Development of a new ground motion prediction equation for strong earthquakes in the Iranian plateau

A new ground motion prediction equation (GMPE) has been developed to estimate horizontal ground motions generated by shallow earthquakes. This equation is developed through multi-linear regression analysis and is valid across a wide range of hypocentral distances and moment magnitudes for earthquakes in the Iranian plateau. The dataset used to develop the GMPE for Iran includes 24 strong to major earthquakes, with magnitudes ranging from M_w 6.0 to M_w 7.8, recorded by 660 seismic stations. The proposed GMPE is compared with previous models developed for both Iran and global datasets, showing strong agreement with recorded data across all distances. Its validity is further confirmed using ground motion records from four major seismic events. The results indicate that the new GMPE provides accurate predictions of peak ground acceleration.