SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT OF UNITED ARAB EMIRATES AND ITS SURROUNDINGS

This paper presents the seismic hazard assessment and seismic zoning of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and its surroundings based on the probabilistic approach. The area that has been studied lies between 50°E-60°E and 20°N-30°N and spans several Gulf countries. First, the tectonics of the area and its surroundings is reviewed. An updated catalogue, containing both historical and instrumental events is used. Seismic source regions are modelled and relationships between earthquake magnitude and earthquake frequency is established. A modified attenuation relation for Zagros region is adopted. Seismic hazard assessment is then carried out for 20 km interval grid points. Seismic hazard maps of the studied area based on probable Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) for 10% probability of exceedance for time-spans of 50, 100 and 200 years are shown. A seismic zone map is also shown for a 475-year return period. Although the results of the seismic hazard assessment indicated that UAE has moderate to low seismic hazard levels, nevertheless high seismic activities in the northern part of UAE warrant attention. The northern Emirates region is the most seismically active part of UAE. The PGA on bedrock in this region ranges between 0.22 g for a return period of 475 years to 0.38 g for a return period of 1900 years. This magnitude of PGA, together with amplification from local site effect, can cause structural damage to key structures and lifeline systems.     

Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Model of West Bengal,India

We deliver a next-generation Probabilistic Seismic Hazard model of West Bengal based on improved seismogenic source characterization considering both the Layered Polygonal sources & Tectonic sources in the hypocentral depth range of 0–25 km & 25–70 km, seismic local-specific site condition, and adaption of appropriate region specific ground motion prediction equations in a logic tree framework. The surface consistent Probabilistic seismic hazard distribution in terms of Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) & 5% damped Pseudo Spectral Acceleration (PSA) at different time periods for 10% probability of exceedance in 50 years have been generated and the design response spectra computed.     

Seismic Hazard Analysis Using Discrete Faults in Northwestern Pakistan: Part II – Results of Seismic Hazard Analysis

This article is the second of two companion articles that evaluate seismic hazard in northwestern (NW) Pakistan. Using the properties and characteristics of discrete faults in NW Pakistan described in the first article, probabilistic and deterministic seismic hazard analyses for 11 major cities in NW Pakistan were conducted. The results from both probabilistic and deterministic seismic hazard analyses exhibit good agreement. Median deterministic spectra compare favorably with uniform hazard spectra (UHS) for 475- or 975-year return periods, while the 84^th-percentile deterministic spectra compare favorably with the UHS for a 2475-year return period. Peak ground accelerations (PGAs) for 2475-year return periods exceed 1.0 g for the cities of Kaghan and Muzaffarabad, which are surrounded by major faults. The PGAs for a 475-year return period for these cities are approximately 0.6g — 3 to 4 times greater than estimates by previous studies using diffuse areal source zones. The PGAs for some cities located farther from faults (including Astor, Malakand, Mangla, Peshawar, and Talagang) are similar to those predicted using diffuse areal source zones. Seismic hazard maps for PGA and spectral accelerations at periods of 0.2 s and 1.0 s corresponding to three return period (2475, 975, and 475 years) were produced. Based on deaggregation results, a discussion of the conditional mean spectra for engineering applications is presented.     

Stochastic Modeling of Earthquake Scenarios in Greater Tehran

Tehran, the capital of Iran, with millions of inhabitants, has been affected several times by historical and recent earthquakes that confirm the importance of seismic hazard assessment for the area. The main objective of this article is to present a probabilistic procedure to construct time series compatible with the source-path and site reflecting the influence of different magnitude events at different distances that may occur during a specified time period. A Monte Carlo approach is used to generate numerous synthetic catalogs for the evaluation of the probabilistic seismic hazard in greater Tehran over hard rock site for a return period of 475 years. The disaggregation of the seismic hazard is carried out to identify hazard-dominating events and to associate them with one or more specific faults, rather than a given distance. The stochastic finite-fault technique based on region specific seismic parameters is used to generate time series of earthquake scenario.     

