Modeling fast and slow earthquakes at various scales

Area of Science:

• Geophysics
• Seismology
• Earthquake physics

Background:

• Earthquake sources are modeled as shear slip on fault planes governed by friction laws.
• Recent advances in observations, experiments, and analysis enhance understanding of earthquake physics.
• Slow earthquakes, distinct from fast earthquakes, offer insights into deep slow deformation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize current knowledge on earthquake physics, including fast and slow rupture processes.
• To identify challenges in modeling earthquake scaling laws and characteristic lengths.
• To propose conceptual models for improved earthquake characterization and forecasting.

Main Methods:

• Review of observational data from seismic networks.
• Analysis of laboratory experiments on rock friction and rupture.
• Numerical simulations of both fast and slow earthquake phenomena.
• Theoretical modeling of earthquake scaling and hierarchical structures.

Main Results:

• Slow earthquakes present a different phenomenon compared to ordinary fast earthquakes.
• Numerical simulations face challenges, particularly concerning scaling laws in earthquake rupture.
• The power-law nature of rupture and absence of characteristic length require further mechanistic explanations.

Conclusions:

• Further research is needed to explain the power-law scaling and lack of characteristic length in earthquake rupture.
• Conceptual models incorporating hierarchical structures are essential for characterizing diverse seismic behaviors.
• Improved models will aid in more accurate probabilistic forecasting of earthquakes across different regions.