Macrozonation of seismic transient and permanent ground deformation of Iran

Abstract

Iran is located on the Alpide earthquake belt, in the active collision zone between the Eurasian and Arabian plates. This issue makes Iran a country that suffers from geotechnical seismic hazards associated with frequent destructive earthquakes. Also, according to the rapid growth of population and demands for construction lifelines, risk assessment studies which should be carried out in order to reduce the probable damages are necessary. The most important destructive effects of earthquakes on lifelines are transient and permanent ground displacements. The availability of the map of the displacements caused by liquefaction, landslide, and surface fault rupture can be a useful reference for researchers and engineers who want to carry out a risk assessment project for each specific region of the country. In this study, these precise maps are produced and presented by using a considerable number of GIS-based analyses and by employing the HAZUS methodology. It is important to note that a required accuracy for risk assessment is approximately around the macro scale. So, in order to produce a suitable map for risk assessment goals, in terms of accuracy, the GIS-based analyses are employed to map all of Iran.