Direct simulation Monte Carlo method with a focal mechanism algorithm

Abstract

To simulate the observation of the radiation pattern of an earthquake, the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method is modified by implanting a focal mechanism algorithm. We compare the results of the modified DSMC method (DSMC-2) with those of the original DSMC method (DSMC-1). DSMC-2 shows more or similarly reliable results compared to those of DSMC-1, for events with 12 or more recorded stations, by weighting twice for hypocentral distance of less than 80km. Not only the number of stations, but also other factors such as rough topography, magnitude of event, and the analysis method influence the reliability of DSMC-2. The most reliable result by DSMC-2 is obtained by the best azimuthal coverage by the largest number of stations. The DSMC-2 method requires shorter time steps and a larger number of particles than those of DSMC-1 to capture a sufficient number of arrived particles in the small-sized receiver.