Forecast of ground motion during an earthquake along the southern San Andreas Fault
Red indicates a positive crest, blue indicates a negative trough.
Image from the Terashake Visualization at the San Diego Supercomputer Center.
Visualization by Amit Chourasia, Steve Cutchin - Visualization Services, SDSC.
Simulations from SCEC and SDSC.
Visualization by Amit Chourasia, Steve Cutchin - Visualization Services, SDSC.
Simulations from SCEC and SDSC.
Related simulations
Rupture moving southbound along the dotted section of the southern San Andreas Fault- Side-by-side comparison where rupture begins on opposite ends of the southern San Andreas Fault.
Questions for thought
- Why did scientists and the people who fund them decide to simulate an earthquake in this particular part of the San Andreas Fault and not somewhere else?
- Does the ground move differently depending on whether the earthquake propagates to the south or north? Do particular areas experience different levels and durations of shaking?
- Does the analogy of the Doppler effect apply to this illustration?
Related resources
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Terashake Visualization
San Diego Supercomputer Center -
TeraShake Project
Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) -
The ShakeOut Scenario
"a cooperative project to examine the implications of a major earthquake in southern California. The study comprised eight counties: Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Ventura. Its results will be used as the basis of an emergency response and preparedness exercise, the Great Southern California ShakeOut"
By Lucile M. Jones, Richard Bernknopf, Dale Cox, James Goltz, Kenneth Hudnut, Dennis Mileti, Suzanne Perry, Daniel Ponti, Keith Porter, Michael Reichle, Hope Seligson, Kimberley Shoaf, Jerry Treiman, and Anne Wein, 2008, The ShakeOut Scenario: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2008-1150 and California Geological Survey Preliminary Report 25 [http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1150/]. Version 1.0, May 22, 2008, 10:00 AM. -
Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF)
"the first comprehensive framework for comparing earthquake likelihoods throughout all of California. It provides important new information for improving seismic safety engineering, revising building codes, setting insurance rates, and helping communities prepare for inevitable future earthquakes."
Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC)