault displacement hazard.

Earthquakes are produced by sudden movements of rock masses along surfaces called faults. Major earthquakes are produced by major faults. It is important to know where these faults are located in a territory. Major faults can be seen in the landscape as they control the morphology of the terrain. In the field geologists determine their last movement and the rate they move at over time. This information is stored in active fault databases and later used for earthquake prevention.

It is well known that volcanoes and earthquakes are associated, and some active volcanoes cause damaging earthquakes. Nonetheless, volcanoes usually are not pinpointed on a hazard map, as the effects of shallow, volcanic earthquakes can be overshadowed by stronger tectonic earthquakes in the region, particularly when long exposure periods are considered. In this study we faced some challenges with software implementations and original concept scheme for an original PSHA at Mt. Etna, Italy.

We perform a fault-based PSHA exercise in the Upper Rhine Graben to quantify the relative influence of fault parameters on the hazard at the Fessenheim nuclear power plant site. Sensitivity tests show that the uncertainty on the slip rate of the Rhine River fault is the dominant factor controlling the variability of the seismic hazard level, greater than the epistemic uncertainty due to ground motion prediction equations (GMPEs).

The French Institute of Radioactive Protection and Nuclear Safety, with the support of the Ministry of Environment, compiled a database (BDFA) in order to define and characterize known potentially active faults of metropolitan France. The general structure of BDFA is presented, containing to date a total of 136 faults (581 fault segments). BDFA represents a first step toward the implementation of seismic source models for both deterministic and probabilistic seismic hazard calculations.

In this paper, we present the results of an alternative seismogenic source model for use in a probabilistic seismic hazard assessment for Italy that integrates active fault and seismological data. Combining active faults and background sources is one of the key aspects in this type of approach. The strength of our approach lies in its ability to integrate different levels of available information for active faults in Italy or elsewhere.