Space-time clustering of seismicity in California and the distance dependence of earthquake triggering

摘要

Using two recent high-resolution earthquake catalogs, I examine clustering in California seismicity by plotting the average rate of earthquakes as a function of both space and time from target events of M 2 to 5. Comparisons between pre-and post-target event activity can be used to resolve earthquake-to-earthquake triggering associated with target events of different magnitudes. The results are more complicated than predicted by computer simulations of earthquake triggering that begin with background events occurring at random times. In particular, at least some of the temporal clustering of seismicity at short scales (0.1 to 5km) does not appear to be caused by local earthquake triggering, but instead reflects an underlying physical process that temporarily increases the seismicity rate, such as is often hypothesized to drive earthquake swarms. Earthquake triggering for M < 4.5 earthquakes is only resolvable in average seismicity rates at times less than about one day and to distances of less than about 10km, and its linear density decreases as r ~(-1.5) to r ~(-2.5), significantly steeper than some previous studies have found.