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Integrated seismic source model of the 2015 Gorkha, Nepal, earthquake
Author(s) -
Yagi Yuji,
Okuwaki Ryo
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2015gl064995
Subject(s) - seismology , aftershock , hypocenter , geology , slip (aerodynamics) , source model , waveform , inversion (geology) , seismic wave , foreshock , induced seismicity , tectonics , physics , quantum mechanics , voltage , computational physics , thermodynamics
We compared spatiotemporal slip‐rate and high‐frequency (around 1 Hz) radiation distributions from teleseismic P wave data to infer the seismic rupture process of the 2015 Gorkha, Nepal, earthquake. For these estimates, we applied a novel waveform inversion formulation that mitigates the effect of Green's functions uncertainty and a hybrid backprojection method that mitigates contamination by depth phases. Our model showed that the dynamic rupture front propagated eastward from the hypocenter at 3.0 km/s and triggered a large‐slip event centered about 50 km to the east. It also showed that the large‐slip event included a rapid rupture acceleration event and an irregular deceleration of rupture propagation before the rupture termination. Heterogeneity of the stress drop or fracture energy in the eastern part of the rupture area, where aftershock activity was high, inhibited rupture growth. High‐frequency radiation sources tended to be in the deeper part of the large‐slip area, which suggests that heterogeneity of the stress drop or fracture energy there may have contributed to the damage in and around Kathmandu.