Seismotectonic Model of the Focal Zone of the November 25, 2016, Aketao Earthquake M_W 6.6 (China)

The results of modeling the stress–strain state of the epicentral zone of the strong crustal earthquake Aketao, which occurred near Muji (China) on November 25, 2016, with magnitude M_w 6.6, are presented. The finite element method is used to model the stress–strain state in the epicentral zone with subsequent construction of stress intensity maps before and after the earthquake. The possibility to determine the location of the rupture origin and its extent, including estimation of the scalar seismic moment and the earthquake magnitude, is shown. The possibility to calculate the seismic moment rate as a function of time M_o(t) based on the model of the stress–strain state of rupture (earthquake focus) is presented for the first time, which allows obtaining synthetic seismograms and accelerograms of a potential earthquake in the future.