[1] Motivated by observations in the 2008Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake, we study effects of systematic changes in the principal stress orientation along the fault strike on rupture dynamics and ground motion using a 3‐D finite‐element method. Based on Anderson’s theory of faulting, we set up the initial stress field with rotations in stress orientations along strike for a dynamic rupture model of ...

For large earthquakes occurred at and around plate boundaries, we examined relations between seismic moment M 0 , fault length L, fault width W and average fault slip D, and found the following scaling laws. For interplate strike-slip events, the well-known L-cubed dependence of seismic moment M 0 breaks when L exceeds 30 km, and D and M 0 increase with L as D = L==(L+) and M 0 = WL 2 =(L +), r...

[1] Geologic investigations of how the Tibetan plateau is currently deforming have focused primarily on its boundary faults. Consequently, how the interior of the plateau deforms remains poorly understood. To fill this gap in knowledge, we conducted field mapping, analysis of remote sensing and digital topographic data, and reinterpretation of existing geologic maps in central Tibet. This study...

[1] The September 25, 1999 Chi-Chi Taiwan aftershock (Mw=6.4) occurred on a down dip extension of the fault ruptured in the mainshock. Strong motion data were used to invert for the finite-source process and test for the causative fault plane. We performed a grid-search over a range of focal mechanisms and found a preferred model (strike=5 , dip=30 , slip=100 ) different from teleseismic studie...

The Nayband strike-slip fault forms the western margin of the micro-continental Lut block in Eastern Iran. Neogene and Quaternary mafic volcanic rocks collected near Tabas, along the northern part of the fault (NNF; 15 Ma), and further to the south, along the middle part of the fault (MNF; 2 Ma), are within-plate sodic-series alkali olivine basalts with high TiO2 and up to >16% normative nephel...