Research Article

ISSN 22779051
International Journal of Remote Sensing and GIS, Volume 1, Issue 2, 2012, 99-115
Copyright 2012, All rights reserved Research Publishing Group

www.rpublishing.org

Seismic Microzonation of Coimbatore District using Remote

Sensing and GIS
Karthic Kumar1, K K Aneesh2 *
1

Faculty of Civil Engineering, Karpagam University, Coimbatore, India

Civil & Software Engineer, Larsen & Toubro Infotech Ltd, Powai, Mumbai, India
Arun Kumar V, Civil Engineer, Virudhanagar, Tamil Nadu, India
*Corresponding author (E-mail: aneeshkjm123@gmail.com)

Abstract: The development of any country will be acceptable only when it is sustainable. In order to
achieve sustainability, the disaster management projects are inseparable. This study is for the Seismic
Microzonation of Coimbatore district using GIS & Remote sensing. The data required for this study were
selected based on various previous studies carried out in different parts of the world. Several spatial and
non- spatial data are collected from IRSC, Hyderabad, PWD (Coimbatore), Collectorate (Coimbatore). The
maps collected for this study include Soil, Geological, and Geomorphologic map. The IRS LISS-III
satellite image of 23.5 m resolution of the study area was used. The Soil distributions were developed. The
main objective of this study is to develop the Seismic Microzonation map of Coimbatore district. The
district has been divided in to 5 zones based on the possible threat to earthquakes.
Keywords:Seismic Microzonation; Lineament; Spatial and Non-spatial data; Geomorphology; Coimbatore.
1.0 Introduction
In developing country like India, which has high seismic vulnerability, detailed earthquake management
planning has been promoted using probabilistic earthquake scenarios and sophisticated earthquake damage
estimation methodologies.
In order to establish proper management plans for earthquake disaster reduction, it is imperative that city
planners have an understanding of the extent of possible damage to their city in the event of a future
earthquake. The first step in ensuring the safety of cities against earthquake disaster is to have an
understanding of the susceptibility of the area or city under consideration to future earthquakes. Owing to
high seismic hazard in some of highly populated urban areas around the world and ever-increasing urban
population, the seismic risk to these areas is extremely high. Many densely populated cities are in
developing countries, where the seismic risk is high. This is because of the existing building stocks are old
and also the construction and engineering practices are not stringent and thus resulting in new building
stocks unable to withstand earthquake forces. Secondly, post-disaster preparedness plans are either
insufficient or nonexistent, to manage the chaos and aftermath that would result from an earthquake. In
1999, earthquakes hit Colombia, Iran, Turkey, Taiwan and Mexico. They were testimony to the chaos and
losses suffered by the population, mainly due to poor construction and insufficient disaster preparedness. A
well-designed disaster mitigation and preparedness program is certainly a very effective tool in reducing
the effects from an earthquake disaster. GIS is a very powerful tool for handling and processing of spatial
and non-spatial data.
Microzonation has generally been recognized as the most accepted tool in seismic hazard assessment and
risk evaluation and it is defined as the zoning with respect to ground motion characteristics taking into
account of the site conditions (ISSMGE/TC4, 1999). Making improvements on the conventional
Microzonation maps and regional hazard maps, Microzonation of a region generates detailed maps that
predict the hazards at much larger scales. Damage patterns of many recent earthquakes around the world,
including the Chamoli (1999) and Bhuj (2001) earthquakes in India; have demonstrated that the soil
conditions at a site can have a major effect on the level of ground shaking. The Bhuj earthquake caused
severe damage not only in the epicentral region, but even in Ahmedabad, about 250 km away, which
attributed to increased ground shaking of the soft alluvium. Mapping the seismic hazard at local scales to
incorporate the effects of local ground conditions is the essence of Microzonation.

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Spatial analysis is done to answer question about the real world including present situation of spatial areas
and features, change in situation, trends and evaluation of capability or possibility using overlay technique
and modelling and prediction.

