NUMERICAL KINEMATIC RUPTURE SIMULATION

Abstract

The numerical simulation of strong ground motion (SGM) based on the physics of rupture propagation is of prime importance in earthquake engineering for the prediction of site-specific ground motion, cost effective earthquake resistant designs and assessment of vulnerability and risk. The development of an efficient numerical method for SGM prediction is must for the future earthquake engineering since the available empirical relations and simulation methods like stochastic metod and empirical Green's method do not provide the characteristics of the individual seismic phases, particularly in the basins and shallow earthquake cases. Further, the SGM recorders do not prove the characteristics of very low frequency ground motion, particularly in the case of very large earthquakes. Furthermore, there is lack of SGM records in the epicentral zone of great earthquakes. Earthquake source dynamics provides key elements for the prediction of ground motion, and to understand the physics of earthquake initiation, propagation, and healing. A physical understanding of the spontaneous rupture process is important for advancing our understanding of earthquake physics.