TRAINING ON VS30 MEASUREMENT AND ANALYSIS
From 12 to 15 October 2026, KNDC staff members — Aydin Mukambaev, Asem Isagali, Alexey Zholdybaev and Mikhail Shulga — took part in the “Training on Vs30 measurement and analysis” course. This course was organised by the International Science and Technology Centre (ISTC) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).
Staff from scientific organisations in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan and Armenia, specialising in seismology, seismic hazard assessment and seismic risk analysis, also took part in the course.
Training participants
As part of the training program, a lecture entitled “Site Conditions and Vs30 Applications to PSHA” was delivered. The lecture was delivered by Dr Tuna Onur (PhD), a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Victoria and chair of the Canadian National Committee for the Development of Seismic Design Standards for Buildings.
The training program included theoretical sessions and practical work on determining and analyzing Vs30 – the average velocity of shear seismic waves in the top 30 meters of soil. This parameter is of key importance for assessing the engineering-geological conditions of sites and conducting probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA).
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Data Center staff attending lectures
The practical sessions were carried out using the SOILSPY multi-channel digital seismograph and the specialised software packages SOILSPY ROSINA (4.3.2) and GRILLA (13.1), which are used for recording, processing and analysing seismic data in the investigation of ground conditions.
During the practical sessions, Gevorg Babayan and Mikael Gevorkyan, staff members of the Institute of Geological Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, shared their experience of conducting field surveys, processing seismic data and interpreting the results obtained. This exchange of practical experience enabled participants to familiarise themselves with the research methods used, the specifics of working with equipment and software, as well as approaches to assessing the engineering-geological conditions of sites for subsequent seismic hazard analysis.
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The practical sessions were carried out using the SOILSPY multi-channel digital seismograph and the specialized SOILSPY ROSINA software.
On 14 October, a field session using the SOILSPY multi-channel digital seismograph and the specialized SOILSPY ROSINA (4.3.2) data acquisition software took place on the premises of the Data Centre IGR NNC RK.
Training participants at the Data Centre IGR NNC RK
The participation of KNDC staff in this training will enable them to broaden their practical expertise in the fields of seismic micro zoning, ground conditions assessment and seismic hazard analysis, and will also contribute to the introduction of modern research methods into seismological practice in Kazakhstan. Such studies are essential for any project involving the assessment of site conditions during the construction of critical infrastructure.
The staff of the Centre for Acquisition and Processing of the Special Seismic Information (KNDC) would like to express its sincere gratitude to the training organizers for the opportunity to participate in the course, for the high standard of organization and the informative program, and for creating the conditions for the exchange of professional experience and knowledge with international colleagues.
