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Stochastic finite fault modelling of M w 4.8 earthquake in Kachchh, Gujarat, India

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Abstract

The modified stochastic finite fault modelling technique based on dynamic corner frequency has been used to simulate the strong ground motions of M w 4.8 earthquake in the Kachchh region of Gujarat, India. The accelerograms have been simulated for 14 strong motion accelerographs sites (11 sites in Kachchh and three sites in Saurashtra) where the earthquake has been recorded. The region-specific source, attenuation and generic site parameters, which are derived from recordings of small to moderate earthquakes, have been used for the simulations. The main characteristics of the simulated accelerograms, comprised of peak ground acceleration (pga), duration, Fourier and response spectra, predominant period, are in general in good agreement with those of observed ones at most of the sites. The rate of decay of simulated pga values with distance is found to be similar with that of observed values. The successful modelling of the empirical accelerograms indicates that the method can be used to prepare wide range of scenarios based on simulation which provide the information useful for evaluating and mitigating the seismic hazard in the region.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Dr. B.K. Rastogi, Director General, Institute of Seismological Research for kind permission to publish this work. Thanks are due to Prof. Dariush Motazedian for providing EXSIM code. DK is grateful to Kurukshetra University Kurukshetra for support. The work was supported by GSDMA, Government of Gujarat and MoES, Government of India. The authors are grateful to the reviewer and editor in chief for their constructive comments which help to improve the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Seismology Division, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Prithvi Bhavan, New Delhi, India

    Sumer Chopra

  2. Institute of Seismological Research, Raisan, Gandhinagar, 382 009, Gujarat, India

    Sumer Chopra & Pallabee Choudhury

  3. Department of Geophysics, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana, 136 119, India

    Dinesh Kumar

  4. Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

    R. B. S. Yadav

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  1. Sumer Chopra
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Correspondence to Sumer Chopra.

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Chopra, S., Kumar, D., Choudhury, P. et al. Stochastic finite fault modelling of M w 4.8 earthquake in Kachchh, Gujarat, India. J Seismol 16, 435–449 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10950-012-9280-0

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