AN OVERVIEW OF 2011 SIKKIM EARTHQUAKE

Term Project Report CE: 643

Submitted By

CHILKEPALLI ANKITH (10010416)





Department of Civil Engineering
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GUWAHATI

APRIL 2014



OVERVIEW
The 2011 Sikkim earthquake, also known as the 2011 Himalayan earthquake, was
a magnitude 6.9 (Mw) earthquake centered within the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, near
the border of Nepal and the Indian state of Sikkim, at 18:10 IST (12:40 UTC) on Sunday, 18
September 2011.The earthquake was felt across northeastern India, Nepal, Bhutan,
Bangladesh and southern Tibet.
At least 111 people were killed in the earthquake. Most of the deaths occurred in Sikkim,
with reports of fatalities in and near Singtam in the East Sikkim district. Several buildings
collapsed in Gangtok. Eleven are reported dead in Nepal, including three killed when a wall
collapsed in the British Embassy in Kathmandu.

Elsewhere, structural damage occurred in
Bangladesh, Bhutan, and across Tibet; another seven fatalities were confirmed in the latter
region.
The quake came just a few days after an earthquake of 4.2 magnitude hit Haryana's Sonipat
district, sending tremors in New Delhi. The earthquake was the fourth significant earthquake
in India of September 2011. It is interesting to note that exactly a year after the original
earthquake at 5:55 pm on 18 September 2012, another earthquake of magnitude 4.1 struck
Sikkim, sparking panic among the people observing the anniversary of the original quake.




PLATE TECTONICS
The focal region and much of outermost Turkey lie towards the southern boundary of
the complex zone of continental collision between the Arabian plate and the Eurasian plate
beyond the eastern extent of the American and Asia minor fault zones. Parts of the
convergence between these two plates take place along the Biltis-Zagros fold and trust belt
(Wikipedia).










www.bellenews.com
FAULT CHARACTERISTICS
Reverse slip was found to occur in the fault zone. Earthquakes focal mechanism
indicates oblique thrust faulting, consistent with the expected tectonics in the region of the
Biltis-Zergrose fault zone, where thrust mechanism dominate. Upto 9m of reverse and
oblique slip on a pair of en echelon NW 40-54 dipping fault planes which have surface
extensions projecting to just 10 km north of the city of Van. The slip remained buried and is
relatively deep with a central depth of 14 km and the rupture reaching only within 8-9 km of
the surface consistent with the lack of significant ground rupture. No significant co-seismic
slip is found in the upper 8 km of the crust above the main slip patches, except for a small
region on the eastern segment potentially resulting from the M
w
5.9 aftershock on the same
day. The seismic moment of the area is calculated as M
o
=3.55x10
26
dyne-cm.
FORESHOCKS AND AFTERSHOCKS
No major foreshocks were observed in the area. There have been 1561 aftershocks
above magnitude M
w
2 within one week. The highest magnitude aftershock came at 11.45 pm
on 23 October, with MI 5.7 and M
w
6. The number of aftershocks reported in the ranges as
follows: 556 ranging from magnitude 2 to 3, 8332 ranging from magnitude 3 to 4, 108
ranging from magnitude 4 to 5, and 7 ranging from magnitude 5 to 6. In first five months
there were 9369 aftershocks with magnitude in range 1.5 to 5.8.
ISOSEISMAL MAP

National Geophysical Data Center

EARTHQUAKE MAGNITUDE SCALES
From peak trace amplitude of 15cm, Ritcher local magnitude is obtained as,
M
L
= 5.17
From the seismic moment obtained, moment magnitude is calculated as,
M
w
= 7.0
MS cant be found as the epicentral distance is less than 100 kms. Mb is not calculated as it is
suitable for deep focus earthquakes only. Mw magnitude scale is priory known as 7.2. Hence
the value of seismic moment used for the calculation will be 7.07x10
26
dyne-cm.
MATLAB PROGRAM
clc
clear all
close all
%program_computer assignment (CE 643)

%importing strong motion details from excel
t=xlsread('(Ansel Jose) 2011 Van Earthquake, Turkey.xlsx','Sheet1','A3:A30002');
a=xlsread('(Ansel Jose) 2011 Van Earthquake, Turkey.xlsx','sheet1','B3:B30002');

%plotting acceleration time-history
figure(1)
plot(t,a)
title('{\bf Accleration Time history }')
xlabel('Time (s)');
ylabel('Acceleration (cm/s2)');
grid on
disp('The acceleration-time history belongs to a single-cycle peak amplitude')