2.0 Study area profile

The Coimbatore district is one of the largest districts of Tamilnadu state, India and is situated in the
western part of the state. The district has areal extent of 7470 Sq.Km or 747079 hectares accounting for
5.74 percent of the total geographical area of the Tamilnadu. The district has well laid out roads and
railway lines connecting all major towns with in and out of side the state. The district lies between North
latitudes 10 13 00 to 11 23 30 and East latitudes 76 39 00 to 77 30 00. The location map of
Coimbatore district is given in the figure 1.
The Coimbatore district is flanked on the North West and south by steeply raising mountains of Western
Ghats. Nilgiris on the North West and Anamalai on the south are the important ranges, which attain a
height of 2500m above mean sea level (MSL) and the highest elevation in the valleys adjoining the hills is
600m above MSL.
The details of the earthquakes or slight earth tremors that occurred in Tamilnadu state since 1807 are given
in the Table 1.
2.1 Soil of Coimbatore district
The soils of Coimbatore district can be broadly classified into 6 major soils types viz., Red calcareous soil,
Black cotton soil, Red non-calcareous, Alluvial and Colluvial Soil, Brown soil, and Forest soil. About 60
per cent of the district is covered by red soils, of which red calcareous soil is predominant. Six different
types of soil in the Coimbatore district are as given in Table 2 and the distribution of soil over the district is
shown in Figure 2.

Figure 1. Location map of Coimbatore district

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Table 1. Details of Earthquakes/Earth tremors in Tamilnadu state since 1807

Sl.No

Year/Month/Date

Latitude

Longitude

Magnitude

1807.12.10

13.1000

80.3000

5.0

1816.09.16

13.1000

80.3000

5.0

1822.01.29

12.0000

79.0000

5.0

1822.01.29

12.5000

79.7000

5.0

1823.03.02

13.0000

80.0000

5.3

1859.01.03

12.5000

79.0000

5.0

1865.08.02

12.7000

78.7000

5.0

1867.07.03

12.000

79.6000

5.7

1882.02.28

11.4600

76.6000

5.7

10

1900.02.08

10.8000

76.8000

6.0

11

1972.07.29

11.0000

77.0000

5.0

12

2001.09.25

11.8600

80.300

5.6

Location
Chennai
Chennai
Villupuram
Thiruvannamalai
Sriperumpudur,
Chennai
Thiruvannamalai
Vellore
Villupuram
Ooty
South West of
Walayar,
North east of
Coimbatore
40km east of
Pondicherry

Table 2. Soil of Coimbatore district

Sl.
No

Type of soil

Area in Sq.km

Percentage

Red calcareous soil

3119

42.86

Red non calcareous soil

1746

23.99

Area of Black soil

503

6.91

Area of Brown soil

51

0.70

Area of hill & Forest soil

1712

23.59

Area of Colluvial & Alluvial soil

146

2.00

Total= 7276

101

Total % = 100

Kumar and Aneesh/International Journal of Remote Sensing and GIS, Volume 1, Issue 2, 2012, 99-115

Figure 2. Soil map of Coimbatore district

2.2. Geological map of Coimbatore District

Coimbatore district is underlined by a wide range of high grade metamorphic rocks of the peninsular gneiss
complex. These rocks are extensively weathered and overlain by recent valley fills and alluvium at certain
places. The major rock types occurring in the district the charnockites, granites, pegmatite and quartzite
veins. Abstract of geology of the district is given in Table 3. Geological distribution of the district is as
shown in Figure 3.

2.3. Geomorphology of Coimbatore District

Coimbatore district forms part of the upland plateau region of Tamil Nadu with many hill ranges, hillocks
and undulating topography with a gentle slope towards east except for the hilly terrain in the west. The
prominent geomorphic units identified in the district through interpretation of Satellite imagery are 1)
Structural hills, 2) Ridges, 3) Inselbergs, 4) Bazada, 5) Valley fill, 6) Pediment, 7) Shallow Pediments and
8) Deep Pediments.
Details of geomorphology and landforms are given in the Table 4. Geomorphological distribution over the
district is shown in Figure 4.

