Preliminary Workshop Agenda

This 1-day workshop shares perspectives and approaches on characterizing site amplification effects in the Cascadia region - an important topic for seismic hazard assessment and engineering.  The aim is to go beyond traditional approaches involving Vs30 and generic amplification models imported from other regions, towards approaches that are more region and site specific. We will examine approaches that address frequency-dependent site amplification for typical Cascadia profiles, such as those involving soil and glacial materials over glaciated rock.  Both site-specific and generic characterizations are considered.  We will also discuss how to transition the reference condition for ground-motion models away from gradational profiles with Vs30=760 m/s to hard-rock reference.  The end goal is to transition to non-ergodic ground-motion characterization, providing reduced aleatory variability in conjunction with realistic assessments of epistemic uncertainty.

Date:  Oct. 1.  Approximate time 9am-5pm
Format:  ~15-min presentations organized into four sessions, each followed by a Panel Discussion with the speakers taking questions from the audience

Session Topics:
1 - Development of ground-motion models referenced to hard rock and implications for hazard assessment
    Confirmed speakers: Gail Atkinson; Sheri Molnar; Behzad Hassani
2 - Site characterization studies in Cascadia
    Confirmed speakers: Sean Adhi; Carlos Ventura; Martin Lawrence
3 - Site-specific response characterization with respect to reference condition
    Confirmed speakers: John Cassidy; Behzad Hassani; Tuna Onur
4 - Generic site response characterization with respect to reference condition
    Confirmed speakers: Art Frankel; Michal Kolaj; Samantha Palmer

Workshop proceedings will be compiled and published as a GSC Open-file Report.  The proceedings will include, for each presentation, either an extended abstract or a powerpoint presentation file, at the option of each presenter.  There will be no registration fee for the workshop, but pre-registration is required. Snacks and lunch will be provided.


For more information, or to request registration, contact Gail Atkinson or John Cassidy:
  • gmatkinson@aol.com
  • john.cassidy@canada.ca

Accommodation:

Sidney is a short distance from both the Victoria airport and the Pacific Geoscience Centre.  Please make your room reservations promptly as accommodation in Sidney is already heavily booked in the workshop time window.  We have listed the hotels in our order of preference.  The Sidney Pier will offer rooms at the Government rate (currently $203 Cdn plus tax) if you book directly with them by phone, stating that you are with the PGC Workshop.

Sidney Pier Hotel,                            1 250-655-9445
Sidney Waterfront Inn and Suites,      1 888-656-1131
Best Western Emerald Isle,               1 800-315-3377
Sidney Travelodge,                           1 250-656-1176