The magnitude of the earthquake depends on the extent of the area that breaks (the area of the rupture surface) and the average amount of displacement (sliding). Within the area of the rupture surface...The magnitude of the earthquake depends on the extent of the area that breaks (the area of the rupture surface) and the average amount of displacement (sliding). Within the area of the rupture surface, the amount of displacement is variable (Figure \PageIndex{3}), and, by definition, it decreases to zero at the edges of the rupture surface because the rock beyond that point isn’t displaced at all.
The magnitude of the earthquake depends on the extent of the area that breaks (the area of the rupture surface) and the average amount of displacement (sliding). Within the area of the rupture surface...The magnitude of the earthquake depends on the extent of the area that breaks (the area of the rupture surface) and the average amount of displacement (sliding). Within the area of the rupture surface, the amount of displacement is variable (Figure \PageIndex{3}), and, by definition, it decreases to zero at the edges of the rupture surface because the rock beyond that point isn’t displaced at all.