Earthquake-Induced Damage Detection in a Monumental Masonry Bell-Tower Using Long-Term Dynamic Monitoring Data

ABSTRACT

This work investigates the use of an advanced long-term vibration-based structural health monitoring tool to automatically detect earthquake-induced damages in heritage structures. Damage produced in a monumental bell-tower at increasing values of the Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) of the seismic input is predicted by incremental nonlinear dynamic analysis, using a Finite Element model calibrated on the basis of experimentally identified natural modes. Then, predicted damage effects are artificially introduced in the monitoring data to check for their detectability. The results demonstrate that a very small damage, associated to a low intensity and low return period earthquake, is clearly detected by the monitoring system.     

SEISMIC HAZARD ASSESSMENT IN FLORENCE CITY ITALY

A seismic hazard analysis of Florence city was performed in the frame of a project concerning the dynamic behaviour of cable-stayed bridges. Both a probabilistic approach and a methodology based on the use of a local macroseismic catalogue were applied. A local catalogue was expressly compiled for this purpose, to collect the macroseismic intensities actually observed at the site as a result of past earthquakes. This sort of catalogue is an independent tool to verify the assumptions of the probabilistic approach (seismic zoning, earthquake recurrence relation, attenuation model), though it can supply results in terms of macroseismic intensity only and reflects the effective seismic history at the site, without taking into account any variability. The Cornell' methodology was used to assess probabilistic hazard in terms of macroseismic intensity, peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity, and pseudovelocity uniform response spectra. The local catalogue points out level VII of the Mercalli-Cancani-Sieberg scale (MCS) as the maximum intensity historically observed in Florence. The probabilistic approach leads to the consideration of intensity VIII MCS as the maximum credible for the city. The probabilistic analysis in terms of ground motion was performed using attenuation relations estimated for alluvium sites, since the geology of Florence area is represented by fluvial and lacustrine deposits of various thickness. Peak ground acceleration values with 90% non exceedence probability in 50 and 500 years are respectively 145 and 219 cm/s's for a shallow alluvium site, and 95 and 157 cm/s's for a deep alluvium site; the corresponding peak ground velocity values for sites located on alluvium are 6.41 and 11.76 cm/s. Uniform response spectra are provided for shallow and deep alluvium sites, according to frequency-dependent attenuation relations estimated from strong Italian earthquakes.     

Attenuation Relationships for Iran

The purpose of this study is to derive the attenuation relationships for PGA, PGV, and EPA parameters for areas within the seismic zones of Zagros, Alborz and Central Iran with rock and soil substructures. In order to do so, at first the available scientific data including the methods used for deriving attenuation relationships and the parameters involved have been gathered. Afterwards, all the efforts have been focused on gathering a thorough catalogue of earthquakes occurred in Iran. In this regard, a majority of the available catalogs in Iran have been gathered and corrected through different methods and finally a set of 89 earthquake events including 307 earthquake records with reliable data was chosen.

Since in order to derive the attenuation relationships it is essential to extract the parameters from the acceleration records, a great effort was placed on gathering the earthquake acceleration records of Iran. This resulted in building a database of a majority of the earthquake records up to the year of 2004. Afterwards, correction methods applicable to earthquakes records of Iran considering the type of machines used and the ground type were examined which resulted in certain guidelines for correction of earthquake acceleration record data related to Iran.

In the next step the needed parameters were extracted from the earthquake acceleration record data which were consequently divided into two seismic zones of Zagros, and Alborz and Central Iran according to tectonic conditions. After examination of the parameters and choosing the most appropriate among them, the attenuation relationships were derived for such parameters.     

Relationships between Modified Mercalli Intensity and Engineering Ground-Motion of the Earthquakes in Persia

New empirical relationships between modified Mercalli intensity (MMI) and engineering ground acceleration (PGA) of the earthquakes were generated for the Iranian territory. MMI and PGA values were gathered from 16 large earthquakes. We derived two sets of relationships which predict MMI in terms of PGA; each developed using both horizontal and three components of accelerograms. The first set is independent of earthquake magnitude and epicentral distance. Better results were observed when magnitude and epicentral distance conditions were included into equations. They might be used for both rapid assessments of ground shaking and also mapping damage potential in Iran and neighboring area.     

