Tremblement de terre

This Demonstration gives a three-dimensional illustration of the deformation pattern that develops during an earthquake rupture in the immediate vicinity of the source. You can define the strike, dip, and slip angle of the fault as well as the amount of slip.

As a result of the slip, the four segments of the sphere are deformed differently. The white ones are compressed while the orange ones are dilated. This effect is shown through a change of their sizes as a function of slip. This spatially anisotropic deformation pattern causes an anisotropic radiation of seismic energy in the form of seismic waves.