Implications of paleoseismology in seismic hazard analysis in NW Crete and Kythira strait (Greece)

Abstract

The scope of this paper is to study how geological data contribute to hazard analysis and the extent to which they can be incorporated in the existing hazard models. For this reason the study area was divided into area source zones and the paleoseismological data collected and studied on the Kera fault zone, in Chania, Crete, were taken into account. The seismic hazard was calculated with CRISIS99, using a combination of the Poissonian and the characteristic earthquake model. The data from the Kera fault affect slightly the calculation of seismic hazard. It is suggested that more paleoseismological data and a good attenuation relationship for the area, would lead to the development of hazard models capable to incorporate geological information and it would improve the quality of seismic hazard analysis.