Earthquake rupture directivity is an important component of the earthquake source, and it also provides insights for seismic hazard and risk assessments in urban areas. In a recent study authored by Xiang CHEN, we employed seismic waveform modelling and empirical greens function techniques to resolve directivity patterns of 31 well constrained ML >3.5 earthquakes in the Marmara region near Istanbul, northwestern Türkiye.
Most of the studied earthquakes exhibit a predominantly eastward asymmetric rupture – unfortunately resulting in more energy towards the metropolis. This information is particularly vital given that the Main Marmara Fault is late in its seismic cycle, which raises concerns about upcoming large earthquakes.
Our results highlight the importance of including earthquake rupture directivity when assessing seismic hazard and risk of urban areas. This is yet another collaborative effort between different GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences sections and the University of southern California.
For the full paper, please see here.
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