Preferred term

Earthquake focal mechanism

Description

A description of the orientation and sense of slip on the causative fault plane derived seismologically from the radiation pattern of seismic waves (traditionally by the sense of the first P- wave motion and polarization of S-wave motion, and now the moment tensor inversion of waveforms). From the seismic radiation pattern alone it is not possible to distinguish between the fault plane and the auxiliary plane orthogonal to the slip direction. See Sub-chapters 3.4 and 3.5 and Exercises 3.2 and 3.5 of this Manual. See also fault-plane solution and focal mechanism.
Model representing the fault orientation and the slip direction on the fault that caused the earthquake.

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