Ground motion prediction equations for significant duration using the KiK-net database

Abstract

Significant duration of strong shaking quantifies the length of time during which strong earthquake-induced shaking occurs at a given site. Significant duration has multiple applications in Geotechnical and Structural Engineering. However, while multiple ground motion prediction (GMPE) equations for duration exist for shallow crustal tectonic environments, at the time of this publication, there are few published models for predicting significant duration of subduction earthquakes. To address this need and to identify the difference between significant duration of motions resulting from earthquakes in different tectonic regimes, we develop predictive equations for significant duration applicable to interface and intraslab subduction earthquakes and shallow crustal earthquakes in active tectonic regimes using the KiK-net ground motion database. The GMPEs are applicable to earthquakes with M4 to 9. In addition, the influence of earthquake magnitude on duration due to path effects is captured in the proposed relationships. Based on the relationships proposed in this study, we note that the duration of ground motions from subduction earthquakes is longer than those of shallow crustal earthquakes that have similar magnitudes and distances. The predictions of duration for shallow crustal earthquakes in active tectonic regimes developed in this study are consistent with those from previous studies.