“…Besides the structural characteristics of the affected buildings and the geological conditions of the bedrock and overlying stratum, topographical features can also play a significant role in the damage distribution resulting from an earthquake. Instrumental and theoretical investigations following several worldwide earthquake events have shown that the amplification potential of ground motion can be strongly influenced by effects generated by the topographical features of the site and that these features have a significant influence on damage level (Boore 1972, Ashford et al 1997, Chávez-García et al 1997, Gazetas et al 2002, Havenith et al 2003, Assimaki et al 2005, McCrink et al 2010). More precisely, numerous studies have revealed that damage is more significant in buildings on hilltops, ridges, and steep slopes, indicating the amplification of ground motions at these locations (Ç elebi 1987, Kawase and Aki 1990, Hartzell et al 1994, Bouchon and Barker 1996, Bouckovalas and Papadimitriou 2005.…”