Duration - 01/09/2020 - 31/08/2022
Principal Investigator - Stratos Delogkos
Funding - Project funded by Irish Research Council (IRC) and performed in collaboration with Professor Andy Nicol,
University of Canterbury.
Project description
There is general consensus that earthquake clustering and multi-fault rupturing reflect the complex 3D fault geometry and the stress-dependent behaviour of active fault systems in which individual faults are components of interacting fault arrays. Recent studies also indicate that fault geometries can have a significant effect on earthquake behaviour. However, there are considerable uncertainties about there are many unknowns on what the the links is between earthquake characteristics and (1) fault geometry, (2) fault interactions, (3) fault slip rates and (4) fault system wide deformation rates. A better understanding of these fundamental relationships is of critical importance for reducing or mitigating the risks associated with short-term fault system growth, and their maximum earthquake magnitude, earthquake recurrence and multi-fault rupture characteristics.
Natural fault systems do not preserve a long enough record of earthquakes for the examination of the role of fault geometries and interactions on earthquake behaviour. Synthetic Seismicity Modelling (SSM) has, however, been developed to overcome the relatively short, incomplete, and inhomogeneous natural datasets. SSM produces catalogues of millions of virtual earthquakes over a time interval exceeding one million years by using physics-based earthquake simulators and three main geological inputs, the fault geometries, locations and their slip rates. SSM has been widely used to estimate seismic hazard in many areas around the world. However, SSM has not been used to explore the fundamental features of fault systems, including fault sizes, geometries, bends and interactions for earthquake characteristics and fault behaviour on earthquake timescales.
The aim of this project is to use SSM to examine fault behaviour on earthquake timescales and unravel what controls spatiotemporal earthquake clustering and multi-fault rupturing. The specific objectives (SO) of the proposed project are to: (i) Examine the role of 3D fault geometry on earthquake characteristics. (ii) Investigate the influence of elastic interactions within complex fault systems on earthquake clustering and multi-fault rupturing. (iii) Explore fault behaviour on earthquake timescales and the potential practical implications.
Contact: Stratos Delogkos
Tel: +353 89 4502801
EMAIL