A Stochastic source model for the 2015 Mw 7.9 Gorkha, Nepal, Earthquake using Multi-Dimensional Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition technique

The present study aims at developing a new strategy to model the spatial variability of slip on the rupture plane using multi-dimensional ensemble empirical mode decomposition (MEEMD) technique. Here, the earthquake slip distribution is split into finite number of empirical modes of oscillation called the intrinsic mode functions (IMFs). This help in identifying the fluctuation component and trend in the slip data. The trend is positive and characterizes the nonstationary mean of the slip distribution. The fluctuation component can be modelled as a stationary random field using an exponential power spectral density function. The trend can be modeled as an elliptic patch. This new technique is demonstrated for the slip distribution of the recent Nepal Earthquake, 2015. It is observed that the new model can be used to simulate the spatial complexity of slip distribution of any earthquake.

INTRINSIC MODE FUNCTIONS OF EARTHQUAKE SLIP DISTRIBUTION

In this paper, empirical mode decomposition technique is used to analyze the spatial slip distribution of five past earthquakes. It is shown that the finite fault slip models exhibit five empirical modes of oscillation. The last intrinsic mode is positive and characterizes the non-stationary mean of the slip distribution. This helps in splitting the spatial variability of slip into trend and the remaining modes sum as the fluctuation in the data. The fluctuation component indicates that it can be modeled as an anisotropic random field. Important parameters of this random field have been estimated. The effect of these modes on ground motion is presented by simulating both acceleration and displacement time histories.