SCEC Award Number 18033 View PDF
Proposal Category Individual Proposal (Integration and Theory)
Proposal Title Spatial correlations of amplitudes in CyberShake simulations: comparisons with empirical data
Investigator(s)
Name Organization
Jack Baker Stanford University
Other Participants PhD student Yilin Chen
SCEC Priorities 4d, 4c, 4b SCEC Groups EEII, GM, CS
Report Due Date 03/15/2019 Date Report Submitted 04/26/2019
Project Abstract
 Spatial variations in strong ground motion have a significant impact on performance of distributed infrastructure in earthquakes. These variations are also important to insurance companies that have earthquake insurance policies for many buildings in a region. Currently, these spatial variations are measured using ground motion data from densely recorded earthquakes. While useful, this measurement process is limited by availability of ground motion recordings.
This project compared spatial variation calculations from the CyberShake platform \parencite{graves_cybershake:_2011} to comparable estimates from empirical data. The rich CyberShake data allow for a myriad of spatial variation computations, and results indicate that they are generally consistent with empirical observations. This work provides a new dimension of ground motion simulation validation, and helps make the case for the value of using physical simulations when evaluating risk to distributed infrastructure systems.
Intellectual Merit This work provides a new dimension of ground motion simulation validation, and helps make the case for the value of using physical simulations when evaluating risk to distributed infrastructure systems.
Broader Impacts The project has contributed to the training of PhD student Yilin Chen. The PI has also integrated results from this project into an in-preparation textbook on seismic hazard analysis, which will support the training of future students in this field.
Exemplary Figure Figure 1: Heatmap of correlation coefficients of within-event residuals for spectral acceler- ation at T = 3s caused by the Mw = 8.05 San Andreas rupture. (a) Jayaram and Jack W Baker (2009) Model, reference site: s345; (b) CyberShake, reference site: s345; (c) Cy- berShake, reference site: s383. Black lines show the surface projection of the rupture. The triangle shows the reference site. Shading shows the correlation coefficient with the reference site.