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Generalized statistical mechanics approaches to earthquakes and tectonics
Filippos Vallianatos1, Giorgos Papadakis1, Georgios Michas1
1UNESCO Chair on Solid Earth Physics and Geohazards Risk Reduction, Laboratory of Geophysics and Seismology , Technological Educational Institute of Crete , Chania , Greece.
Proceedings. Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Sciences
|January 26, 2017
Summary
Simple scaling laws govern earthquake and fault properties despite complex generation processes. Non-extensive statistical mechanics (NESM) offers a consistent framework for understanding seismicity, faulting, and earthquake physics.
Area of Science:
- Geophysics
- Statistical Mechanics
- Seismology
Background:
- Earthquake generation is complex, yet empirical scaling relations describe collective earthquake and fault properties across scales.
- These scaling relations are crucial for probabilistic seismicity forecasting at local, regional, and global levels.
- Statistical mechanics, particularly entropy-based approaches, has advanced the physical understanding of observed macroscopic earthquake properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review fundamental macroscopic properties of earthquakes and faulting.
- To demonstrate how statistical mechanics and non-extensive statistical mechanics (NESM) can derive these properties.
- To provide insights into earthquake physics and fault growth processes.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of statistical mechanics of earthquakes.
- Application of non-extensive statistical mechanics (NESM) framework.
- Review of empirical scaling relations and observed properties.
Main Results:
- Scale-invariant properties, fractal structures, and long-range interactions characterize fault and earthquake populations.
- NESM provides a consistent statistical mechanics framework for seismicity description.
- Consistency between NESM and observational data in seismicity, faulting, and rock physics has been shown.
Conclusions:
- NESM offers a robust framework for understanding earthquake and fault macroscopic properties.
- This approach enhances insights into the physics of earthquakes and fault development.
- The study highlights the utility of NESM in geosciences for explaining seismicity patterns.
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