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New PublicationS

SoVI Algorithm and MATLAB Implementation Manual: Analysis Using Canada Census 2016 / 2021 Data

We are pleased to announce the public release of the SoVI Algorithm and MATLAB Implementation Manual: Analysis Using Canada Census 2016 / 2021 Data, now openly available on Zenodo.

"This repository presents a Social Vulnerability Index (SoVI) implementation for Canada, providing a practical guide and MATLAB-based workflow for assessing community-level social vulnerability to environmental hazards and disasters. The repository outlines the SoVI algorithm, data requirements, and key methodological considerations, enabling users to analyze and map spatial patterns of social vulnerability.

The analysis uses data from the 2016 and 2021 Canadian Censuses to examine socioeconomic inequality at the Forward Sortation Area (FSA) level. A total of 1,626 FSAs common to both datasets are analyzed. This resource is intended for graduate students, researchers, and practitioners working in social vulnerability analysis, disaster risk reduction, and urban studies."

Access the SoVI/SES manual and MATLAB codes on Zenodo:

Citation: Roosmawati, N., & Goda, K. (2025). SoVI Algorithm and MATLAB Implementation Manual: Analysis Using Canada Census 2016 / 2021 Data (1.0.0) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17635568

Risk-based multi-hazard microzonation for earthquakes and tsunamis

Abstract

A multi-hazard spatial mapping for shaking and tsunami risks is necessary for coastal communities that face imminent dangers from megathrust subduction earthquakes. Conventional single-hazard (seismic or tsunami) mapping methods are not effective in addressing this research gap because the individual hazard effects cannot be combined directly. This study presents a new risk-based multi-hazard microzonation method, which displays relative risks of a representative building asset due to earthquakes and tsunamis within a local community and applies it to the District of Tofino in British Columbia, Canada, which is located in the Cascadia subduction zone. A recently developed catastrophe model is used to generate a comprehensive set of multi-hazard loss data for Tofino by reflecting two local factors, i.e., site amplification proxy for shaking and high-resolution topography for tsunami. The risk-based multi-hazard microzonation maps capture spatially varying loss contributions from shaking and tsunami hazards at different annual probability of exceedance levels. Different visualization approaches can be considered to facilitate the disaster risk management and risk communications with residents and stakeholders.

Citation: Goda, K., & Catalan, P. A. (2025). Risk-based Multi-hazard Microzonation for Earthquakes and Tsunamis. Frontiers in Earth Science, 13, 1568069.

You can find the article in 

List of Publications from the CIRCLE Projects Across Various Study Areas

A Dynamic Bayesian Network Approach to Characterize Multi-Hazard Risks and Resilience in Interconnected Critical Infrastructures

Citation: Bakhtiari, S., Najafi, M. R., Goda, K., & Peerhossaini, H. (2025). A Dynamic Bayesian Network Approach to Characterize Multi-Hazard Risks and Resilience in Interconnected Critical Infrastructures. Reliability Engineering & System Safety, 1–18.

You can find the article in

List of Publications from the CIRCLE Projects Across Various Study Areas

Effect of Calibration Data on Performance of Tsunami Early Warning Model

Citation: Goda, K., Chamatidis, I., & Istrati, D. (2025). Effect of calibration data on performance of tsunami early warning model. Coastal Engineering Journal, 1–18.

You can find the article in OR request via

List of Publications from the CIRCLE Projects Across Various Study Areas

Quick Loss Estimation Tool (QLET) for Seismic Risk Assessment in Canada

A new peer-reviewed article has been published in GeoHazards titled:

“Rapid Computation of Seismic Loss Curves for Canadian Buildings Using Tail Approximation Method”
Authors: Payam Momeni, Katsuichiro Goda, Navid Sirous, and Sheri Molnar

Traditional seismic risk assessments often require specialized expertise and extensive computational time, making probabilistic seismic risk evaluations less accessible to practitioners and decision-makers. To reduce the barriers related to applications of quantitative seismic risk analysis, this paper develops a Quick Loss Estimation Tool (QLET) designed for rapid seismic risk assessment of Canadian buildings.

By approximating the upper tail of a seismic hazard curve using an extreme value distribution and integrating it with building exposure-vulnerability models, the QLET enables efficient computation of seismic loss curves for individual sites. The tool generates seismic loss exceedance probability curves and financial risk metrics based on Monte Carlo simulations, offering customizable risk assessments for various building types.

The QLET also incorporates regional site proxy models based on average shear-wave velocity in the uppermost 30 m to enhance site-specific hazard characterization, addressing key limitations of global site proxy models and enabling risk-based seismic microzonation. The QLET streamlines hazard, exposure, and vulnerability assessments into a user-friendly tool, facilitating regional-scale risk evaluations within practical timeframes, making it particularly applicable to emergency preparedness, urban planning, and insurance analysis.

QLET is freely available as an open-source repository on GitHub, providing both the MATLAB codes and GUI-based application for users and researchers:

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