Integrated fault mesh of Southern California in finite element models of structural geometric complexities, crustal heterogeneity, and topography

Sui Tung, Manoochehr Shirzaei, & Timothy Masterlark

Published August 12, 2020, SCEC Contribution #10428, 2020 SCEC Annual Meeting Poster #183

Southern California (SC) inherits one of the highest fault density among other seismogenic regions around the globe. The vast efforts of the SCEC Community Models (CXMs) have been developing numerous datasets and models that describe the SC tectonic environments and help the scientific community conduct multi-disciplinary researches. In particular, the Community Fault Model (CFM) refines the location and geometric complexities of SC faults, providing an incredible cyberinfrastructure for those who are interested in fault-related initiatives such as UCERF, EFP, FARM, and SPOT. Here, we propose (1) building an integrated mesh of a seamless finite-element-model domain hosting all structures documented in CFM, and (2) compiling a Community Fault Deformation Library (CFDL) that relates in-depth fault slip to characteristic slip-induced deformation near the surface. The former would integrate and benchmark all fault meshes cataloged in CFM and embedded them in a heterogeneous crust constrained by the Community Velocity Model (CVM) and surface topography, while the latter computes the corresponding Green’s function matrix of each fault that is essential for geodetic (e.g. GPS and InSAR) or joint inverse analyses of, for example, earthquake slip and inter-seismic fault creep. The integrated mesh and CFDL would be validated against analytical solutions of fault dislocation for solution consistency. We envision these products benefit a wide spectrum of research communities within seismology, geodesy, and earthquake geology. We further demonstrate how the CFDL could be used for near-real-time source imaging upon major earthquakes and contribute to rapid responses.

Key Words
integrated mesh, Southern California, community fault model, finite element, geometry, crustal heterogeneity, topography

Citation
Tung, S., Shirzaei, M., & Masterlark, T. (2020, 08). Integrated fault mesh of Southern California in finite element models of structural geometric complexities, crustal heterogeneity, and topography. Poster Presentation at 2020 SCEC Annual Meeting.

Related Projects & Working Groups
SCEC Community Models (CXM)