Seismic hazard analysis for Coimbatore corporation using GIS

Abstract

Earthquake is a natural disaster and it occurs periodically in a few as of the world. It causes not only economical loss but also loss of human lives. As a result of the movement of the upper part of the earth s crust the earthquake happens. The hazard connected with the earthquake is known as seismic hazard; seismic hazard deals with the study of the impending earthquake ground motions on the earth. As a matter of fact, India holds tenth position among the countries which are repeatedly affected by the earthquake. In respect of the death rate in the world, on an average 18000 lives are being died every year. Southern peninsular India was once considered as a stable land mass while compared to the northern parts of India. Tamil Nadu is not been seismically so active state because a few earthquakes at moderate level have happened in the past. The frequent occurrence of earthquake is low. Even though several faults have been identified in this region, it shows that movement of tremor happened during the Holocene period. Studies reveal that seismic activity in the recent past along borders of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. It is evident that gradual instability of the earth in these regions. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has included Coimbatore in seismic risk areas falls under the zone III as per IS 1893:2002, which has more than half million population region and therefore Coimbatore has been taken for the study of the seismic hazard analysis. Coimbatore, being the Manchester of South India, is situated at the western part of Tamil Nadu.