Three-dimensional broadband simulation of near-fault seismic ground motion considering complete source-path-site effect: Modeled by fast multipole indirect boundary element method

Abstract

Efficient and accurate numerical methods are essential for analyzing seismic wave propagation and amplification in near-fault complex sites. Understanding the complete process of ground motion simulation, including fault rupture, path propagation, and near-surface complex site response, is crucial for studying earthquake damage mechanisms, seismic zoning, and designing large-scale engineering structures. In this study, we propose a fast multipole indirect boundary element method (FMIBEM) to achieve broadband and high-efficiency simulation, enabling a comprehensive analysis of the complete process involving seismic ground motion. The FMIBEM significantly reduces the computational and storage costs associated with 3D near-fault complex site seismic wave scattering problems to O(N). We validate the accuracy of the method by comparing it with the analytical solution. Compared to the conventional indirect boundary element method (IBEM), our proposed method reduces computational time by over 95 % and storage costs by nearly 90 %. FMIBEM greatly enhances the efficiency of the boundary element method for simulating seismic wave scattering in near-fault complex sites. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, we apply the FMIBEM method to two typical 3D near-fault complex site examples of seismic wave scattering. The simulation results successfully capture both the local site amplification effect and the characteristic near-fault seismic features, such as the hanging wall effect, permanent displacement effect, and large velocity pulse.