Evaluation of the Local Site Effects of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Old City of Dubrovnik (Croatia)

The Old City of Dubrovnik exhibits significant variations in local site effects that influence seismic risk. Built on three distinct geomorphological and geological entities—southern bedrock ridge, central filled part (former sea embayment), and northern bedrock ridge—the city's vulnerability to earthquakes is heightened by its complex subsurface conditions. A study funded by the Croatian Science Foundation aimed to map these variations using updated geophysical methods and new geological investigations, building on data from the 1980s. The research highlights the importance of precise microzonation maps for future planning, reconstruction, and seismic risk mitigation, following devastating historical earthquakes such as the 1667 event (M~7) and the 1979 earthquake (M6.8), which caused widespread damage despite its epicentral distance from Dubrovnik.

Stanko, D., Korbar, T., Uglešić, J. S., Lončar, I., Gazdek, M., & Markušić, S. (2023). EVALUATION OF THE LOCAL SITE EFFECTS OF THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE OLD CITY OF DUBROVNIK (CROATIA). 2nd Croatian Conference on Earthquake Engineering ‒ 2CroCEE, 19–20. https://doi.org/10.5592/co/2crocee.2023.35