Seismic Reliability of Code-Conforming Italian Buildings

ABSTRACT

This paper presents and discusses some research results related to the seismic failure risk of standard, residential and industrial, buildings designed for damage, and life-safety according to the Italian seismic code, which is somewhat similar to Eurocode 8. The five considered structural typologies are as follows: masonry, cast-in-place reinforced concrete, precast reinforced concrete, steel, and base-isolated buildings. The archetype structures have been designed according to standard practice at three sites, representative of the seismic hazard across the country. Seismic risk is defined here as the annual rate of earthquakes able to cause structural failure in terms of usability-preventing damage and global collapse. For each structure, the failure rates have been evaluated in the framework of performance-based earthquake engineering, that is, via integration of site’s probabilistic hazard and structural fragility. The former has been computed consistently with the official hazard model for Italy that is also used to define design actions in the code. The latter has been addressed via nonlinear dynamic analysis of three-dimensional numerical structural models. Results indicate that, generally, design procedures are such that seismic structural reliability tends to decrease with increasing seismic hazard of the building site, despite the homogeneous return period of exceedance of the design seismic ground-motion.     

Correlations Between Frequency Content Indicators of Strong Ground Motions and PGV

The frequency content of ground motions seems to be one of the most important parameters to explain the structural damage experienced during worldwide strong earthquakes. The frequency content of ground motions can be characterized by various stochastic and/or deterministic indicators: the frequency bandwidth indicator ? (Cartwright & Longuet-Higgins) related to the power spectral density function and, respectively, the control (corner) period T_c of the structural response spectra or the mean period T_M . Peak ground velocity (PGV) and the ratio PGA/PGV can be used as either damage potential parameters or frequency content indicators. A comparative analysis of stochastic and deterministic frequency content indicators and of PGV is applied to a set of 30 strong ground motion records having peak ground acceleration (PGA) from 0.2–0.8 g and recorded on 4 continents during the last 70 years.     

Design Earthquake Ground Motion Prediction for Perth Metropolitan Area with Microtremor Measurements for Site Characterization

Perth is the largest city in Western Australia and home to three-quarters of the state's residents. In recent decades, there have been a lot of earthquake activities just east of Perth in an area known as the South-West Seismic Zone. Previous numerical results of site response analyses based on limited available geology information for PMA indicated that Perth Basin might amplify the bedrock motion by more than 10 times at some frequencies and at some sites. Hence, more detailed studies on site characterization and amplification are necessary. The microtremor method using spatial autocorrelation (SPAC) processing is a useful tool for gaining thickness and shear wave velocity (SWV) of sediments and has been adopted in many previous studies. In this study, the response spectrum of rock site corresponding to the 475-year return period for PMA is defined according to the probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) based on the latest ground motion attenuation model of Southwest Western Australia. Site characterization in PMA is performed using two microtremor measurements, namely SPAC technique and H/V method. The clonal selection algorithm (CSA) is introduced to perform direct inversion of SPAC curves to determine the soil profiles of representative PMA sites investigated in this study. Using the simulated bedrock motion as input, the responses of the soil sites are estimated using numerical method based on the shear-wave velocity vs. depth profiles determined from the SPAC technique. The response spectrum of the earthquake ground motion on surface of each site is derived from the numerical results of the site response analysis, and compared with the respective design spectrum defined in the Australian Earthquake Loading Code. The comparison shows that the code spectra are conservative in the short period range, but may slightly underestimate the response spectrum at some long period range.     

The Politics of Zoroastrian Philanthropy and the Case of Qasr-e Firuzeh

In Iran and India religious philanthropy has been a feature of Zoroastrian piety as well as providing the means by which both communities have prospered throughout their respective histories. In Iran an elaborate structure for the regulation of charitable donations was already in place during the Sasanian period and laid the foundation for the laws governing pious foundations, awqāf, after the Islamic conquest. The increased interaction between Iranian Zoroastrians and Parsis from the mid-nineteenth century onwards led to the expansion of the Tehran Zoroastrian community and the rise of a wealthy merchant class which in turn enabled philanthropic activity to flourish. This development will be discussed here with reference to a particular vaqf, that of the first ārāmgāh or Zoroastrian cemetery to be established in Tehran in the early twentieth century. The case of Qasr-e Firuzeh spans three successive governments in Iran and gives an insight into the management of a charitable endowment within different political contexts.     

