A simplified method for simulation of strong ground motion using finite rupture model of the earthquake source

Abstract

We present a simplified method to simulate strong ground motion for a realistic representation of a finite earthquake source burried in a layered earth. This method is based on the stochastic simulation method of Boore (Boore, D. M., 1983, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 73, 1865–1894) and the Empirical Green’s Function (EFG) method of Irikura (Irikura, K., 1986, Proceedings of the 7th Japan Earthquake symposium, pp. 151–156). The rupture responsible for an earthquake is represented by several subfaults. The geometry of subfaults and their number is decided by the similarity relationships. For simulation of ground motion using the stochastic simulation technique we used the shapping window based on the kinetic source model of the rupture plane. The shaping window deepens on the geometry of the earthquake source and the propagation characteristics of the energy released by various subfaults. The division of large fault into small subfaults and the method for accounting their contribution at the surface is identical to the EGF. The shapping window has been modified to take into account the effect of the transmission of energy released form the finite fault at various boundaries of the layered earth model above the source. In the present method we have applied the correction factor to adjust slip time function of small and large earthquakes. The correction factor is used to simulate strong motion records having basic spectral shape of ω2 source model in broad frequency range. To test this method we have used the strong motion data of the Geiyo earthquake of 24th March 2001, Japan recorded by KiK network. The source of this earthquake is modelled by a simple rectangular rupture of size 24 × 15 km, burried at a depth of 31 km in a multilayered earth model. This rupture plane is divided into 16 rectangular subfaults of size 6.0 × 3.75 km each. Strong motion records at eight selected near-field stations were simulated and compared with the observed records in terms of the acceleration and velocity records and their response spectrum. The comparison confirms the suitability of proposed rupture model responsible for this earthquake and the efficacy of the approach in predicting the strong motion scenario of earthquakes in the subduction zone. Using the same rupture model of the Geiyo earthquake, we compared the simulated records from our and the EGF techniques at one near-field station. The comparison shows that this technique gives records which matches in a wide frequency range and that too from simple and easily accessible parameters of burried rupture.