Vol. 157, 2000 spanning across disciplines and national boundaries gives cause for optimism. New participation in ACES to extend its existing synergies is welcomed. We wish to thank the scientific participants of The APEC Cooperation for Earthquake Simulation (ACES) and the contributors to this book. We express appreciation to the Australian, Chinese, Japanese and USA governments for supporting the establishment of ACES. We gratefully acknowledge funding support by the Australian government's Department of Industry, Science and Resources, The University of Queensland, Japan's Science and Technology Agency through its Research Organisation for Information Science and Technology, the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, and the National Science Foundation of China. We acknowledge with appreciation additional workshop sponsorship pro vided by SGI (Silicon Graphics). Special thanks to QUAKES team members (Tracy Paroz, David Place, Steffen Abe, Dion Weatherley and Steven Jaume) and Kim Olsen who provided assistance to the Editors. Peter Mora would also like to thank Evelyne Meier. REFERENCES I-st ACES Workshop Proceedings (1999), ed. Mora, P. (ACES, Brisbane, Australia, ISBN 1 86499 121 6), 554 pp. APEC Cooperation for Earthquake Simulation: http: //quakes. earth. uq. edu. au/ACES ACES Inaugural Workshop: http: //quakes. earth. uq. edu. au/ACES_ WS Raul Madariaga Peter Mora QUAKES Laboratoire de Geologie Department of Earth Sciences Ecole Normale Superieur The University of Queensland 24 Rue Lhomond 4072 Brisbane, Qld F-75231 Paris, Cedex 05 Australia France mora@earth. up. edu. au madariag@geologie. ens."

This book presents an innovative new approach to studying source mechanisms of earthquakes, combining theory and observation in a unified methodology, with a key focus on the mechanics governing fault failures. It explains source mechanisms by building from fundamental concepts such as the equations of elasticity theory to more advanced problems including dislocation theory, kinematic models and fracture dynamics. The theory is presented first in student-friendly form using consistent notation throughout, and with full, detailed mathematical derivations that enable students to follow each step. Later chapters explain the widely-used practical modelling methods for source mechanism determination, linking clearly to the theoretical foundations, and highlighting the processing of digital seismological data. Providing a unique balance between application techniques and theory, this is an ideal guide for graduate students and researchers in seismology, tectonophysics, geodynamics and geomechanics, and a valuable practical resource for professionals working in seismic hazard assessment and seismic engineering.