19. Elements of Seismology
Seismology is essential to understanding earthquakes and ground motion, guiding engineers in designing earthquake-resistant structures. This chapter focuses on the causes of earthquakes, the nature of seismic waves, measurement scales, and the characteristics of ground motion critical for civil engineering applications. It also highlights earthquake risk assessment, recent seismic events, and future trends in earthquake prediction.
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Sections
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What we have learnt
- Seismology is the study of earthquakes and elastic wave propagation.
- Understanding seismic waves is crucial for assessing ground motion and its effects on structures.
- Earthquake preparedness includes recognizing the causes and predicting potential seismic hazards.
Key Concepts
- -- Elastic Rebound Theory
- Describes how energy is stored in rocks along fault lines and released during an earthquake.
- -- Magnitude vs. Intensity
- Magnitude quantifies energy released at an earthquake's source, while intensity measures effects on people and structures.
- -- Seismic Zoning
- Classification of regions based on seismic hazard levels to aid in engineering design and urban planning.
- -- Liquefaction
- A phenomenon where saturated soils lose strength during shaking, potentially leading to structural failures.
- -- Response Spectrum
- A plot that shows how single-degree-of-freedom systems respond to ground motion based on peak acceleration, velocity, and displacement.
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