ATTENUATION RELATIONSHIP FOR LOW MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKES USING STANDARD SEISMOMETRIC RECORDS

Northwestern Italian weak-motion data were used to study attenuation characteristics of horizontal peak ground acceleration (PGA) and horizontal peak ground velocity (PGV) from earthquakes of local magnitudes (M _l ) up to 5.1. Data have been provided by the RSNI (Regional seismic network of Northwestern Italy) and RSLG (Regional seismic network of Lunigiana-Garfagnana) waveform database. The database consists of more than 14000 horizontal components recorded in the period 1999-2002 by both broadband and enlarged band seismometers. The accuracy of the procedure used to extract PGA values from the velocity recordings was verified comparing observed and derived PGA values at station STV2, which was equipped with both a temporary K2 Kinemctrtcs accelerometer and Guralp CMG40 broadband sensor. The attenuation of both peak ground acceleration and peak ground velocity was found to be logarithmically distributed with a strong attenuation for low distances (less than 50 km) and low M _l values (<3.0). The resulting equations are:

Log(PGA)=?3.19+0.87M?0.042M ²?1.92 Log(R)+0.249S,

Log(PGA)=?4.23+0.76M?0.018M²?1.56 Log(R)+0.230S,

where PGA is expressed in g, PGV is expressed in m/s, M is local magnitude, R is the hypocentral distance in kilometers and S is a dummy variable assuming values of 0 and 1 for rock and soil respectively. For increasing distance and magnitude, both PGA and PGV values show a linear distribution. The validity range of the obtained attenuation relationships is 0–200 km for distances and M _l up to 4.5. Sensitivity studies performed by analysis of residuals, showed that predicted PGA and PGV values are stable with respect to reasonable variations of the model and distances providing the data. Comparisons with attenuation relationships proposed for Italian region, derived from strong motion records, are also presented.     

Late Ordovician cephalopods,tentaculitides, machaeridians and echinoderms from Kuh-e Faraghan,High Zagros,Iran

Ghavidel-Syooki, M., Evans, D.H., Ghobadi Pour, M., Popov, L.E., Álvaro, J.J., Rakhmonov, U., Klishevich, I.A. & Ehsani, M.D., 15.5.2015. Late Ordovician cephalopods, tentaculitides, machaeridians and echinoderm columnals from Kuh-e Faraghun, High Zagros, Iran. Alcheringa 39, 530–549. ISSN 0311-5518.

Late Ordovician (Katian, uppermost Acanthochitina barbata to Armoricochitina nigerica chitinozoan zones) cephalopods, tentaculitides, machaeridians and echinoderms are documented for the first time from the southern Zagros Ranges. A low-diversity cephalopod fauna includes Geisonocerina dargazense sp. nov., Isorthoceras sp. cf. I. bisignatum (Barrande) and other undetermined orthoceratides. The presence of Late Ordovician tentaculitides in the high- to mid-latitude margins of Gondwana has been documented previously, but no examples have been described in detail. Thus, Costatulites kimi sp. nov., which currently occurs associated with brachiopods characteristic of the Svobodaina havliceki (brachiopod) Association, represents the earliest undoubted record of tentaculitides in Gondwana. Machaeridians constitute a relatively common component of the Late Ordovician benthic faunas from the Mediterranean margin of Gondwana, but no previous records on the Gondwanan Iranian-Arabian segment have been reported. Three echinoderm taxa based on dissociated columnals are documented from the Armoricochitina nigerica chitinozoan Zone, including Sumsaricystis radiatus Stukalina, Ristnacrinus sp. and Rosulicrinus rosulus Stukalina.

Mohammad Ghavidel-Syooki [m_ghavidelsyooki@yahoo.com] Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Technical Faculty of Tehran University, PO Box 11365-4563, Tehran, Iran; David H. Evans [david.evans@naturalengland.org.uk], Natural England, Suite D, Unex House, Bourges Boulevard, Peterborough PE1 1NG, UK; Mansoureh Ghobadi Pour* [mghobadipour@yahoo.co.uk], Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Golestan University, Gorgan, Iran; Leonid E. Popov [leonid.popov@museumwales.ac.uk], Department of Geology, National Museum of Wales, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP, UK; J. Javier Álvaro [jj.alvaro@csic.es], Instituto de Geociencias (CSIC-UCM), c/ José Antonio Novais 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Utkyr Rakhmonov, Kitab State Geological Reserve, 9 Ipak Yuli Street, Sakhrisabz, Uzbekistan; Inna A. Klishevich, Department of Historical Geology, Geological Faculty, St Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Naberezhnaya 7/9, 199034 St Petersburg, Russia [inna@IK4848.spb.edu]; Mohammad H. Ehsani [mh_ehsani@hotmail.com], Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Technical Faculty of Tehran University, PO Box 11365-4563, Tehran, Iran. *Also affiliated with Department of Geology, National Museum of Wales, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP, UK.     

