Stick-slip statistics for two fractal surfaces: a model for earthquakes

Bikas K Chakrabarti and Robin B Stinchcombe

Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, 1999, vol. 270, issue 1, 27-34

Abstract: Following the observations of the self-similarity in various length scales in the roughness of the fractured solid surfaces, we propose here a new model for the earthquake. We demonstrate rigorously that the contact area distribution between two fractal surfaces follows a unique power law. This is then utilised to show that the elastic energy releases for slips between two rough fractal surfaces indeed follow a Guttenberg–Richter like power law.

Keywords: Fractured surfaces; Surface roughness; Self-similarity; Fractals; Cantor sets; Earthquakes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1999
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:270:y:1999:i:1:p:27-34

DOI: 10.1016/S0378-4371(99)00146-6

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