EERI's peer-reviewed journal Earthquake Spectra has launched a new special collection featuring 18 articles on advancements in physics-based simulations, selected by guest editors David McCallen (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory), Roberto Paolucci (Politecnico di Milano), Ertugrul Taciroglu (University of California, Los Angeles), Arben Pitarka (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) and Floriana Petrone (University of Nevada, Reno).
Limitations in region-specific ground motion data for large earthquakes has contributed to significant uncertainties in empirical characterizations of ground motions for engineering applications. With the recent developments in physics-based models of earthquake processes, and the rapid advancements in high performance computing and data science, large-scale simulations can provide a powerful new tool for earthquake engineering evaluations. An ability is emerging to simulate the regional site-specific variability of ground motions and to provide a more rigorous integration of the fields of seismology, geotechnical and structural engineering. The potential benefits of these new simulation capabilities motivate efforts towards continued simulation and data science advancements, and careful validation and application case studies that will build confidence in the utilization of regional simulations.
Earthquake Spectra initiated the special collection to assemble new information on advancements and application cases cross-cutting multiple aspects of physics-based simulations. The published papers can be categorized as follows:
- Validation of simulated regional earthquake ground motions (4 papers)
- Regional-scale case study applications providing new insight into the distribution and characteristics of ground motions (5 papers)
- Evaluation of earthquake induced demand and damage to infrastructure systems using fault-to-structure simulations (3 papers)
- Methods for representing the influence of near surface sediments in regional-scale models (2 papers)
- Innovative methodologies and recent computational advancements (4 papers)
The breadth of topics in this collection reflect the increasing research and practical application interests of the earthquake community and provide timely information for those interested in these rapidly advancing capabilities. The Special Collection editorial team noted, "The special collection underscores the enhanced accessibility and resolution of physics-based earthquake simulations. It also elucidates the diverse applications of these simulations in engineering practice and research." The 18 papers are available to EERI members and Spectra subscribers at the collection page here. Some additional publications are anticipated in the near future with completion of the peer review process.
