Simulation of the Burridge-Knopoff model of earthquakes with variable range stress transfer.
Simple models of earthquake faults are important for understanding the mechanisms for their observed behavior, such as Gutenberg-Richter scaling and the relation between large and small events, which is the basis for various forecasting methods. Although cellular automaton models have been studied extensively in the long-range stress transfer limit, this limit has not been studied for the Burridge-Knopoff model, which includes more realistic friction forces and inertia. We find that the latter model with long-range stress transfer exhibits qualitatively different behavior than both the long-range cellular automaton models and the usual Burridge-Knopoff model with nearest-neighbor springs, depending on the nature of the velocity-weakening friction force. These results have important implications for our understanding of earthquakes and other driven dissipative systems.
Xia
Junchao
J
Department of Physics, Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts 01610, USA.
Gould
Harvey
H
Klein
W
W
Rundle
J B
JB
D000465:Algorithms; D004190:Disasters / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017276:Friction; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009038:Motion; D013314:Stress, Mechanical