Probabilistic seismic hazard assessment for neiva – colombia - 40 years from huila macroearthquake (1967 – 2007)

Abstract

Neiva is located in a region with a significant seismic hazard, due to the proximity of several active faults, which have generated large earthquakes in the past. Like the 9 of February 1967, which epicenter was located in Huila province, a few kilometers far from the city. This earthquake caused a significant amount of casualties and damages; it also caused casualties in Bogotá, 400 kms far from the epicenter. On the other hand, the seismic hazard assessment includes the estimation of ground shaking due to earthquakes. This assessment consists in the peak ground acceleration forecasting for some return period. Earthquakes with magnitude Ms greater than 4.0 were analyzed in this research, in a 33.400 km2 area. This size of earthquakes can cause victims or damages in buildings in a country such Colombia. Peak ground acceleration assessed for Neiva was 446 gals (cm/s2) for a return period of 475 years