A preliminary report on new Ediacaran fossils from Iran

Vickers-Rich, P., Soleimani, S., Farjandi, F., Zand, M., Linnemann, U., Hofmann, M., Wilson, S.A., Cas, R. &; Rich, T.H. November, 2017. A preliminary report on new Ediacaran fossils from Iran. Alcheringa 42, 231–244. ISSN 0311-5518.

Recent exploratory field mapping of marine sedimentary sequences in the Koushk Mine locality of the Bafq region in Central Iran, and on the northern slopes of the Elborz Mountains south of the Caspian Sea, has yielded large complex body and trace fossils of Neoproterozoic–early Cambrian age. The recovered specimens resemble the previously documented Precambrian discoidal form Persimedusites, and a the tubular morphotype Corumbella, which is a novel occurrence for Iran and otherwise only recorded before from Brazil and the western USA. Additional enigmatic traces can not yet be interpreted unequivocally, but suggest that future work may uncover more unusual Ediacaran fossils from various localities in Central Iran.

Patricia Vickers-Rich* [prich@swin.edu.au, pat.rich@monash.edu], Faculty of Science, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne (Hawthorn), Victoria 3122, Australia; Sara Soleimani [sara_soleimani@yahoo.com], Palaeontology Department, Geological Survey of Iran, Tehran, Iran; Farnoosh Farjandi [farnooshfarjandi@gmail.com], Department of Geochemical Exploration, Geological Survey of Iran, Tehran, Iran; Mehdi Zand [zand.mehdi.geo@gmail.com], Geology Department, Bafq Mining Company, Koushk Mine, Yazd, Iran. Ulf Linnemann [ulf.linnemann@senckenberg.de], and Mandy Hofmann [mandy.hofmann@senckenberg.de], Senckenberg Naturhistorische Sammlungen, Dresden, Museum für Mineralogie und Geologie, Sektion Geochronologie, Koenigsbruecker Landstrasse 159, D-01109, Dresden, Germany; Siobhan A. Wilson [sasha.wilson@monash.edu], School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, Melbourne (Clayton), Victoria 3800, Australia; Raymond Cas [ray.cas@monash.edu], School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, Melbourne (Clayton), Victoria 3800, Australia; Thomas H. Rich? [trich@museum.vic.gov.au], Museum Victoria, Exhibition Gardens, PO Box 666, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001 Australia. *Also affiliated with: School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, Melbourne (Clayton), Victoria 3800, Australia; School of Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne (Burwood), Victoria, Australia 3125; Palaeontology Department, Museum Victoria, Carlton Gardens, PO Box 666, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia. ?Also affiliated with: School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, Melbourne (Clayton), Victoria 3800, Australia; Faculty of Science, Swinburne University of Science and Technology, Melbourne (Hawthorn), Victoria 3122, Australia.     

A Static Nonlinear Procedure for the Evaluation of the Elastic Buckling of Anchored Steel Tanks Due to Earthquakes

Ground-supported steel tanks experienced extensive damage in past earthquakes. The failure of tanks in earthquakes may cause severe environmental damage and economic losses. This study deals with the evaluation of the elastic buckling of above-ground steel tanks anchored to the foundation due to seismic shaking. The proposed nonlinear static procedure is based on the capacity spectrum method (CSM) utilized for the seismic evaluation of buildings. Different from the standard CSM, the results are not the base shear and the maximum displacement of a characteristic point of the structure but the minimum value of the horizontal peak ground acceleration (PGA) that produces buckling in the tank shell. Three detailed finite element models of tank-liquid systems with height to diameter ratios H/D of 0.40, 0.63, and 0.95 are used to verify the methodology. The 1997 UBC design spectrum and response spectra of records of the 1986 El Salvador and 1966 Parkfield earthquakes are used as seismic demand. The estimates of the PGA for the occurrence of first elastic buckling obtained with the proposed nonlinear static procedure were quite accurate compared with those calculated with more elaborate dynamic buckling studies. For all the cases considered, the proposed methodology yielded slightly smaller values of the critical PGA for the first elastic buckling compared to the dynamic buckling results.     

