Summary

Simulated earthquake ground motions are useful in engineering applications, from developing ground motion models to improving seismic hazard assessments and performing structural response analyses. Various simulation approaches—including stochastic, physics-based, and hybrid methods—offer unique strengths depending on the intended application. Over the past two decades, major advances have refined ground motion simulations, and coordinated efforts led by the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) have helped bridge the gap between simulation developers and engineering practitioners.

SCEC, now the Statewide California Earthquake Center, aims to renew and expand this collaboration through the workshop on “Earthquake Ground Motion Simulation Validation and Utilization (GM-SVU) for Engineering Applications,” to be held Monday, July 13, 2026, from 9:00 AM–12:00 PM during the 13th National Conference on Earthquake Engineering (13NCEE) in Portland, Oregon. This workshop will bring together researchers and professionals from earthquake science and engineering to address two key challenges: (1) validating simulated ground motions for use in probabilistic seismic hazard analyses, and (2) developing standardized guidelines for their application in engineering practice. These efforts are critical for building confidence in simulations and ensuring their effective integration into seismic design and risk mitigation.

The workshop program will feature invited presentations, discussions, and panel sessions on advances in ground motion simulation validation, SCEC simulation capabilities, engineering and hazard-user needs, and future directions for ground motion simulation validation and utilization. These efforts build on decades of community earthquake modeling, validated synthetic ground motion datasets, and computational capabilities that provide broad coverage across California source, path, and site conditions.

Bringing together validation researchers, simulation developers, ground motion modelers, hazard and risk analysts, research and practicing engineers, and building code developers, the SCEC/USGS GM-SVU workshop aims to advance community consensus on best practices for validating and utilizing simulated ground motions. The workshop will also help identify community priorities, user needs, and future collaborative activities that can guide ongoing GM-SVU efforts and shape a coordinated path forward for scalable, validated, and accessible physics-based ground motion simulations across California and beyond.

Intended Audience: This workshop will be open to those interested in earthquake ground motion simulations with an emphasis on their validation and utilization in engineering applications. The audience is anticipated to have a wide range of expertise in earthquake science and engineering. We particularly encourage participation from:

• Ground motion modelers,
• Research and practicing engineers,
• Hazard and risk analysts, and
• Building code developers.

Registration Fee

The SCEC/USGS GM-SVU workshop can then be added through the 13NCEE conference registration portal by selecting “Add Workshops or Tours to Your Registration.” The workshop registration fee is $35.