Impact assessment of geohazards triggered by 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaras Earthquakes (Mw 7.7 and Mw 7.6) on the natural gas pipelines

Unal E. O., KOCAMAN GÖKÇEOĞLU S., GÖKÇEOĞLU C.

Engineering Geology, cilt.334, 2024 (SCI-Expanded) identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 334
  • Basım Tarihi: 2024
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.enggeo.2024.107508
  • Dergi Adı: Engineering Geology
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, PASCAL, Aerospace Database, Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), CAB Abstracts, Communication Abstracts, Compendex, INSPEC, Metadex, Pollution Abstracts, DIALNET, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: 6 February 2023 Kahramanmaras Earthquakes, Geohazard susceptibility, Infrastructure damage, Natural gas pipeline
  • Hacettepe Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The safe operation of pipelines transporting natural gas is crucial to meet the energy demands of modern societies, but geohazards pose significant challenges to their integrity. This study evaluates the impact of geohazards, namely landslides, high peak ground acceleration (PGA), liquefaction and surface rupture on natural gas pipelines. These hazards caused several incidents on the pipelines during the devastating Kahramanmaras Earthquakes occurred on 6 February 2023 (Mw 7.7 and Mw 7.6) in southeastern Türkiye. A total of 21 incidents were inventoried through field observations and visual assessment of aerial images with a nominal spatial resolution of 25 cm taken soon after the earthquakes. Besides the inventory compilation, landslide and liquefaction susceptibility maps of the area with 25 m resolution produced using supervised machine learning methods were assessed at the incident locations. The investigations carried out in this study showed a high correlation with medium to high susceptibility levels of one or more geohazards listed above. The study outcomes also indicated that involving accurate geohazard susceptibility maps in the route design and continuous monitoring of natural gas pipelines route is essential for taking the necessary pre-cautions and for improving the disaster preparedness. Understanding the vulnerability and potential threats helps implementing targeted measures and protecting the critical energy supply lines. The findings of this study also contribute to enhancing the resilience of natural gas pipeline infrastructure worldwide.