Dependence of the source deactivation factor on the earthquake magnitude

TL;DR

This paper introduces a differential model to analyze how the earthquake source deactivation factor varies with main shock magnitude, offering new insights into well-known seismic laws and addressing energy conservation issues.

Contribution

It proposes a novel differential equation framework for earthquake aftershock dynamics, revealing the dependence of the deactivation factor on main shock magnitude.

Findings

Deactivation factor decreases monotonically with increasing main shock magnitude.

The model successfully explains the evolution of aftershock activity.

It offers a way to reconcile Omori's law with energy conservation principles.

Abstract

Three fundamental laws of the physics of earthquakes, bearing the names of their discoverers Omori, Gutenberg, Richter and Bath, are widely used in original, review, monographic, and encyclopedic literature. In this paper, we have tried to look at laws from an unusual point of view. The idea behind our approach is as follows. Each of the three laws was established in the course of work on solving a specific research problem, and the result was expressed in a specific mathematical form. We asked ourselves whether it is possible to modify the statement of the problem, and/or modify the form of expression of the law in order to see new facets of a well-known scientific statement? The result was successful in relation to Omori's law, according to which the frequency of aftershocks hyperbolically decreases over time. The modified formulation of the problem was to find a differential equation describing the time evolution of aftershocks. We found a simple differential model, within the framework of which the concept of deactivation of the earthquake source is introduced. The question of dependence of the deactivation factor on the magnitude of main shock is analyzed theoretically and experimentally. A monotonic decrease in the deactivation factor with an increase in the magnitude of the main shock has been reliably established. Other possible applications of the proposed methodological technique are considered. In particular, it is indicated how to overcome the contradiction between the Omori law and the law of energy conservation. Keywords: Omori law, Gutenberg-Richter law, Bath law, main shock, aftershock, deactivation factor, Omori epoch, differential equation of evolution.