The S4H team recently published a paper authored by Dr. Shaghayegh Karimzadeh and Prof. Paulo B. Lourenço, in collaboration with Dr. Kun Ji from Hohai University, Prof. Saman Yaghmaei-Sabegh from the University of Tabriz, Dr. Ruibin Hou from Xihua University, and Dr. Alexandra Carvalho from LNEC. The study addresses the lack of recorded seismic data in the Azores, a seismically active region in Portugal, by developing a region-specific ground motion model (GMM) based on simulated time series generated using a stochastic finite-fault approach. Utilizing a homogeneous dataset of bedrock simulations, the model predicts peak ground acceleration, peak ground velocity, and spectral acceleration for shallow earthquakes (Mw 5.0–6.8, focal depth 5–17 km, and Joyner-Boore distances up to 150 km). A mixed-effects regression framework is used to incorporate key predictors such as magnitude, distance, and depth, while residual analysis quantifies uncertainties. The resulting GMM offers reliable estimates of ground motion parameters, enhancing seismic hazard assessment for the Azores Plateau.

The full paper can be accessed at Link.