title: Self-similar aftershock rates.
abstract: In many important systems exhibiting crackling noise-an intermittent avalanchelike relaxation response with power-law and, thus, self-similar distributed event sizes-the "laws" for the rate of activity after large events are not consistent with the overall self-similar behavior expected on theoretical grounds. This is particularly true for the case of seismicity, and a satisfying solution to this paradox has remained outstanding. Here, we propose a generalized description of the aftershock rates which is both self-similar and consistent with all other known self-similar features. Comparing our theoretical predictions with high-resolution earthquake data from Southern California we find excellent agreement, providing particularly clear evidence for a unified description of aftershocks and foreshocks. This may offer an improved framework for time-dependent seismic hazard assessment and earthquake forecasting.
authors.affiliation: Complexity Science Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4.|GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Section 3.2: Geomechanics and Rheology, Telegrafenberg, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany.
authors.forename: Jörn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Davidsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova, Italy.|INFN - Sezione di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baiesi