Liquefaction Vulnerability Assessment of Srinagar City: A Geotechnical Analysis of Seismic Risk in the Kashmir Valley, NW Himalaya, India

ABSTRACT

The seismic soil liquefaction hazard in Srinagar City, located in the seismically active north‐west region of India, was assessed using the factor of safety (FS) against liquefaction at various depths based on standard penetration test (SPT) borehole data from 87 sites across the city. An evaluation of liquefaction‐induced surface damage was provided by the Liquefaction Potential Index (LPI), which was calculated by integrating the FS values over the depth of liquefaction‐susceptible soil layers. A uniform peak ground acceleration (PGA) of 0.5 g was adopted for the analyses. This value is consistent with the Seismic Zone V classification of Srinagar and falls within the range reported by regional probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA) studies (0.36–0.65 g) for the Kashmir Valley. The value corresponds to a 5% probability of exceedance in 50 years for Srinagar soils. Liquefaction potential contour maps of the study area were presented for different earthquake magnitudes ( M _w 6.0–7.5). The first high‐resolution urban‐ scale micro‐zonation of liquefaction risk in Srinagar City has been made using depth‐specific FS maps and magnitude‐specific LPI contour maps. Results reveal that the majority of the city exhibits high to severe liquefaction susceptibility during moderate to high‐magnitude earthquakes, particularly along the banks of the Jhelum River with loose alluvial deposits and shallow groundwater. The study advances beyond previous regional‐scale assessments by delivering detailed site‐specific mapping suitable for urban planning and infrastructure resilience in this densely populated Himalayan city. Limitations related to SPT methodology and uneven borehole distribution are acknowledged.