Near Field Small Earthquake--Computer Simulation

The capability to predict and understand discriminatory features of teleseismic ground motion from earthquakes and nuclear explosions is close at hand. The central question may be stated as follows Is it possible to develop an earthquake model, whose parameters may be obtained from laboratory tests on rock samples, that is capable of specifying the earthquakes equivalent elastic source. Our results to date indicate that the answer to this question should be affirmative. The approach we have taken has involved incorporating a stick-slip rupture model into a two-dimensional plane strain Lagrangian stress wave code. This earthquake model now furnishes the near source free-field and free surface ground motion caused by the stick-slip rupture process.