Strong motions in Alaska-type subduction zone environments

Peak accelerations of Alaska-Aleutian strong motion records are compared with those collected mostly in the western US. The most prominent difference is the larger scatter of Alaskan peak accelerations. The high scatter is attributed primarily to high variability of stress drops typical for some subduction zones. For critical engineering projects that must satisfy high probabilities of non-exceedence it implies that in Alaskan-type environments higher design peak accelerations may have to be adopted than under comparable cricumstances in the western US.