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Simulating Gravity Changes in Topologically Realistic Driven Earthquake Fault Systems: First Results

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Abstract

Currently, GPS and InSAR measurements are used to monitor deformation produced by slip on earthquake faults. It has been suggested that another method to accomplish many of the same objectives would be through satellite-based gravity measurements. The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission has shown that it is possible to make detailed gravity measurements from space for climate dynamics and other purposes. To build the groundwork for a more advanced satellite-based gravity survey, we must estimate the level of accuracy needed for precise estimation of fault slip in earthquakes. We turn to numerical simulations of earthquake fault systems and use these to estimate gravity changes. The current generation of Virtual California (VC) simulates faults of any orientation, dip, and rake. In this work, we discuss these computations and the implications they have for accuracies needed for a dedicated gravity monitoring mission. Preliminary results are in agreement with previous results calculated from an older and simpler version of VC. Computed gravity changes are in the range of tens of μGal over distances up to a few hundred kilometers, near the detection threshold for GRACE.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth and Space Science fellowship Number NNX11AL92H.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of California-Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    Kasey W. Schultz, Michael K. Sachs & John B. Rundle

  2. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California-Davis, Davis, USA

    Eric M. Heien, John B. Rundle & Don L. Turcotte

  3. Computational Infrastructure for Geodynamics, University of California-Davis, Davis, USA

    Eric M. Heien

  4. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA

    Andrea Donnellan

Authors
  1. Kasey W. Schultz
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  2. Michael K. Sachs
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  3. Eric M. Heien
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  4. John B. Rundle
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  5. Don L. Turcotte
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  6. Andrea Donnellan
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Correspondence to Kasey W. Schultz.

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Schultz, K.W., Sachs, M.K., Heien, E.M. et al. Simulating Gravity Changes in Topologically Realistic Driven Earthquake Fault Systems: First Results. Pure Appl. Geophys. 173, 827–838 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-014-0926-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-014-0926-4

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