Geological and Microtremor Survey, Damage Distribution, and Reconstruction of Muzaffarabad and Surroundings after the 2005 Kashmir Earthquake

Heavy damage was observed in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan due to the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, especially on terraces with thick well compacted gravel deposits and along the terrace rims. We evaluated the damage distribution visually from Ikonos satellite images. In an effort to contribute to the restoration of Muzaffarabad city and its future urban and infrastructure development, we investigated the area's geomorphology and measured microtremors at some 20 locations. The four terraces in the city consist of well compacted gravel deposits and our microtremor results indicate slightly higher amplification values and lower fundamental frequencies on the thicker deposits in the South-East of the city, where damage was very severe. We hope our study will be a good complement to JICA's (Japan International Cooperation Agency) Master plan for the city's reconstruction.