Method for Determining the Potential Strain Energy Stored in the Earth before a Large Earthquake

Abstract

This paper describes a technique for determining the potential energy of deformed material around a future earthquake rupture, with this energy being stored during the precursory period. The basic parameters are the following: rupture length on the Earth’s surface after the earthquake has occurred , rupture depth h, and the relative block movement along the rupture strike line . We compared the results for 44 large earthquakes with those derived by determining seismic wave energy from earthquake magnitude.