Simulation of Earthquake Ground Motions in the Eastern United States Using Deterministic Physics‐Based and Site‐Based Stochastic Approaches

• DOI: 10.1785/0120160031
• Publication Date: 2016-12-20T21:20:14Z
• Authors: Sanaz Rezaeian; Stephen Hartzell; Xiaodan Sun; Carlos Mendoza
• Keywords: 01 natural sciences; 0105 earth and related environmental sciences

Abstract Earthquake ground‐motion recordings are scarce in the central and eastern United States (CEUS) for large‐magnitude events at close distances. We use two different simulation approaches, a deterministic physics‐based method site‐based stochastic method, to simulate ground motions over wide range of magnitudes. Drawing on previous results modeling from 2011 M w 5.8 Mineral, Virginia, earthquake using 2001 7.6 Bhuj, India, as tectonic analog large magnitude CEUS event, we able calibrate methods this range. Both models show good fit Mineral Bhuj observations 0.1 10 Hz. Model parameters then adjusted obtain simulations 6.5, 7.0, 7.6 CEUS. Our compared with 2014 U.S. Geological Survey weighted combination existing prediction equations The comparable response spectral amplitudes fairly similar attenuation distance. suggest slightly faster distance larger and, result, lower distances greater than 200 km. plausible alternatives given few available data points CEUS, can be used represent epistemic uncertainty postulated events.