M8 Simulation on the San Andreas Fault

Animation of simulated ground motion after a possible magnitude 8 earthquake on the San Andreas fault, showing ground shaking throughout southern California for more than 75 seconds after the rupture initiates near Parkfield. The Ventura, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino areas continue to shake due to reverberation within their underlying soft sedimentary basins. “Petascale simulations such as this one are needed to understand the rupture and wave dynamics of the largest earthquakes, at shaking frequencies