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Bibliometric Analysis of Earthquake Research in America: A Comparative Study Using Web of Science and Scopus Databases

Abstract:

In the American continent, the movement of tectonic plates causes seismic activity that generates earthquakes. Some countries of America are located on the western fringe of the Pacific Ring of Fire, which involves several tectonic plates, such as Nazca, Cocos, and North American, among others. This study aims to analyse the scientific production of Earthquakes in America (EiA) using Web of Science and Scopus databases, to understand the origin (first publications in the area), intellectual structure (bibliometric maps), and research trends (topics for future works). The methodology was based on: (i) criteria for database selection (reasons for selecting Scopus and Web of Science), (ii) data processing (merging databases, deleting duplicates or erroneous documents, and the selection of bibliometric software), and (iii) analysis of intellectual structure (performance of scientific publications using bibliometric maps). The EiA has greatly impacted academia since its first publication in 1861, analysing 6553 scientific publications from the western part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. It includes the most representative subduction zones in the world, with major records in the last nine years, having contributions mainly from Mexico, France, Guatemala, and Chile. Finally, the trend topics aligned to EiA are ground motion models, seismic hazards, and induced seismicity.