How Do Earthquakes Generate Extreme Ground Accelerations?

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This research will analyze earthquake models to explain how extreme ground accelerations can be expected under certain circumstances. Earthquake strong ground motion data recorded over the past two decades have unequivocally shown that ground acceleration can exceed 1.0 g (one g is the acceleration of gravity at the surface of the earth) and in some cases 2.0 g. These accelerations are truly spectacular given that many analyses place smaller limiting values on peak acceleration. These extreme accelerations are unusual in that nearby accelerometers do not simultaneously record similar peak amplitudes. The extreme accelerations will be analyzed using a kinematic model of the earthquake rupture history that incorporates both the distribution of slip and the time dependence of the propagating rupture front. After determining the critical parameters based on the kinematic description of the earthquake, the analysis will be extended to incorporate the dynamics of an earthquake to ensure that the kinematic models are physically realizable.