Exploring the Origin of High-frequency Coherent Radiation Imaged from Back Projection, Using Stochastic Finite-fault Earthquake Rupture Models

Abstract:

Back projection (BP) has recently emerged as a tool for imaging the spatio-temporal distribution of high-frequency (HF) emission during the earthquake rupture. BP images are typically constructed from HF-filtered, far field velocity waveforms, shifted and stacked according to the predicted travel-time from each node of a source grid. The underlying assumption is that the radiated wave field is coherent across the recording array, so that waveforms sum up constructively when the correct source point is selected. For regional arrays, at teleseismic distance, this assumption is generally valid up to 2-3 Hz.

BP is an inherently HF method (resolution degrades at lower frequencies), and has been often used in conjunction with kinematic slip modeling (inherently low-frequency) to discuss the variability of rupture behavior with frequency. Many studies have evidenced that HF emissions occur at the border of large slip asperities and/or are associated with abrupt changes in rupture velocity.

Here we perform a systematic investigation of the relationship between rupture properties and BP images of HF emission through the analysis of synthetic finite-source models, using a kinematic k^-2 source model. This approach is based on a composite source description, with sub-events following a fractal distribution of sizes. Each elementary source is activated by the macro scale rupture front, with rupture duration proportional to its size. This approach generates, in the far-field approximation, ground displacements that follow the ω^-2 model with frequency-dependent directivity effects. For a large earthquake rupture (M~9), synthetic far field recordings can be generated up to 4 Hz, with reasonable computing time.

We study several scenarios, exploring the spatial variability of rupture velocity, fractal properties (slip heterogeneity) and source directivity, and analyze the effect of the relative position between the recording teleseismic array and the fault.