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Seismic Zonation of the City of Esmeraldas

Abstract:

The City of Esmeraldas located at the northern coast of Ecuador, is influenced by the South America subduction zone and by two major faults, which make it highly susceptible to seismic events, being the city with the highest seismic risk in the country. The geological setting of a quaternary sedimentary sequence, which contrast with the lateral variations of sandy facies constitutes a unique depositional environment for heterogenic soil deposits and consequently, varied dynamic soil response within nearby zones. This study presents the dynamic soil characterization and seismic microzonation of the city based on an extensive geological, geotechnical, and geophysical exploration campaign. Different geotechnical zones were identified, including liquefiable and deep soft and medium clay materials. Subsequently, site response analyses were developed and design response spectra were proposed for different zone across the city.