Effects of Fault Dip and Slip Rake on Near-Source Ground Motions: Why Chi-Chi Was a Relatively Mild M 7.6 Earthquake

Abstract

This study focuses on how the fault dip and slip rake angles affect near-source ground motions as faulting transitions from strike-slip motion on a vertical fault to thrust motion on a shallow dipping fault. Ground motions are computed for five fault geometries with different combinations of fault dip and rake angles, and common values for the fault area and the average slip. With the fault reaching the surface in each scenario, the ground motions are dominated by Love and/or Rayleigh waves. The strike-slip faulting tends to generate Love waves, whereas the thrust faulting tends to generate Rayleigh waves. The degree to which the rupture reinforces these waves affects the severity of the shaking. For strike-slip faulting this directivity effect is most pronounced for unilateral rupture, while for thrust faulting it is most pronounced for up-dip rupture. These simulations suggest that the long-period ground motions in the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake in Taiwan were not as severe as would be expected for other events of the same size with different styles of faulting or a deeper hypocenter.