%finding the velocity response using cumulative trapezoidal numerical integration
v = cumtrapz(t,a);
%ploting velocity-time history
figure(2)
plot(t,v)
title('{\bf Velocity Time history }')
xlabel('Time (s)');
ylabel('Velocity (cm/s)');
grid on

%finding the displacement response using cumulative trapezoidal numerical integration
d = cumtrapz(t,v);
%ploting displacement-time history
figure(3)
plot(t,d)
title('{\bf Displacement Time history }')
xlabel('Time (s)');
ylabel('Displacement (cm)');
grid on

% finding absolute values
Abs_a = abs(a);
Abs_v = abs(v);
Abs_d = abs(d);

% finding peak horizontal accleration from absolute values
P_a = max(Abs_a);
x=sprintf('\nPeak Horizontal Acceleration = %f cm/s2',P_a);
disp(x)
% finding peak horizontal velocity from absolute values
P_v = max(Abs_v);
x=sprintf('\nPeak Horizontal Velocity = %f cm/s',P_v);
disp(x)

% finding peak horizontal displacement from absolute values
P_d = max(Abs_d);
x=sprintf('\nPeak Horizontal Displacement = %f cm',P_d);
disp(x)


% finding effective accleration cosidering 0.67 times PHA
E_a = 0.67*P_a;
x=sprintf('\nEffective Acceleration = %f cm/s2',E_a);
disp(x)

% plotting accleration-time history in terms of absolute values
figure(4)
plot(t,Abs_a)
title('{\bf Accleration(Absolute) - Time history }')
xlabel('Time (s)');
ylabel('Acceleration (cm/s2)');
grid on

% plotting velocity-time history in terms of absolute values
figure(5)
plot(t,Abs_v)
title('{\bf Velocity(Absolute) - Time history}')
xlabel('Time (s)');
ylabel('Velocity (cm/s)');
grid on

% finding sustained maximum acceleration
% (from 'signal processing and analysis tool for civil engineers',SMA is the fifth highest
acceleration measured)
dc='descend';
a_peak = findpeaks(Abs_a,'sortstr',dc);
sa_max = a_peak(5,1);
x=sprintf('\nSustained Maximum Acceleration = %f cm/s2',sa_max);
disp(x)

% finding sustained maximum velocity
% (from 'signal processing and analysis tool for civil engineers',SMA is the fifth highest
velocity measured)
v_peak = findpeaks(Abs_v,'sortstr',dc);
sv_max = v_peak(5,1);
x=sprintf('\nSustained Maximum Velocity = %f cm/s',sv_max);
disp(x)

%Finding the Effective Design Acceleration (EDA) as per Kennedys proposition
% (EDA is 25% greater than the third highest peak absolute acceleration)
EDA = 1.25*a_peak(3,1);
x=sprintf('\nEffective Design Acceleration (Kennedy) = %f cm/s2\n',EDA);
disp(x)
% Fourier transform
n=30000;
F_a=fft(a);
F_a1 = F_a(1:n/2);
Abs_F_a = abs(F_a1);
f = (0:(n/2)-1)*(1/(n*0.01));

%ploting fourier amplitude spectrum
figure(6)
stem(f,Abs_F_a)
xlabel('Frequency (Hz)')
ylabel('Fourier Amplitude')
title('{\bf Fourier Amplitude spectrum }')
grid on
disp 'Fourier amplitude spectrum belongs to a broad band spectrum'

%plotting fourier phase spectrum
phase = unwrap(angle(F_a1));
figure(7)
plot(f,(phase*180/pi))
xlabel('Frequency (Hz)')
ylabel('Phase angle (degree)')
title('{\bf Fourier Phase spectrum }')
grid on

%filtering out frequencies above 8Hz
N=8*n*0.01;
Abs_F_a1 = Abs_F_a(1:N);

% finding inverse fast fourier transform
iF_a=ifft(Abs_F_a1);
Abs_iF_a=abs(iF_a(1:N/2));
t1=t(1:N/2);

%plotting modified acceleration - time history
figure(8)
plot(t1,Abs_iF_a)
xlabel('Time (s)')
ylabel('Accleration (cm/s2)')
title('{\bf modified acceleration-time history }')
grid on

