Liquefaction Hazard Assessment of Earth Quake Prone Area: A Study Based on Shear Wave Velocity by Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW)

The shear wave velocity (VS) profile based on the dispersive characteristics of fundamental mode of Rayleigh type surface waves indicate underground stiffness change with depth as well as near surface stiffness. The most important utility of shear wave velocity (VS) is to estimate the liquefaction hazard potential of an area particularly in seismically active region. Rayleigh type surface waves were utilized to estimate the velocity (VS) of shallow subsurface covering a depth range of 30-50 m employing multichannel analysis of surface waves. The liquefaction hazard map predicts an approximate percentage of an area that will have surface manifestation of liquefaction during an earth quake. The surface wave data acquired in an earth quake prone region of Jabalpur (Seismic zone III), India, yields a velocity (VS) range of 200-750 m/s corresponding to the subsurface depth of 30-35 m. The results were analyzed for possible liquefaction hazard in the study area and presented here besides the N values. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.