HR: 0830h
AN: H31B-0457    [PDF]
TI: Risk Assessment of Surface Faulting on Eastern Mexico City by Using Gephysical Methods.
AU: * Chavez, R E
EM: exprene@tonatiuh.igeofcu.unam.mx
AF: Instituto de Geofisica UNAM, Cd. Universitaria, Circuito Exterior s/n, Mexico, D.F 04510 Mexico
AU: Diaz, O
EM: oscard@tonatiuh.igeofcu.unam.mx
AF: Instituto de Geofisica UNAM, Cd. Universitaria, Circuito Exterior s/n, Mexico, D.F 04510 Mexico
AU: Cabral-Cano, E
EM: ecabral@tonatiuh.igeofcu.unam.mx
AF: Instituto de Geofisica UNAM, Cd. Universitaria, Circuito Exterior s/n, Mexico, D.F 04510 Mexico
AU: Cifuentes-Nava, G
EM: gercifue@tonatiuh.igeofcu.unam.mx
AF: Instituto de Geofisica UNAM, Cd. Universitaria, Circuito Exterior s/n, Mexico, D.F 04510 Mexico
AU: Correa-Mora, F
EM: pancho@tonatiuh.igeofcu.unam.mx
AF: Instituto de Geofisica UNAM, Cd. Universitaria, Circuito Exterior s/n, Mexico, D.F 04510 Mexico
AB: The accelerated urban growth in Mexico City, one of the world's largest metropolis has led to increasing environmental changes. Several low-income communities have settled on high-risk zones of the metropolitan area due to poor development regulations enforcement. Such conditions have contributed to increase the vulnerability of these areas where natural disasters such as flooding or landslides may occur. One of these areas is located in the eastern portion of Mexico City, within the Iztapalapa County. These urban settlements are located on top of non-consolidated lacustrine sediments. Ground conditions and an over exploitation of the local aquifer have caused fracturing, faulting and subsidence, affecting houses and public buildings in this area. In order to perform a risk assessment in this heavily urbanised area, a geophysical study was carried out to determine the location of shallow fractures. Several GPR and high-resolution gravity profiles were surveyed along selected roads. A shallow-surface faulting risk map was then constructed taking into account fault location and geometry, land use and other geological variables. This analysis allowed the study area to be divided into five vulnerability risk zones which can be used by local decision-making authorities for hazard prevention and planning of mitigation activities.
DE: 0600 ELECTROMAGNETICS
DE: 0900 EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS
DE: 0910 Data processing
DE: 1803 Anthropogenic effects
DE: 6309 Decision making under uncertainty
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting