Dated: 18-02-2013

By

Dr. Muhammad Saleem

Department of Civil Engineering
University of Engineering & Technology Lahore, Pakistan
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Engineering Seismology
Seismicity
The types of waves
Location of the source and
determination of the magnitude
The advances in predicting
earthquakes
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The degree of importance of an

earthquake loading in any given location
is related to:
Likelihood of occurrence
Probable intensity of the earthquake

In other words the seismicity of the

region

How is seismicity determined?

Historical records
China 3000 years
Middle East 2000 years

In the 1960s the US developed the

World Wide Standardized Network
120 stations in 60 different countries

Seismographs

Instrument that
records the earths
motion
North-South
East-West
Vertical
Pen-Plotter
Digital

Plate Movement

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Type of Faults

Right Lateral

Left Lateral
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Type of Faults Continued

Normal

Reversed
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Blind Thrust Fault

A shallow-dipping reverse fault which

terminates before it reaches the
surface, it may produce uplift, but
never any clear surface rupture

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Blind Thrust Fault

Dip of fault is less than 45
degrees. The Dip is the
angle between two geologic
surfaces for example, a
fault plane and the
horizontal.
Characterized not so much by
vertical displacement, but
by horizontal compression.
Thrust faults are an obvious
sign of compressional
tectonics.

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Epicenter

The point on the Earths surface

directly above the point or origin of
an earthquake; only two
measurements, latitude and longitude,
are needed to locate it.

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Focus or the Hypocenter

The focus, or the hypocenter, is the
point of origin of an earthquake. It
can be expressed with no fewer than
three measurements: latitude,
longitude, and depth.
This lies Exactly underneath the
epicenter.

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Seismic Waves
When the earth shakes it releases
seismic waves
Body waves pass through the body of
the planet (fastest waves and can be
refracted and reflected)
Surface waves stay near the surface
There are many different types of waves

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Types of Seismic Waves

P Wave
Body

S Wave

Love Wave
Surface
Rayleigh Wave
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Body Waves

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Primary Waves

Are the fastest; consequently, they reach

the recording station first.
MP-waves (body waves)
Move in a push-pull fashion, alternating
pulses of compression and tension
Can travel in any medium
Arrival at your site may be accompanied
with thunder-like noises and rattling
windows (similar to a sonic boom)
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Like a slinky

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Secondary Waves

S waves (body waves)

The second wave to reach the recording
station
Transverse waves that propagate by
shearing or shaking particles in their
path at right angles to the path of
advance
Travel only through solids
The wave motion that is most damaging
to structures
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Snapping a
piece of rope

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Love Waves
Surface waves
Motion is essentially an S wave that has
no vertical displacement
Moves the ground from side to side 90
degrees to the direction of propagation
Can be very damaging to structures

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Love Waves

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Rayleigh Waves

Most common surface wave

Similar to water wave except they have a
backwards rotation
Cause horizontal and vertical movement
Slower than Love waves
Pass through ground and water
Long periods and travel a long way (once
they get started)

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Being on
a ship

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END
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