SCEC Award Number 13013 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 H. Shaw Harvard University
Other Participants Andreas Plesch
SCEC Priorities 4, 6, 1 SCEC Groups USR, GMP, Geology
Report Due Date 03/15/2014 Date Report Submitted N/A
Project Abstract
Our efforts this past year focused on making a series of specific improvements to the SCEC Community Fault (CFM) and Velocity (CVMH) models. These include completing peer evaluation of the CFM in southern California, and initiating a review of the Northern California fault model. Together, these fault models include more than 300 faults, with alternative representations of many sources, and comprise the SCEC Statewide Community Fault Model (SCFM). In addition, we completed a series of improvements to the CFM fault representations in the Transverse Ranges using more precise surface traces from the USGS Quaternary Fault and Fold Database and refined earthquake hypocenter and focal mechanism catalogs. Finally, we developed and implemented a new representation of the Santa Maria basin in the CVM-H. These activities represent the primary effort to support and develop the SCEC Community Fault and Velocity models (CFM, SCFM, CVMH), which are used in a wide range of efforts in source characterization, fault system modeling, strong ground motion simulation, and hazard assessment, including UCERF3.
Intellectual Merit This project represents the primary effort to develop and maintain the SCEC Community Fault (CFM) and Velocity (CVM-H) models, which help define the inventory of active fault systems and the properties of the surrounding crust and upper mantle in southern California. These models are used in a wide range of source characterization, fault system modeling, earthquake simulation, and wave propagation studies.
Broader Impacts The CFM and CVM-H models represent an important contribution to SCEC’s efforts to assess the seismic hazards in southern California through strong ground motion simulations and the USGS led Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast, Version 3 (UCERF3).
Exemplary Figure Figure 1: Perspective view of the western Transverse Ranges in the CFM. Faults representations highlighted in purple have been revised as part of this study using relocated earthquake catalogs (yellow) and detailed traces from the U.S. Geological Survey Fault and Fold database (red). (A. Plesch and J.H. Shaw)