SCEC Award Number 12106 View PDF
Proposal Category Individual Proposal (Data Gathering and Products)
Proposal Title Enhancements to the SCEC Unified Structural Representation: CFM, SCFM, & CVMH
Investigator(s)
Name Organization
John Shaw Harvard University
Other Participants Andreas Plesch, Carl Tape (Univ. of Alaska)
SCEC Priorities 4a, 4c, 6a SCEC Groups USR, WGCEP, Seismology
Report Due Date 03/15/2013 Date Report Submitted N/A
Project Abstract
 In the past year, we made several enhancements to the SCEC Unified Structural Representation (USR), which is comprised of Community Fault (CFM) and Velocity (CVM) models. Specifically, we:
1) facilitated a comprehensive review of the southern California CFM to assign fault quality rankings and establish preferred fault representations that will be used to generate a new model release;
2) implemented a new nomenclature for the Community Fault Model (CFM), making it compatible with the USGS/CGS Quaternary Fault and Fold Database;
3) developed and improved fault representations in the Western Transverse Ranges within the CFM;
4) enhanced the high-resolution volume of Community Velocity Model (CVM-H) and released a new model version (11.9.1); and
5) made preparations for 3D adjoint waveform tomographic inversions using this new CVMH model, including mesh construction and parameterization.
Intellectual Merit This project represents a central component of SCEC's effort to develop and improve a series of community models that describe fault and seismic wavespeed structure in the California crust and upper mantle. These models are widely used in fault systems modeling, strong ground motion modeling, and seismic hazards assessments.
Broader Impacts The process of developing and evaluating these models helps to facilitate a broad academic collaboration among the many different disciplines that contribute to earthquake science. Dozens of scientists have directly contributed to these models, and more than 30 members of the SCEC community helped to facilitate the evaluation of the latest fault model (CFM). These models are used as a primary basis for regional seismic hazards assessments, including the UCERF3 project, and thus contribute directly to efforts that seek to reduce the loss of life and property in future earthquakes.
Exemplary Figure Figure 1: Perspective view of the Statewide Community Fault Model (SCFM 2.0). Earthquake hypocenters are from (Waldhauser and Schaff, 2008; and Hauksson et al., 2011). SAF is the San Andreas fault, highlighted in red.
Linked Publications

Add missing publication or edit citation shown. Enter the SCEC project ID to link publication.