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Table 3. Geology of Coimbatore district

Sl.No

Type of Geology

Area in Sq.km

Percentage

Pink granite

440

6.04

Valleyfield

215

2.95

Charnockite

2179

29.94

Unclassified crystalline

4392

60.36

Limestone

51

0.70

Total= 7276

Total % = 100

Table 4. Geomorphology of Coimbatore district

Sl.No

Type of Geomorphology

Area in Sq.km

Percentage

Shallow pediments

4824

66.30

Structural hill

1654

22.80

Flood plain

136

1.86

Duricrust

106

1.45

Paled sand dune

166

2.28

Deep pediments

106

1.45

Bazada

48

0.61

Composite slope

148

2.03

Hill top valley

27

0.37

Valley field

57

0.78

10

Total=7276

103

Total % = 100

Kumar and Aneesh/International Journal of Remote Sensing and GIS, Volume 1, Issue 2, 2012, 99-115

Figure 3. Geological map of Coimbatore District

Figure 4. Geomorphologic map of Coimbatore district

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3.0 Analysis of Lithology

Bore hole reports of about 49 bore holes made within different parts of the district is obtained
from the PWD, Coimbatore. Using this detail, the maps of lithological distribution were developed. Details
of borehole study were given in figure 5 to 16 and in the Table 5 to 15.

Figure 5. Bore hole locations

Figure 6. Distribution of sandy soil

Table 5. Distribution of Sandy Soil

Sl.No

Range

Locations

Less than 2 m

Majority of the locations

2m-5m

East of veerakeralam, East of chinna thadagam, East

of valayampatti, North of Kadampatti, East of sholayar

Less Safer

5 m - 10 m

North & West of Mangarai, Around Chinnathadagam,

Around Periyar pumping station, Between
Goundampudur & Sholayar

Vulnerable

10 m - 15 m

Sholayar, Goundanpudur, Mangarai,

Chinnathadagam,Sugarcane breeding research
institute, Periyar pumping station,

More Vulnerable

105

Remarks
Comparatively safer

Kumar and Aneesh/International Journal of Remote Sensing and GIS, Volume 1, Issue 2, 2012, 99-115

Figure 7. Distribution of Coarse sand

Figure 8. Distribution of Gravel

Table 6. Distribution of Coarse Sand

Sl.No

Range

Locations

Remarks

Less than 5 m

Sinakkalipatti, Moyyadanpalayam, Pappampatti

Comparatively safer

5 m - 15 m

Around Karinandu, West of Zaminuthukuli, West of

Vadakkalur

Less Safer

15 m - 25 m

Around Veerakeralam,Around Topilipalayam

Vulnerable

25 m - 50 m

Boluvampatti forest,
Mangarai,Chinnathadagam,Sholayar

More Vulnerable

Table 7. Distribution of Gravel

Remarks

Sl.No

Range

Locations

Less than 1m

Zaminuthukuli, Kadampatti,
Goundampudur,Pappampatti,Vadakkalur,

More Vulnerable

Vulnerable

1m-2m

Around Gandhinagar, Around Madukkarai, North of

Veerakeralam

2m-3m

Mangarai, Vallyampalayam,Sugunapuram,
Sundarapuram,Pongalur and nearby places,
Kongalnagaram,Karinandu

106

Less Safer

Kumar and Aneesh/International Journal of Remote Sensing and GIS, Volume 1, Issue 2, 2012, 99-115

Figure 9. Distribution of Lime stone

Figure 10. Distribution of Pink granite

Table 8. Distribution of Lime stone

Sl.No

Range

Locations

Remarks

Less than 5 m

Majority of locations (Present in a few regions)

