A Dynamic-Rupture Model of the 2019 Mw 7.1 Ridgecrest Earthquake Being Compatible with the Observations

We explore the 2019 Mw 7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake dynamic rupture on the nonplanar fault with homogeneous dynamic parameters using a layered media model. Our model shows that this event produced an average of 1.9 m of right-lateral slip with a maximum slip of ∼4.2 m at the place near the epicenter, and the variation of fault-plane strike angles from the middle to the southeastern segment appears to have behaved as a “stress barrier,” which postponed the rupture. We also compare the synthetics based on our dynamic rupture with the field records and find good agreement with the static Global Positioning System (GPS) coseismic offsets and strong ground motion waveforms. Our work provides a dynamic-rupture interpretation of the Mw 7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake.