Project Grant G23AP00397

PROJECT TITLE: BASIN EFFECTS MODEL USING MULTI-SCALE GEOSPATIAL DATA: COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH WITH TUFTSUNIVERSITY AND MERRIMACK COLLEGEPROJECT PERIOD: 8 1 2023 THROUGH 7 31 2024PLAIN LANGUAGE DESCRIPTION: THE PURPOSE OF THIS AWARD IS TO IMPROVE BASIN TERMS IN GROUND MOTION MODELS USING GEOSPATIAL, GEOLOGICAL, GEOMORPHIC, AND GEOTECHNICAL DATA TO CHARACTERIZE SEDIMENTARY BASINS IN THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN UNITED STATES.ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED: GROUND MOTION DATA RECORDED IN THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN UNITED STATES SINCE 2011 WILL BE COMPILED AND PROCESSED TO ENHANCE THE EXISTING NGA-EAST (NEXT GENERATION ATTENUATION RELATIONSHIPS FOR CENTRAL EASTERN NORTH-AMERICA PROJECT) GROUND MOTION FLATFILE. GEOLOGIC, TOPOGRAPHIC, GEOMORPHIC, AND GEOTECHNICAL DATA TO CHARACTERIZE SEDIMENTARY BASINS AND SITES WILL BE COMPILED IN THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN UNITED STATES. USING MIXED-EFFECTS REGRESSION, WE WILL DETERMINE WHICH BASIN CHARACTERISTICS BEST REDUCE UNCERTAINTY IN EXISTING NGA-EAST GROUND MOTION MODELS.DELIVERABLES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES: AN EXPANDED GROUND MOTION NGA-EAST FLATFILE WITH ENHANCED BASIN TERMS AND ADDITIONAL SITE METADATA WILL BE PRODUCED AS PART OF THE PROJECT. REGRESSION MODELS WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR ADJUSTMENT FACTORS FOR SITE EFFECTS IN DIFFERENT BASINS AND GEOLOGY GROUPS. A FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT, AN ABSTRACT AND PRESENTATION AT THE 2024 SEISMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA (SSA) ANNUAL MEETING, AND A PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL PAPER WILL BE PRODUCED TO SUMMARIZE THE WORK AND PRESENT THE RESULTS OF THE BASIN TERM EVALUATION.INTENDED BENEFICIARIES: IMPROVED BASIN TERMS IN GROUND MOTION MODELS WILL REDUCE THE GROUND MOTION UNCERTAINTY IN PROBABILISTIC SEISMIC HAZARD ANALYSES, AND ULTIMATELY BENEFIT ALL THOSE WHO USE REGIONAL AND LOCAL SEISMIC HAZARD PRODUCTS INCLUDING ENGINEERS, PLANNERS, AND LOSS ESTIMATORS.SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES: NIA