The effect of earthquake fault rupture kinematics on tsunami generation: a numerical study of real events

SUMMARY The study is devoted to the effect of the fault rupture kinematics in the earthquake source on tsunami generation. Sixteen events of years 1992–2021 are investigated. For each event, the kinematic tsunami source (bottom motion during the earthquake) and the static tsunami source (permanent bottom deformation) were calculated using the Finite Fault Models provided by the U.S. Geological Survey. For both sources, numerical tsunami simulations were carried out within the framework of linear long-wave theory. Comparison of the simulation results showed that in 10 out of 16 events, the energy of tsunami excited by the kinematic source is greater than that excited by the static source. The maximum energy amplification (9.1 per cent) is observed at the minimum ratio of average rupture velocity to long-wave velocity. The Illapel 2015 event has been investigated more thoroughly using dispersive tsunami models jagurs and cptm. This investigation showed that the kinematic source causes a spatial redistribution of tsunami amplitudes and a notable amplification of the high-frequency component in the time-series of tsunami height. At some points along the Chilean coast, the difference between the kinematic and static calculations is more than 2 m.