Historical works relating to the Qajar era published in Iran, 1996–2001

Historical Works Relating to the Qajar Era Published in Iran, 1996–2001

Mabani‐yi nazari‐yi hukūmat‐i mashrūtah va mashrū'ah, bih inzimam‐i rasa'il‐i ‘ulama‐yi muvafig va mukhalif‐i mashrūtah, Husayn Abadian. Tehran: Nashr‐i nay, 1374/1995, no ISBN.

Majlis va intikhabat az mashrūtah ta payan‐i Qajariyah, Mansoureh Ettehadieh, (Nezam Mafi). Tehran: Nashr‐i tarikh‐i Iran, 1375/1996. ISBN 964–6082–02–5.

Rūznameh‐i khatirat‐i Ghulam ‘Ati Khan ‘Aziz al‐Sultan, (Malijak), 4 vols., ed. Muhsin Mirza'i, Tehran: Intisharat‐i zaiyab, 1376/1997. ISBN 964–6339–04–2.

Isti'mar‐i Britaniya va mas'ala‐i Arvand Rūd, Firuz Mansuri. Tehran: Mu'assasa‐i mutali'at‐i tarikh‐i mu'asir‐i Iran, 1376/1997, no ISBN.

Asnad‐i ‘Abd al‐Mahhab Khan Asif al‐Dawla, 2 vols., ed. ‘Abd al‐Husayn Nava'i and Nilufar Kasri, Tehran: Mu'assasa‐i mutali'at‐i tarikh‐i mu'asir‐i Iran, 1377 /1998. ISBN 964–6357–13‐X.

Rūznameh'i khatirat‐i Sharaf al‐Dawla, Mirza Ebrahim Khan‐i kalantari‐yi Baghmisheh, ed. Yahya Zoka. Tehran: Intisharat‐i fikr‐i ruz, 1377/1998. ISBN 964–5838–80–0.

Inja Tihran ast: Majmū'a‐i maqalati dar‐bareh‐yi Tihran, 1269–1344 HQ (1852–1925), Mansoureh Ettehadieh (Nezam Mafi), Tehran: Nashr‐i tarikh‐i Iran, 1377/1998. ISBN 964–6082–07–6.

Az mashrūtah ta jumhūri: Nigahi bih advar‐i Majlis‐i qanūnguzari dar dawran‐i mashrūfiyat, Yunes Morvarid, 2 vols. Tehran: Nashr‐i ahadi, 1377/1998. ISBN 964–6376–08–8.

Hujūm‐i Rūs va iqdamat‐i ru'asa‐yi din bara‐yi hifz‐i Iran, Sayyid Hasan Nizam al‐Din, ed. Nasrallah Salihizadeh. Tehran: Shirazeh, 1377/1998. ISBN 964–6578–13‐X.

Asnad‐i Pūst va Telegraf va Telefun dar Dawra‐i Riza Shah, ed. Marziyeh Yazdani. Tehran: Sazman‐i asnad‐i milli, 1378/1999. ISBN 964–6189–27‐X.

Zindagani‐yi siyasi‐yi Nasir al‐Mulk, Ramin Yalfani. Tehran: Mu'assasa‐i mutala'at‐i tarikh‐i mu'asir‐i Iran, 1376/1998. ISBN 964–6357–02–4.

Nusrat al‐Dawla, Majmū'a‐i mukatabat, asnad, khatirat‐i Firūz Mirza Firūz, ed. Mansoureh Ettehadieh, (Nezam Mafi), and So'ad Pira. Tehran: Ketab‐i siyamak, Nashr‐i tarikh‐i Iran, 1378/1999. ISBN 964–6141–27–7.

Zindagani‐yi siyasi, sūrat‐i jalisat, mukatabat va murasalat, Riza Quli Khan Nizam al Saltana, ed. Mansoureh Ettehadieh, 3 vols. Tehran: Ketab‐i siyamak, Nashr‐i tarikh‐i Iran, 1379/2000. ISBN 964–6141–27–7(vol. 1), 964–6141–34‐X (vol. 2), 964–6141–35–8 (vol. 3).

