Seismicity of Major Earthquakes in a Minimalist Physical Model

Session: Crustal Stress and Strain and Implications for Fault Interaction and Slip [Poster]
Type: Poster
Date: 4/28/2020
Time: 08:00 AM
Room: Ballroom
Description: 

Palaeoseismic evidence suggests that major earthquake recurrence intervals in some regions can be highly variable, with clusters separated by much longer periods of quiescence. I investigate the origin of seismicity of major earthquakes with a minimalist model based only on the most basic physical process, which simplifies the rupture behavior on faults embedded in a finite scale elastic seismogenic system as plastic. The simulation on this model shows that various patterns of earthquake occurrence, including quasi-periodic occurrences with any recurrence intervals and clusters with any intercluster periods and intracluster number of events and repeat times, can be constructed by adjusting stress (or energy) input to the seismogenic system, stress (or energy) decline of the seismogenic system by major earthquakes and strength growth and stress-load rates on plastic fault plane. Besides, this model also provides a possible explanation why the upper limit of magnitude in areas with weak seismicity is smaller than that in areas with intense seismicity.

Presenting Author: Ran Hongliu

Authors