Safer

5 m - 10 m

Kurumbapalayam, Gandhinagar

Less Safer

10 m - 15 m

Sugunapuram,

Vulnerable

15 m - 30 m

Around Madukkari, Around Sundarapuram

More Vulnerable

30 m - 40 m

Madukkarai

More Vulnerable

Table 9. Distribution of Pink Granite

Remarks

Sl.No

Range

Less than 5 m

Locations
Vadakkalur, Arasapalayam,Moyyadampalayam, Pongalur,
Puttarichal etc

5 m - 15 m

West of Kumarapalayam, Around Zaminuthukuli, Around

Pappampatti, North of sholayar

More Vulnerable

2
3

15 m - 25 m

Around Gomangalam, Around madathukulam,

Vulnerable

25 m - 35 m

Around Kolarpatti, Around Sulur.

Less Safer

35 m - 45 m

Gomangalam, Zaminuthukuli, Madathukulam

107

More Vulnerable

Safer

Kumar and Aneesh/International Journal of Remote Sensing and GIS, Volume 1, Issue 2, 2012, 99-115

Figure 11. Distribution of Quartz pegmatite

Figure 12. Distribution of Red soil

Table 10. Distribution of Quartz pegmatite

Sl.No

Range

Locations

Less than 10 m

Vadakkalur,Chennimalapalayam,Gomangalam

2
3

10 m - 20 m
20 m - 30 m

Around Mangarai, Around Sundarapuram

Around Arasapalayam

30 m - 40 m

Around Kumarapalayam, Baluvampatti forest

40 m - 50 m

Kumarapalayam,Mangarai,Elachipalayam

Remarks
More Vulnerable
Vulnerable
Less Safer
Safer
Safer

Table 11. Distribution of Red soil

Sl.No

Range

Locations

Remarks

Less than 1 m

Puttarichal ,Goundampudur,Vallyampalayam,
Mangarai,Sinnakallipatti

Safer

1
2

1m-3m

Majority of the locations

Less Safer

3m-4m

Sholayar, Kongal nagaram,Kattamparri,pappampatti,

108

Vulnerable

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Figure 13. Distribution of Brown soil

Figure 14. Distribution of Clay soil

Table 12. Distribution of Brown Soil

Sl.No

Range

Locations

Remarks

Less than 1 m

Vadakkalur, Kannurpudur,
Rudrampalayam,Sundakkanpalayam,

Safer

1m - 2 m

Around Sundarapuram,Around Gandhinagar, North of

Mangarai,

Less Safer

2m-3m

Mangarai, Vallyampalayam, Sundarapuram,

Vulnerable

3m-4m

No locations

More Vulnerable

Table 13. Distribution of Clay soil

Sl.No

Range

Locations

Remarks

Less than 5 m

Sinnakallipatti,Vadakkalur, Somanur,

Safer

5 m - 10 m

Around Siruvani adivaram, Topilipalayam.

Less Safer

10 m - 15 m

South of Periyar Pumping station,

Vulnerable

4
5

15 m - 20 m
20 m - 30 m

North West of Mangarai

Alagamali, Sholayar,

More Vulnerable
More Vulnerable

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Figure 15. Distribution of Biotite gneiss

Figure 16. Distribution of Black cotton soil

Table 14. Distribution of Biotite Gneiss

Sl.No

Range

Locations

Remarks

Less than 25m

Chennimalaipalayam, Pappanaickenpalayam,

More Vulnerable

2
3
4
5
6

25 m - 50 m
50 m - 100 m
100 m - 150 m
150 m - 200 m
Greater than 200 m

Madattur
Arasapalayam
Veerapandi pudur
Sugunapuram, Sulur, Sholayar,
Majority of places

