The dependence of traction evolution on the earthquake source time function adopted in kinematic rupture models

We compute the temporal evolution of traction by
solving the elasto-dynamic equation and by using the slip
velocity history as a boundary condition on the fault plane.
We use different source time functions to derive a suite of
kinematic source models to image the spatial distribution of
dynamic and breakdown stress drop, strength excess and
critical slip weakening distance (Dc). Our results show that
the source time functions, adopted in kinematic source
models, affect the inferred dynamic parameters. The critical
slip weakening distance, characterizing the constitutive
relation, ranges between 30% and 80% of the total slip. The
ratio between Dc and total slip depends on the adopted
source time functions and, in these applications, is nearly
constant over the fault. We propose that source time
functions compatible with earthquake dynamics should be
used to infer the traction time history.

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