QuakeSim

Key takeaways

QuakeSim belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect QuakeSim to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of QuakeSim from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

QuakeSim is a NASA project for modeling earthquake fault systems. It was started in 2001 with NASA funding as a follow-up to the General Earthquake Models (GEM) initiative. The multi-scale nature of earthquakes requires integrating data types and models to fully simulate and understand the earthquake process. QuakeSim is a computational framework for modeling and understanding earthquake and tectonic processes. QuakeSim focuses on modeling interseismic process though various boundary element, finite element, and analytical applications, which run on various platforms, including desktop and high-end computers. The QuakeTables database allows for modelers to access geological and geophysical data. A goal of QuakeSim is to develop significant improvements in earthquake forecast quality, thereby mitigating the danger from this natural hazard.

QuakeSim Portal The QuakeSim Portal allows for users to access and ingest data into models and simulations. It provides the computational infrastructure for the entire project. QuakeSim users can create an account and interact with different data and software through the portal. The QuakeSim Portal consists of portlets that include:

Facilities for accessing real-time and archival GPS data Time series analysis tools, including ST_Filter and RDAHMM Mesh generation and viscoelastic finite element simulation tools (GeoFEST) Okada-based elastic fault modeling methods (Disloc, which is a forward model, and Simplex for inverting geodetic data).

QuakeTables QuakeTables is the database used to access information for QuakeSim. Information found in the QuakeTables includes:

Paleoseismic fault data Global Positioning System (GPS) surface deformation data Seismicity data Processed Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) Interferograms from existing satellites This information plays a big role in the process of forecasting and damage mitigation. The information allows for the creation of simulations and data mining. This then improves the prediction for potential earthquakes. This, along with attenuation modeling and site effects, leads to a better understanding of probable ground motion, allowing for the opportunity to improve structural response.

Developed Software QuakeSim includes several applications. GeoFEST, PARK, and Virtual California are used to model different aspects of the earthquake cycle.

QuakeSim-related NASA missions QuakeSim utilizes GPS data from NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the US Geological Survey Southern California Integrated GPS Network (SCIGN). QuakeSim was also establishing the computational infrastructure for the planned NASA DESDynI (Deformation, Ecosystem Structure, and Dynamics of Ice) mission, which was cancelled in 2012. DESDynI (pronounced destiny) would fly InSAR and LIDAR instruments for studying hazards and global environmental change.

Affiliates NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (lead) Brown University Indiana University NASA Ames University of California, Davis University of California, Irvine University of Southern California

References

Malik, Tariq (2004-11-03). "Computer model successfully forecasts earthquakes". USA Today. Retrieved 2007-08-14. Roach, John (2004-09-17). "Coming Soon: Your Local Earthquake Forecasts?". National Geographic. Archived from the original on September 22, 2004. Retrieved 2007-08-14. Donnellan, Andrea; John Rundle; Geoffrey Fox; Dennis McLeod; Lisa Grant; Terry Tullis; Marlon Pierce; Jay Parker; Greg Lyzenga; Robert Granat; Margaret Glasscoe (December 2006). "QuakeSim and the Solid Earth Research Virtual Observatory". Pure and Applied Geophysics. 163 (11–12): 2263–2279. Bibcode:2006PApGe.163.2263D. doi:10.1007/s00024-006-0126-y. DESDynI: Deformation, Ecosystem Structure, and Dynamics of Ice Monitoring Hazards And Environmental Changes From Space. (2007). [Brochure] Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Author. InSAR: Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar. (2006). [Brochure] Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Author.

External links QuakeTables QuakeSim Portal QuakeSim.org desdyni.org The QUAKESIM Fault Database for California, abstract Archived 2012-02-06 at the Wayback Machine Josh Chamot, Earthquake warning tools, Geotimes (American Geological Institute), October 2003, accessed August 16, 2007 Siegel, H.; Li, P., MSLT, Multi Surface Light Table, a Tool for Viewing Faults Under Their Terrain, American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2003, abstract #S51B-06 Kristen Cole, Tiny California town is the focus of geologist’s effort to predict quakes, George Street Journal. July 11, 2003, accessed August 16, 2007

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with QuakeSim

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what QuakeSim claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to QuakeSim before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about QuakeSim ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of QuakeSim

In research: QuakeSim appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses QuakeSim in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: QuakeSim is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Seismology measurement, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for QuakeSim outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study QuakeSim in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what QuakeSim means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain QuakeSim out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is QuakeSim in simple terms?

QuakeSim is a NASA project for modeling earthquake fault systems. It was started in 2001 with NASA funding as a follow-up to the General Earthquake Models (GEM) initiative.

Why does QuakeSim matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study QuakeSim?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on QuakeSim.