Seismicity Based Maximum Magnitude Estimation of Subduction Earthquakes in Peru

Abstract

In seismic design, intensity parameters that represent seismic demand are commonly used. A probabilistic seismic hazard assessment is an accurate way of assessing seismic demand, based on a set of parameters that represent the seismicity of a region. However, because some regions lack sufficient information, the selection of these parameters can be controversial. In Peru, selecting a maximum earthquake magnitude (Mmax) for regional seismic hazard assessments has proven to be a challenging task due to the limited available information concerning of large-magnitude events. This study evaluated the Mmax for subduction earthquakes using scaling relationships, empirical evidence, and the extreme value statistics (Kijko and Bayesian) approach. The seismic catalog was updated to February 2022 and divided into 19 subduction seismic sources (5 interface and 14 intraslab). The results showed that the obtained Mmax are within the range of Mw 8.7–9.0 for the interface and Mw 7.6–8.1 for the intraslab sources, which unlike the Mmax values established in previous regional seismic hazard assessments, are more consistent with the historical and instrumental seismicity and rupture models.