Applications of GIS in Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis of Urban Areas

GIS is used in carrying out seismic hazard analysis of urban areas as a first step of risk analysis of building damages by earthquakes. It has been demonstrated that GIS environment has many useful features that can be used to carry out statistical and spatial analysis efficiently for seismic hazard analysis. The most recent historical earthquake data of Japan is used for the probabilistic seismic hazard analysis of urban areas located in the North-eastern part of Japan. The recent attenuation laws are employed for the estimation of ground motion parameter that consider crustal and subduction zone earthquakes separately. This paper demonstrates a new methodology of seismic hazard analysis for the risk analysis of urban areas.