%as per Benjamin and assosiates, finding effective design acceleration
peak = findpeaks(Abs_iF_a,'sortstr',dc);
EDA_Benj = peak(1,1);
x=sprintf('\nEffective Design Acceleration (Benjamin) = %f cm/s2',EDA_Benj);
disp(x)

%smoothened fourier amplitude spectrum
figure(9)
f1=((0:n-1)*(1/(n*0.01)));
loglog(f1,abs(F_a))
xlabel('Frequency (Hz) log scale')
ylabel('Fourier Amplitude Log scale')
title('{\bf Smoothened Fourier Amplitude spectrum }')
grid on
% corner and cut off frequencies shall be found by physical observation

%Power Spectral Density function evaluation
% total intensity of ground motion of duration Td
% area under the time history of squared acceleration(time domain)
AA = a.*a;
I_t = cumtrapz(t,AA);
I1 = I_t(n,1);
x=sprintf('\nTotal intensity of ground motion in time domain = %f',I1);
disp(x)

%total intensity of ground motion(frequency domain)
% considering real + complex part
% considering nyquist frequency of 100 Hz
x=sprintf('\nConsidering nyquist frequency of 100 Hz,');
disp(x)
N1=100*n*0.01;
FA2 = F_a(1:N1);
FFA2 = FA2.*FA2;
I_f = cumtrapz(f1(1:N1),FFA2/pi);
I2=abs(I_f(N1,1));
x=sprintf('\nTotal intensity of ground motion in frequency domain = %f',I2);
disp(x)

%average intensity
%based on time domain
AI1 = I1/t(n,1);
x=sprintf('\nAverage intensity of ground motion based on time domain = %f',AI1);
disp(x)

%based on frequency domain
AI2 = I2/t(n,1);
x=sprintf('\nAverage intensity of ground motion based on frequency domain = %f',AI2);
disp(x)


%power spectral density function
psd = FFA2/(pi*t(n,1));
figure(10)
plot(f1,real(psd))
xlabel('Frequency (Hz)')
ylabel('Power Spectra')
title('{\bf Power spectral density }')
grid on

%normalized power spectral density function
npsd = psd/(AI2);
figure(11)
plot(f1,real(npsd))
xlabel('Frequency (Hz)')
ylabel('Power Spectra')
title('{\bf Normalized power spectral density }')
grid on

% predominant period
%taken only up to 25hz
N2=25*n*0.01;
% smoothening Fourier Amplitude spectrum
s1 = smooth(f(1:N2),Abs_F_a(1:N2),750);
[predo_a,loc_p]=max(s1);
predo_f = (loc_p)/(n*0.01);
Tp=(1/predo_f);
x=sprintf('\nPredominant period = %f s',Tp);
disp(x)


% bandwidth
FA_limit = predo_a/sqrt(2);
j=0;
for i=1:N2
if s1(i)>FA_limit
j=j+1;
s2(j)=f(i);
end

end
[p,q]=size(s2);
band_width=s2(q)-s2(1);
x=sprintf('\nBandwidth = %f Hz',band_width);
disp(x)
x=sprintf('\nBandwidth ranges from %f Hz to %f Hz',s2(1,1),s2(1,q));
disp(x)

%central frequency
f2 = f1.*f1;
psd1 = psd.*f2.';
I_s = cumtrapz(f1,psd1);
I3=I_s(N1,1);
cf = sqrt(I3/AI2);
abs_cf=abs(cf);
x=sprintf('\nCentral frequency = %f Hz',abs_cf);
disp(x)

%Theoretical median peak acceleration
%considering absolute values only
theo_med_a_max = sqrt(2*abs(AI2)*log(2.8*abs(cf)*t(n,1)/(2*pi)));
x=sprintf('\nTheoretical median peak acceleration = %f cm/s2',theo_med_a_max);
disp(x)

%Shape factor
psd2 = psd.*f1.';
I_s1 = cumtrapz(f1,psd2);
I4 = I_s1(N1,1);
sf = sqrt(1-(I4*I4/(AI2*I3)));
x=sprintf('\nShape factor = %f',sf);
disp(x)


%vmax/amax
r = P_v/P_a;
x=sprintf('\nv-max/a-max = %f s',r);
disp(x)


%Period of vibration of equivalent harmonic wave
T_eq = 2*pi*r;
x=sprintf('\nPeriod of vibration of equivalent harmonic wave = %f s',T_eq);
disp(x)

