Earthquake Simulation
Palak Chawla
TL;DR
The paper presents a C-based, interactive seismic simulator that models stress accumulation along fault lines on a 2D grid and visualizes surface stress in real time. It enables users to place vertical, horizontal, circular, and point-to-point fault shapes and observe stochastic stress updates and earthquake triggering through ANSI-colored maps. Key contributions include implementing shape-rendering algorithms (Bresenham's line and midpoint circle), a stress-update mechanism with boundary clamping and edge-case handling, and an educational interface aimed at pedagogy rather than forecasting. The tool offers a practical platform for learning seismology with potential for future integration of real-world data to enhance realism and relevance for research and hazard analysis.
Abstract
This paper presents a seismic activity simulator that models the effects of fault lines on surface pressure. This project uses C programming to create a fully interactive learning resource intended to educate users on the mechanics of earthquakes. The motivation behind this project is to make studying seismic activity more accessible, engaging and cost effective.