Unimodal part of the magnitude-frequency distribution of earthquakes according to the USGS catalog

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the unimodal part of the earthquake magnitude-frequency distribution from the USGS catalog, proposing an empirical formula to better understand weak seismic events and their statistical properties.

Contribution

It introduces a new empirical formula for the unimodal segment of earthquake distributions, aiding seismological studies of weak earthquakes.

Findings

The empirical formula fits the unimodal distribution across a wide magnitude range.

The approach enhances understanding of seismicity related to weak earthquakes.

Potential applications in seismology and earthquake risk assessment.

Abstract

In this paper, we used the Global Catalog of the National Earthquake Information Center US Geological Survey (NEIC USGS) for analysis of the magnitude-frequency distribution of earthquakes. We selected the unimodal part of the distribution and proposed an empirical formula that approximates this part in a wide range of magnitudes. The formula may be useful in studying the problems seismology, in which the expected effect is manifested in relatively weak earthquakes. The paper will be sent to the journal Geodynamics and Tectonophysics (ISSN 2078-502X). Keywords: planetary seismicity, Gutenberg-Richter law, unimodal distribution, statistical sum, entropy, spheroidal oscillations