Type
ArticleAuthors
Zielke, Olaf
Mai, Paul Martin

KAUST Department
Computational Earthquake Seismology (CES) Research GroupEarth Science and Engineering Program
Physical Science and Engineering (PSE) Division
Date
2016-03-04Online Publication Date
2016-03-04Print Publication Date
2016-03-16Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/10754/596861
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Fault geometric complexities exhibit fractal characteristics over a wide range of spatial scales (<µm to >km) and strongly affect the rupture process at corresponding scales. Numerical rupture simulations provide a framework to quantitatively investigate the relationship between a fault's roughness and its seismic characteristics. Fault discretization however introduces an artificial lower limit to roughness. Individual fault patches are planar and sub-patch roughness –roughness at spatial scales below fault-patch size– is not incorporated. Does negligence of sub-patch roughness measurably affect the outcome of earthquake rupture simulations? We approach this question with a numerical parameter space investigation and demonstrate that sub-patch roughness significantly modifies the slip-strain relationship –a fundamental aspect of dislocation theory. Faults with sub-patch roughness induce less strain than their planar-fault equivalents at distances beyond the length of a slipping fault. We further provide regression functions that characterize the stochastic effect sub-patch roughness.Citation
Sub-Patch Roughness in Earthquake Rupture Investigations 2016:n/a Geophysical Research LettersSponsors
The research reported in this publication was supported by funding from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). No financial or other types of conflicts of interest exist for the authors regarding this manuscript. Figures in the main manuscript and supporting online material provide all data used in this investigation. We want to thank M. Galis for many stimulating discussion. We also want to thank the reviewers for their constructive criticism and helpful comments that improved this study.Publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)Journal
Geophysical Research LettersAdditional Links
http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/2015GL067084ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1002/2015GL067084