A new waveform inversion method to determine the rupture directivity of moderate earthquakes: numerical tests for rupture models

Abstract

Rupture directivity is the important parameter in estimating damage due to earthquakes. However, the traditional moment tensor inversion technique cannot resolve the real fault plane or the rupture directivity. To overcome these limitations, we have developed a new inversion algorithm to determine the moment tensor solution and the rupture directivity for moderate earthquakes, using the waveform inversion technique in the frequency domain. Numerical experiments for unilateral and bilateral rupture models with various rupture velocities confirm that the method can resolve the ambiguity of the fault planes and the rupture directivity successfully. To verify the feasibility of the technique, we tested the sensitivity to velocity models, which must be the most critical factor in practice. The results of the sensitivity tests show that the method can be applied even though the velocity model is not perfect. If this method is applied in regions where the velocity model is well verified, we can estimate the rupture directivity of a moderate earthquake. This method makes a significant contribution to understanding the characteristics of earthquakes in those regions.