Chalish‐i sunnat va moderniteh dar Iran, az mashrūtah ta 1320 S., Muhammad Salari Kasrai. Tehran: Nashr‐i markaz, 1379/ 2000. ISBN 964–305–543–4.

Nameh‐ha‐i az Tabriz az Siqat al‐Islam bih Mustashar al‐Dawla dar rūzegar‐i mashrūtiyat, ed. Iraj Afshar. Tehran: Nashr‐i pazhuhish‐i farzan‐i ruz, 1378/1999. ISBN 964–6138–47–0.

Asnadi az madaris‐i dukhtaran az mashrūtah ta Pahlavi, ed. Soheila Torabi Farsani. Tehran: Sazman‐i asnad‐i milli, 1378/1999. ISBN 964–6189–31–8.

Dar takapū‐yi taj va takht: Asnad‐i Abū'l‐Fath Mirza Salar al‐Dawla Qajar, ed. Riza Azari. Tehran: Sazman‐i asnad‐i milli, 1378/ 1999. ISBN 964–6189–34–2.

Tahavvulat‐i farhangi‐yi Iran dar dawra‐i Qajariya va madrasa‐i Dar al‐Funūn. Tehran: Mu'asassa‐i jughrafiya'i va kartugrafi'a‐yi Sahab, 1379/2000. ISBN 964–6556–29–9.

Mashahir‐i matbū'at‐i Iran: I'timad al‐Saltana, Sayyid Farid Qasimi, vol. 1. Tehran: Sazman‐i ‘hap va intisharat‐i Vizarat‐i Farhang va Irshad‐i Islami, 1379/2000. ISBN 964–422–195‐X.

Sūr‐i Israfil va ‘Ati Akbar‐i Dihkhuda: yak barrasi‐yi tarikhi va adabi, Kamyar ‘Abidi. Tehran: Kitab‐i nadir, 1379/ 2000. ISBN 964–92557–6–1.

Ravabit‐i siyasi‐i iqti?adi‐yi Iran va Alman bayn‐i dū jang, Fatemeh Pira, Tehran: Markaz‐i asnad‐i inqilab‐i Islami, 1379/2000. ISBN 964–6196–83–7.

Marja'iyat dar ‘arsah‐yi ijtima'i va siyasat: Asnad va guzarish‐ha'i az Ayat‐i A'zam Na'ini, Isfahani, Qumi, Ha'iri va Burūjirdi, 1292 S ‐1339 (1875–1920), ed. Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Manzur al‐Ajdad. Tehran: Shirazeh, 1379/2000. ISBN 964–6578–54–3

Yazd dar asnad‐i Amin al‐Zarb, ed. Dr Asghar Mahdavi and Iraj Afshar. Tehran: Farhang‐i Iran‐Zamin, 1380/ 2001. ISBN 964–5623–81–2.

Asnad‐i tijarat‐i Iran dar sal‐i 1287 gamari, ed. Asghar Mahdavi and Iraj Afshar. Tehran: Intisharat‐i ‘ilmi farhangi, 1380S/2001. ISBN 964–445–184–8.

Urumiyah dar muharaba‐i ‘alamsūz az muqaddima‐i Nisara ta Balva‐yi Isma'il Aqa, 1298–1300 Sh, Rahmatallah Mu'tamid al‐Vizara, ed. Kaveh Bayat. Tehran: Shirazeh, 1379S/ 2000. ISBN 964–6578–46–2.

Azarbayjan dar mawj khiz‐i tarikh: nigahi bih mabahis‐i milliyūn‐i Iran va jarayid‐i Bakū dar taghyir‐i nam‐i Aran bih Azarbayjan, 1296–1298 S, ed. Kaveh Bayat, Tehran: Shirazeh, 1379/2000. ISBN 964–6578–55–1.

Tarikh‐i rūznameh nigari‐yi Iranian va digar‐i parsi navisan, 2 vols. (Paydayish), (Buhran‐i azadi), Nasir al‐Din Parvin. Tehran: Markaz‐i nashr‐i danishgahi, 1377/1998, 1379/ 2000. ISBN 964–01–8156–0.

Nuzhat al‐akhbar: tarikh va jughrafiya‐yi Fars, Mirza Ja'far Khan Haqa'iq Nigar, ed. Sayyid ‘Ali Al‐i Davud. Tehran: Kitabkhaneh‐yi muzeh va markaz‐i asnad‐i Majlis‐i Shura‐yi Islami, 1380/ 2001. ISBN 964–422–218–0.

