Broadband ground‐motion simulation of the 2011 Mw 6.2 Christchurch, New Zealand, earthquake

This study presents the details and results of hybrid broadband (0–10 Hz) ground‐motion simulations for the 2011 MwMw 6.2 Christchurch, New Zealand, earthquake. The simulations utilize a 3D velocity model and a kinematic source model with stochastic realizations of the slip amplitude, rise time, and rake angle. The resulting ground motions capture the salient basin amplification effects that are seen in the observed ground motions in central Christchurch city. Quantitative comparisons of the simulations with both observed recordings and empirical ground‐motion models (GMMs), considering peak ground acceleration, 5% damped pseudospectral acceleration, and 5%–95% significant duration, indicate that the simulations exhibit lower bias than empirical GMMs over the T=1–10  sT=1–10  s period range, and are comparable at short periods (⁠T