GIS-based optimum geospatial characterization for seismic site effect assessment in an inland urban area, South Korea

Soil and rock characteristics are primarily affected by geological, geotechnical, and terrain variation with spatial uncertainty. Earthquake-induced hazards are also strongly influenced by site-specific seismic site effects associated with subsurface strata and soil stiffness. For reliable mapping of soil and seismic zonation, qualification and normalization of spatial uncertainties is required; this can be achieved by interactive refinement of a geospatial database with remote sensing-based and geotechnical information. In this study, geotechnical spatial information and zonation were developed while verifying database integrity, spatial clustering, optimization of geospatial interpolation, and mapping site response characteristics. This framework was applied to Daejeon, South Korea, to consider spatially biased terrain, geological, and geotechnical properties in an inland urban area. For developing the spatially best-matched geometry with remote sensing data at high spatial resolution, the hybrid model blended with two outlier detection methods was proposed and applied for geotechnical datasets. A multiscale grid subdivided by hot spot-based clusters was generated using the optimized geospatial interpolation model. A principal component analysis-based unified zonation map identified vulnerable districts in the central old downtown area based on the integration of the optimized geoprocessing framework. Performance of the geospatial mapping and seismic zonation was discussed with digital elevation model, geological map.