Our models and understanding of the dynamics of earthquake rupture are based largely on estimates of earthquake source parameters, such as stress drop and radiated seismic energy. Unfortunately, the measurements, especially those of small and moderate-sized earthquakes (magnitude less than about 5 or 6), are not well resolved, containing significant random and potentially systematic uncertainties. The aim of this review is to provide a context in which to understand the challenges involved in estimating these measurements, and to assess the quality and reliability of reported measurements of earthquake source parameters. I also discuss some of the ways progress is being made towards more reliable parameter measurements. At present, whether the earthquake source is entirely self-similar, or not, and which factors and processes control the physics of the rupture remains, at least in the author's opinion, largely unconstrained. Detailed analysis of the best recorded earthquakes, using the increasing quantity and quality of data available, and methods less dependent on simplistic source models is one approach that may help provide better constraints.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Fracture dynamics of solid materials: from particles to the globe’.

我们对地震破裂动力学的模型和理解主要基于对地震震源参数（例如应力降和辐射地震能）的估计。不幸的是，这些测量，尤其是中小地震（震级小于5或6）的测量结果不能很好地解决，其中包含很大的随机性和潜在的系统不确定性。这篇综述的目的是提供一个背景，在其中理解估计这些测量值所涉及的挑战，并评估所报告的地震震源参数测量值的质量和可靠性。我还将讨论在实现更可靠的参数测量方面取得进展的一些方法。目前，无论震源是否完全自相似，至少在作者看来，哪些因素和过程控制了破裂的物理性质，仍然没有受到很大的限制。使用越来越多的可用数据和更多质量的数据以及较少依赖简单来源模型的方法来对记录最好的地震进行详细分析是一种可以帮助提供更好约束的方法。

本文是主题主题“固体材料的断裂动力学：从粒子到地球”的一部分。