Numerical Simulation of the Seismic Rupture Process

Dear Colleagues,

A scientific challenge in seismic hazard analysis is to model, with reasonable confidence, the fault rupture process both in the earth interior and at the surface. In this regard, numerical simulation may aid in predicting fault behavior under dynamic conditions and forwarding the coseismic displacement scenario. This topic is of great interest for the scientific community since it has direct and often significant implications for societal safety. In tectonically active regions that are connected by a dense network of mostly buried lifelines such as fuel, water, and sewage pipes, reliable estimation of coseismic ground displacement at the fault–lifeline intersection is crucial. Fault displacement at the surface is typically estimated via a deterministic approach employing empirical fault scaling relations, even though it is purely reliant on fault dimensions and/or on a characteristic earthquake magnitude. This limitation is usually addressed through computer-based dislocation models where mechanic parameters of an elastic medium are also considered. Even though dislocation models are necessarily a simplification of the real earth, including additional data inputs in the computation, such us uniform or distributed slip and tapering distribution of displacement along a fault plane, may aid in simulating a real-world scenario. This Special Issue, therefore, aims to collect original research papers dealing with recent breakthroughs in numerical simulation of the seismic rupture process and related hazards. 

Dr. Giovanni Barreca
Guest Editor

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• seismic hazard analysis
• active faulting
• coseismic displacement
• numerical simulation
• dislocation modeling