| The earthquake hazard analysis system, GIS-QUAKE, was designed to permit identification of specific locations that are likely to experience severe geotechnical failure during an earthquake event. A geographical information system has been used as a core of a larger system to combine generic liquefaction, ground motion and landslide analysis routines with site specific geological, geotechnical and seismological information. The hazard analyses are performed using actual geotechnical investigation records and the results are mapped back to the corresponding coordinate locations. The spatial geostatistical capabilities of the GIS are then used to interpolate the results of the individual hazard analyses across the study area to develop a hazard zonation map.; The GIS-QUAKE system has been used to determine the earthquake hazard potential of a 150 square kilometer area around Evansville, Indiana. The database for the study area consists of records from over 586 standard penetration tests, 27 cone penetration soundings, and 39 shear-wave velocity profiles. Digital map coverages which display the roads, hydrologic features, rail lines, census tract boundaries and a satellite image are included in the data set.; Synthesized records for magnitude 6.5, 7.3 and 8.0 mid-continental earthquakes were used to evaluate the hazard potential of the Evansville study area. The Pigeon Creek area specifically, is at a high risk to experience liquefaction induced damage. Damage as a result of ground motion is only a moderate concern throughout the area. Differences in the findings of this zonation study and previous work are attributed to the size and quality of the database, the hazard evaluation methodologies and the geostatistical interpolation techniques used to estimate the hazard potential. |
