Earthquakes and Faulting: Self-Organized Critical Phenomena with a Characteristic Dimension

摘要: Earthquakes are among the most frequently cited natural phenomena that exhibit behavior called self-organized criticality is found in models of spacially extended dissipative systems. In this article relevant phenomenological aspects earthquakes, and faults, objects upon which earthquakes occur, reviewed terms concept. Both faults have fractal (power law) size distributions, a prime characteristic SOC Earthquake statistics do not vary space except for factor defines overall rate activity, observations artificially induced seismicity suggests continental crust virtually everywhere state close to seismic failure. These lead conclusion critical everywhere, but with geographically varying rates loading. However, earthquake system contains dimension, width brittle zone, or schizosphere, within can has profound effect on behavior. either side crossover dimension very different characteristics. The moments small unconstrained propagate two dimensions, scale cubed. For large may only one moment scales rupture squared. On given fault, belong same set as earthquakes. Globally, both power law distributions exponents, being somewhat less than 2/3 1 morphology also exhibits changes at dimension.