A Simulated Strong Ground Motion Database for Potential Earthquake Scenarios on North Anatolian Fault Zone

Abstract

Strong ground motions, which are recorded by accelerometers at temporary or permanent stations during earthquakes, vary depending on magnitude of the recorded event, distance from the earthquake source to station and local site characteristics of the station. These acceleration-time records are input parameters used in different disciplines ranging from earth sciences to earthquake engineering. Strong ground motion networks in the world and Turkey are constantly expanding; thus, both the information on the sources of past earthquakes and the studies on the Earth are increasing in number with the help of different earthquake records. However, since the earthquakes of different magnitudes do not statistically occur with the same frequency, there are deficiencies even in the world's most developed networks. In other words, when the entire potential seismic effects in a region is to be examined, there are no records corresponding to some intensity values. This problem is more evident for the ground motion networks in regions where no dense station distribution is available. Nowadays, ground motion simulation studies are becoming increasingly important all over the world. The main goals of this study are to prepare a simulated earthquake ground motion database on the North Anatolian Fault Zone which is the most active fault zone of Turkey; to investigate the fundamental characteristics of this database, and to present those features by comparing findings obtained from recorded ground motions.