Simulation of 2 minutes of long-period ground motion in the Los Angele
s area with the use of a three-dimensional finite-difference method on
a parallel supercomputer provides an estimate of the seismic hazard f
rom a magnitude 7.75 earthquake along the 170-kilometer section of the
San Andreas fault between Tejon Pass and San Bernardino. Maximum grou
nd velocities are predicted to occur near the fault (2.5 meters per se
cond) and in the Los Angeles basin (1.4 meters per second) where large
amplitude surface waves prolong shaking for more than 60 seconds. Sim
ulated spectral amplitudes for some regions within the Los Angeles bas
in are up to 10 times larger than those at sites outside the basin at
similar distances from the San Andreas fault.