A High-Resolution Finite Volume Seismic Model to Generate Seafloor Deformation for Tsunami Modeling

TL;DR

This paper introduces a high-resolution finite volume seismic model that simulates seafloor deformation due to fault slip, enhancing tsunami modeling accuracy by incorporating time-dependent slip in complex fault geometries.

Contribution

It develops a novel finite volume method for modeling fault slip in seismic simulations, compatible with existing Riemann solver based algorithms and implemented in open source software.

Findings

Surface deformation results match Okada solutions in 2D and 3D.

The method captures time-dependent fault slip effects.

Applicable to complex fault geometries for tsunami modeling.

Abstract

A high-resolution finite volume method approach to incorporating time-dependent slip across rectangular subfaults when modeling general fault geometry is presented. The fault slip is induced by a modification of the Riemann problem to the linear elasticity equations across cell interfaces aligned with the subfaults. This is illustrated in the context of the high-resolution wave-propagation algorithms that are implemented in the open source Clawpack software (www.clawpack.org), but this approach could be easily incorporated into other Riemann solver based numerical methods. Surface deformation results are obtained in both two and three dimensions and compared to those given by the steady-state, homogeneous half-space Okada solution.