%Kanai Tajimi Parameters
%assuming alluvim site, from the table of Kanai-Tajimi parameters
Go = .102;
wg = 18.4;
% given that damping is 2%
X = .02;
%Kanai-Tajimi PSD function
w = f1(1:n)*(2*pi);
w_1 = 1+(2*X*(w/wg)).^2;
w_2 = (1-(w/wg).^2).^2;
w_3 = (2*X*(w/wg)).^2;
w_4 = w_2+w_3;
G_w = Go*gdivide(w_1,w_4);
figure(12)
plot(w(1:1500),G_w(1:1500))
xlabel('Angular Frequency (w)')
ylabel('G(w)')
title('{\bf Kanai-Tajimi PSD function }')
grid on

% Evaluation of duration of parameters
% bracketed duration (As per Bolt, 1969)

a_threshold=0.05*9.81;
j=0;
for i=1:n

if Abs_a(i)>a_threshold
j=j+1;
t1(j) = t(i);
end
end
[x,y]=size(t1);
First_exceedence = t1(1);
Last_exceedence = t1(x);
Bracketed_duration = t1(x)-t1(1);
x=sprintf('\nBracketed duration = %f s',Bracketed_duration);
disp(x)

% central 90% energy content
I1_5 = 0.05*I1;
I1_95 = .95*I1;
central_90_energy = I1_95-I1_5;
x=sprintf('\nCentral 90 percentage energy content = %f',central_90_energy);
disp(x)
j=0;
n=30000;
for i= 1:n

if I_t(i)>(I1_5)
j=j+1;
loc_t1(j) =i;
end
end

j=0;
n=30000;
for i=1:n

if I_t(i)>(I1_95)
j=j+1;
loc_t2(j) =i;
end
end
time_first=loc_t1(1,1);
time_last=loc_t2(1,1);

%modified duration curve
figure(13)
plot(t(time_first:time_last),I_t(time_first:time_last))
xlabel('Time (s)')
ylabel('Intensity')
title('{\bf Central 90% energy content }')
grid on

% RMS acceleration
a_rms = sqrt(AI1);
x=sprintf('\nRMS Acceleration = %f cm/s2',a_rms);
disp(x)

% Arias intensity
AInt = I1*(pi/(2*9.81));
x=sprintf('\nArias Intensity = %f',AInt);
disp(x)

% Characteristic intensity
CI = ((a_rms).^1.5)*t(n,1).^0.5;
x=sprintf('\nCharacteristic intensity = %f',CI);
disp(x)

% Cumulative absolute velocity
CAV = cumtrapz(t,Abs_a);
CA_Velocity = CAV(n,1);
x=sprintf('\nCumulative absolute velocity = %f m/s',CA_Velocity);
disp(x)






GRAPHICAL OUTPUTS

























RESULTS - STRONG MOTION PARAMETERS
The acceleration-time history belongs to a single-cycle peak amplitude
Peak Horizontal Acceleration = 9.737000 cm/s2
Peak Horizontal Velocity = 2.972910 cm/s
Peak Horizontal Displacement = 14.549999 cm
Effective Acceleration = 6.523790 cm/s2
Sustained Maximum Acceleration = 4.540500 cm/s2
Sustained Maximum Velocity = 2.026245 cm/s
Effective Design Acceleration (Kennedy) = 5.890000 cm/s2
Fourier amplitude spectrum belongs to a broad band spectrum
Effective Design Acceleration (Benjamin) = 18.280017 cm/s2
Total intensity of ground motion in time domain = 237.968465
Considering nyquist frequency of 100 Hz,
Total intensity of ground motion in frequency domain = 39140.250328
Average intensity of ground motion based on time domain = 0.793255
Average intensity of ground motion based on frequency domain = 130.471850
Predominant period = 2.678571 s
Bandwidth = 0.693333 Hz
Bandwidth ranges from 0.156667 Hz to 0.850000 Hz
Central frequency = 75.760954 Hz
Theoretical median peak acceleration = 49.058161 cm/s2
Shape factor = 1.232209
v-max/a-max = 0.305321 s
Period of vibration of equivalent harmonic wave = 1.918388 s
Bracketed duration = 204.680000 s
Central 90 percentage energy content = 214.171619
RMS Acceleration = 0.890648 cm/s2
Arias Intensity = 38.103975
Characteristic intensity = 14.558374
Cumulative absolute velocity = 137.489152 m/s