Seismic hazard mapping for peak ground velocity: microzonation of Novi Sad, Serbia—a case study in a low-seismicity region exposed to large and distant earthquakes

Abstract

We introduce a new form of probabilistic seismic microzonation maps in terms of \({V}_{\text{max}}\) peak velocity of strong earthquake ground motion and illustrate the method for the city of Novi Sad in Serbia. The maps we introduce avoid the limitations of hazard maps drawn solely on peak ground acceleration, which are physically limited to one-parameter scaling The new method complements seismic hazard maps based on Uniform Hazard Spectra (UHS) by directly scaling several characteristics of strong motion that cannot be physically related to spectral amplitudes or to peak accelerations. We demonstrate how the new maps can be used to evaluate strains near ground surface during strong ground motion, as well as areas where buildings can be damaged during future strong ground motion. The new microzonation maps of \({V}_{\text{max}}\), together with probabilistic estimates of relative displacement (SD) spectra, can be used to derive estimates of pseudo-static forces in ground-level columns of long structures.