Khatirat va asnad‐i Muhammad ‘Ali Ghaffari: Tarikh‐i Ghaffari, volume 3, ed. Abbas Zare'i Mehrvarz. Tehran: Nashr‐i tarikh‐i Iran, 1380/ 2001. ISBN 964–6082–03–3.

Khatirat‐i Shaykh Ibrahim Zanjani: Sarguzasht‐i zindagani‐yi man, ed. Ghulam Husayn Mirza Salih. Tehran: Entesharat‐i kabir, 1380/ 2001. ISBN 964–6144–54–3.

Rūznameh‐yi khatirat‐i ‘Ayn al‐Saltana, Qahriman Mirza Salūr, ed. Mas'ud Salur and Iraj Afshar, 10 vols. Tehran: Asatir,1374–1380/ 1995–2001. ISBN 964–331–191–0.     

EMPIRICAL EVALUATION OF SITE EFFECTS BY MEANS OF H/V SPECTRAL RATIOS AT THE LOCATIONS OF STRONG MOTION ACCELEROMETERS IN ISRAEL

Acceleration data from local and regional earthquakes is of prime importance in evaluating the seismic hazard. Consequently, strong motion accelerometers are currently installed at more than 60 locations in Israel. We have explored the possibility of site amplification effects at 10 sites where local earthquakes triggered strong motion accelerometers by integrating empirical and analytical estimations. Implementing H/V spectral ratio techniques using 15 accelerograms from nine earthquakes, 105 seismograms shear-wave records of 35 local and regional earthquakes and seismograms of microtremors were used in the empirical evaluations. The subsurface models were constructed by integrating available geological and geophysical information at the analysed site with empirically evaluated site response functions. Amplification effects of factor 3-6 are observed at various frequencies in the 0.8-6.0 Hz band. Through the analysis process it became evident that the instant availability of many useful time windows of microtremors provides systematic estimations of the fundamental resonance frequency of each site and their associated amplification levels, which are similar to those obtained from H/V spectral ratios of seismograms and accelerograms and to those inferred from the subsurface geology. Analytical transfer functions should be reviewed with respect to empirical site response evaluations. Estimations that are based on only one approach may be totally misleading.     

Effect of Nonlinearity of Frame Buildings on Peak Horizontal Floor Acceleration

Using representative numerical models of eight code-designed steel moment-resisting frame buildings and several ground motions, time-history analyses are performed and a critical evaluation of Peak Horizontal Floor Acceleration (PHFA) demands is conducted. The frames are modeled alternatively as linear and nonlinear systems to isolate the effect of building nonlinearity on PHFA. In most cases, PHFA is reduced when nonlinear behavior of a building is considered; however, in some cases, significant amplification of PHFA is observed. Results from the numerical study provide insight into the trend of modal response modification factors presented taking ground motion spectral shape into account.     

EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE SCENARIOS AND SEISMIC HAZARD OF MESSINA,NORTH-EASTERN SICILY (ITALY) AS INFERRED FROM HISTORICAL DATA

A study aimed at evaluating earthquake damage scenarios and seismic hazard of Messina using historical data, is presented. The analysis of coeval reports allowed us to reconstruct the seismic history of the city and to obtain a homogeneous earthquake site catalogue based on intensity assessed by the European Macroseismic Scale 1998. In the last 1200 years Messina was destroyed once (1908, intensity X-XI EMS) and suffered effects estimated between intensities VII and IX EMS many times (e.g. 853, 1169, 1494, 1509, 1599, 1693, 1783, 1894, 1909). Destruction or severe damage which affected the city are mainly related to earthquakes occurring in the Messina Straits and Southern Calabria, while slighter, moderate effects are usually due to shocks taking place in the seismogenic sources of SE Sicily, Gulf of Patti and Northern Calabria. The damage scenarios of the most relevant events, delineated using coeval urban plans of the city, showed that damage distribution is strongly conditioned by the different soil response. A probabilistic seismic hazard assessment was obtained by using site observed intensities: The expected intensity in a time span of 50 years (i.e. maximum intensity characterised by at least 10% exceedance probability in 50 years) is DC EMS; the expected intensity in a time span of 300 years (10% exceedance probability in 300 years) is X EMS.