Probabilistic seismic hazard analysis in Northern Algeria using the Parametric-Historic method

Abstract In this study the seismic hazard in Northern Algeria is analyzed by using a probabilistic approach, and specifically the parametric-historic method. This method enables the incorporation of the entire accessible seismic history into the analysis and effectively addresses both the spatial heterogeneity and temporal variability of the seismicity parameters. The recently compiled earthquake catalog covering the region and spanning the period from 1658 to 2018 was used for estimating the seismicity parameters. The seismic hazard maps in terms of peak ground acceleration (PGA) were calculated for return period of 475 years for rock, stiff soil, and soft soil conditions. The uniform hazard spectra (UHS) for the major cities in Northern Algeria were calculated for the same conditions. The largest PGA values are observed near the cities of Chlef, Algiers, Blida, Medea, and Tipasa. Arguably the most important obtained result is evident in the seismic hazard estimates for the capital city of Algiers, which significantly exceed previously published estimates.