Calculation Workflows#

Use this section to choose a calculator before preparing input files. A calculation workflow determines the hazard input, the risk functions, and the outputs that the engine expects. The configuration examples and input-format reference should be used after selecting a workflow.

Hazard Calculators#

The hazard component of the OpenQuake engine can compute seismic hazard using various approaches. Four types of analysis are currently supported:

Classical PSHA: Classical Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis (PSHA), allowing calculation of hazard curves and hazard maps following the classical integration procedure ((Cornell 1968), McGuire (1976)) as formulated by (Field, Jordan, and Cornell 2003).
Event Based PSHA: Event-Based Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis, allowing calculation of ground-motion fields from stochastic event sets. Traditional results - such as hazard curves - can be obtained by post- processing the set of computed ground-motion fields.
Scenario Hazard: Scenario Based Seismic Hazard Analysis, allowing the calculation of ground motion fields from a single earthquake rupture scenario taking into account ground motion aleatory variability. The ground motion fields can be conditioned to observed data, when available.
Secondary perils: Secondary Perils Hazard Analysis, allowing the calculation of probability of ground failure and induced displacements.

Each workflow has a modular structure, so that intermediate results can be exported and analyzed. Each calculator can be extended independently of the others so that additional calculation options and methodologies can be easily introduced, without affecting the overall calculation workflow.

Risk Calculators#

The table below provides the shortest route to the appropriate risk calculator. Damage calculations use fragility functions and return damage state distributions. Risk calculations use vulnerability functions and return losses. Consequence models can convert damage distributions into quantities such as losses, fatalities, or loss of functionality.

Choosing a risk workflow#
Question	Hazard input	Risk functions	`calculation_mode`	Start here
What damage could one earthquake cause?	One rupture or scenario ground-motion fields	Fragility	`scenario_damage`	Scenario Damage Assessment
What losses could one earthquake cause?	One rupture or scenario ground-motion fields	Vulnerability	`scenario_risk`	Scenario Risk Assessment
What is the damage probability over a time period?	Classical hazard curves	Fragility	`classical_damage`	Classical Damage
What is the loss exceedance probability over a time period?	Classical hazard curves	Vulnerability	`classical_risk`	Classical Risk
What damage could a stochastic event set cause?	Event-based ground-motion fields	Fragility	`event_based_damage`	Event Based Damage
What losses could a stochastic event set cause?	Event-based ground-motion fields	Vulnerability	`event_based_risk`	Event Based Risk
What damage could ground shaking and triggered ground failure cause?	Scenario ground motions and secondary-peril fields	One fragility model per peril	`scenario_damage`	Multi-peril scenario damage
Is a retrofit economically beneficial?	Classical hazard curves	Original and retrofitted vulnerability	`classical_bcr`	Refrofit Benefit-Cost Ratio

Infrastructure connectivity and reinsurance are extensions of the applicable damage or risk workflow, rather than separate values of calculation_mode. See Infrastructure Risk and Reinsurance after selecting the underlying workflow.

The seismic risk results are calculated using the OpenQuake engine risk library, an open-source suite of tools for seismic risk assessment and loss estimation. Its source code is available in the oq-engine repository.

The risk component of the OpenQuake engine can compute both scenario-based and probabilistic seismic damage and risk using various approaches. The following types of analysis are currently supported:

Scenario Damage Assessment: Scenario Damage Assessment, for the calculation of damage distribution statistics for a portfolio of buildings from a single earthquake rupture scenario taking into account aleatory and epistemic ground-motion variability.
Scenario Risk Assessment: Scenario Risk Assessment, for the calculation of individual asset and portfolio loss statistics due to a single earthquake rupture scenario taking into account aleatory and epistemic ground-motion variability. Correlation in the vulnerability of different assets of the same typology can also be taken into consideration.
Classical Damage: Classical Probabilistic Seismic Damage Analysis, for the calculation of damage state probabilities over a specified time period, and probabilistic collapse maps, starting from the hazard curves computed following the classical integration procedure ((Cornell 1968), McGuire (1976)) as formulated by (Field, Jordan, and Cornell 2003).
Classical Risk: Classical Probabilistic Seismic Risk Analysis, for the calculation of loss curves and loss maps, starting from the hazard curves computed following the classical integration procedure ((Cornell 1968), McGuire (1976)) as formulated by (Field, Jordan, and Cornell 2003).
Event Based Damage: Stochastic Event Based Probabilistic Seismic Damage Analysis, for the calculation of event damage tables starting from stochastic event sets. Other results such as damage-state-exceedance curves, probabilistic damage maps, and average annual damages or collapses can be obtained by post-processing the event damage tables.
Event Based Risk: Stochastic Event Based Probabilistic Seismic Risk Analysis, for the calculation of event loss tables starting from stochastic event sets. Other results such as loss-exceedance curves, probabilistic loss maps, and average annual losses can be obtained by post-processing the event loss tables.
Refrofit Benefit-Cost Ratio: Retrofit Benefit-Cost Ratio Analysis, which is useful in estimating the net-present value of the potential benefits of performing retrofitting for a portfolio of assets (in terms of decreased losses in seismic events), measured relative to the upfront cost of retrofitting.
Reinsurance: Reinsurance Loss Analysis, for the calculation of insurance and reinsured aggregate loss curves with different schemes (proportional and nonproportional treaties).
Infrastructure Risk: Infrastructure Risk Analysis, for the calculation of infrastructure risk connectivity (functionality/operationality) at global and nodal level.
Multi-peril scenario damage: Multi-peril Scenario Damage, for the calculation of damage and consequences from ground shaking, liquefaction, and landslides in a single scenario.

Each calculation workflow has a modular structure, so that intermediate results can be saved and analyzed. Moreover, each calculator can be extended independently of the others so that additional calculation options and methodologies can be easily introduced, without affecting the overall calculation workflow. Each workflow is described in more detail in the following sections.