Strong ground motion simulation techniques—a review in world context

Abstract

Strong motion studies continue to be a very active field in seismology, and the use of simulation techniques in this context will continue to be an important endeavour in the coming years. Therefore, this review summarizes the recent progress and also pioneering efforts for the most prevalent simulation techniques including stochastic simulation technique (SST), empirical Green’s function technique (EGFT), composite source modelling technique (CSMT) and semi-empirical technique (SET). Attempts are also made to analyse the impact of each and every technique in terms of input parameters, output, advantages and limitations. The detailed analysis of trends we discussed herein indicates that every technique has its own metiers and flaws; hence, it is very difficult to select a simulation technique for a particular task. In conclusion, we hope that this overview would help the seismologists and earthquake engineers to look at this area of study from different angles to reveal some hidden opportunities. This will serve as an inspiration to improve the existing techniques for seismic hazard analysis and modelling of future earthquakes. © 2020, Saudi Society for Geosciences.