Scaling and Nucleation in Models of Earthquake Faults

Journal Article · Thu May 01 00:00:00 EDT 1997 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.78.3793· OSTI ID:496839

Klein, W; Ferguson, C ^[1]; Rundle, J ^[2]

---

1. Physics Department, Center for Polymer Physics and Center for Computational Science, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215 (United States)
2. Department of Geological Sciences, Physics Department and CIRES, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309 (United States)

We present an analysis of a slider block model of an earthquake fault which indicates the presence of metastable states ending in spinodals. We identify four parameters whose values determine the size and statistical distribution of the {open_quotes}earthquake{close_quotes} events. For values of these parameters consistent with real faults we obtain scaling of events associated not with critical point fluctuations but with the presence of nucleation events. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

• DOE Contract Number: FG02-95ER14498; FG03-95ER14499
• OSTI ID: 496839
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 19 Vol. 78; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
EARTHQUAKES
FLUCTUATIONS
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
NUCLEATION
SCALING