ON SCALING OF EARTHQUAKE FAULTS

Scaling relations among seismic moment, M-0, average displacement, del ta rupture width, W and rupture length, L, of earthquake faults are st udied mainly using the data base of earthquake source parameters compi led by Wells and Coppersmith (1994). Results show that seismic moment scales with rupture length approximately as M-0 - L-2; rupture width i s independent of rupture length for large earthquakes; average displac ement relates to rupture length approximately as delta - L; and the av erage displacement is independent of rupture width. Consequently,the L -model proposed by Scholz (1982) is more appropriate than the W-model suggested by Romanowicz (1992) to describe the scaling of earthquake f aults.