Vulnerable
Less Safer
Safer
Safer
Safer

Table 15. Distribution of Black Cotton Soil

Sl.No

Range

Locations

Remarks

Less than 1 m

Majority of the places

Safer

1m-2m

Kumarapalayam, Suripalayam

Less Safer

2m-3m

Zaminuthukuli,

Vulnerable

3m-4m

Rudrampalayam, Elachipalayam, Sundakkanpalayam,

More Vulnerable

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4.0 Analysis of Satellite image

The Lineament map is generated from the satellite imagery by identifying the fault lines in the imagery
using the ArcGIS. The density of the lineament is generated using the lineament map. The weights have
been given by setting more threat levels to higher lineament density which is earthquake prone.
The purpose of this is to analyze the spatial distribution of lineaments extracted from satellite images
according to their density, intersection density, length and orientation in order to contribute to the
understanding of the faults of the study area which is a major threat since they are weaker in nature and
resulting in the propagation of seismic waves through these ruptured planes.
Satellite images and aerial photographs are extensively used to extract lineaments for different purposes.
Since satellite images are obtained from varying wavelength intervals of the electromagnetic spectrum,
they are considered to be a better tool to discriminate the lineaments and to produce better information than
conventional aerial photographs. Lineaments usually appear as straight lines or edges on the images
which in all cases contributed by the tonal differences within the surface material.
Lineament and Lineament density distribution for the district are as shown in Figure 17 and 18.

Figure 17. Lineament map

Figure 18. Lineament density map

5.0 Generation of Land use map

The Land use/ Land cover map is generated from the satellite imagery using the ArcGIS. The area is
classified in to Urban or Built up land, Residential, Commercial and Services, Industrial, Transportation,
Communication and Utilities, Agricultural Land, Stony waste, Forest land, Water bodies and so on. The
weights have been given based up on the threat levels. Land cover is the physical material at the surface of
the earth. Land covers include grass, asphalt, trees, bare ground, water, etc. There are two primary methods
for capturing information on land cover: field survey and analysis of remotely sensed imagery. Land cover
map is shown in Figure 19.

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Figure 19. Land cover map

6.0 Results
The entire area of the district is divided in to five zones based on the threat levels. The areas with Very high
range of threat are having more vulnerability to Earthquakes when compared to the High and so on. Some
of the locations coming under the five different zones are given in the Table 16 to 20. The Microzonation
map obtained from this study is presented in Figure 20.

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Table 16. Locations under Very high zone

Table 19. Major locations under Less

moderate zone

Sl.No

Major Locations

Block

Sl.No

Major Locations

Block

Samathur

Pollachi south

Vathamalai

Valparai

Kotur

Anamalai

Alanthurai

Thondamuthur

Perur

Perur

Mettroth

Madathukulam

Jallipatti

Udumalapet

Melur slopes

Gopanari

Varapatti

Udumalapet

Kuppanur

Annur

Table 17. Locations under High zone

Table 20. Major locations in Least zone

Sl.No

Major Locations

Block

Sl.No

Major Locations

Block

Tirumalyapalyam

Madukarai

Devarayapuram

Thondamuthur

Ukkadam

Perur

Elavanthi

Pongalur

Sulur

Sulur

Krishnapuram

Sultanpet

Nallur

Tiruppur

Kanur

Avinashi

Sukkampalayam

Palladam

Gopanari

Gopanari

Table 18. Locations under Moderate

Sl.No

Major Locations

Block

Mudianmalai

Amaravathi

Anaigundi

Anamalais

Kattur

Pongalur

Vadakkalur

Annur

Malamachampatti

Madhukarai

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Figure 20. Microzonation map

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7.0 Conclusion
The various thematic maps were created and overlaid by giving sufficient weightages and the
Microzonation map of Coimbatore district has been generated.
By using IRS LISS-III satellite imagery, Lineament density map of Coimbatore was developed. The Study
has been done considering the geological and geotechnical data of the entire district.
The district has been divided in to 5 zones such as very high, high, moderate, less moderate and least based
on the possible threat to earthquakes. The vulnerability of the major locations is reported.
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