Open AccessDynamic simulation of a dipping fault using a three‐dimensional finite difference method with nonuniform grid spacing
Author(s) -
Zhang Wenbo,
Iwata Tomotaka,
Irikura Kojiro
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: solid earth
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2005jb003725
Subject(s) - fault (geology) , grid , fault plane , asperity (geotechnical engineering) , plane (geometry) , geometry , geology , finite difference , finite difference method , homogeneous , mathematical analysis , seismology , mathematics , physics , geotechnical engineering , statistical physics
We propose a method to analyze dynamic rupture processes of earthquakes with a dipping fault, using a three‐dimensional finite difference (FD) method with nonuniform grid spacing. This approach does not require aligning the fault plane to the FD grid for implementation of the FD method. It can be used to deal with a realistically complex fault geometry model. We validate our method by studying two dynamic source problems that have been analyzed by Madariaga et al. One is the instantaneous rupture of a circular fault embedded in a homogeneous elastic medium; the other is the spontaneous rupture of a rectangular fault which starts from a local circular asperity on the fault plane. Our numerical results for different dipping faults are similar with those obtained by Madariaga et al. using a horizontal fault plane model in full space, thus validating our method for dipping fault models.