Fault

In the context of OpenSHA, a fault is a relatively planar surface or discontinuity in the earth that can accomodate slip that manifests as earthquakes (see Wikipedia for more info on faults). OpenSHA describes fault geometries in several ways:

Simple Fault

The most common type of fault representation in OpenSHA is that of a Simple Fault. A Simple Fault encapsulates the basic information required to define a fault geometry and is one possible basis for Gridded Surfaces such as the Frankel and Stirling Fault Surfaces.

Other Fault Types

OpenSHA can accomodate these additional fault types:

  • Subduction Zones (see the USGS SLAB project)
  • Listric Faults

These other fault types may also be gridded.