Abstract
We investigate the nature of temporal variations in the statistical properties of seismicity associated with the North Anatolian Fault Zone between longitudes 31°–41°E during the instrumental period 1900–1992. Temporal variations in the seismicb value and the fractal (correlation) dimensionD c of earthquake epicenters are examined for earthquakes of magnitudeM S ≥4.5, using sliding windows of 100 consecutive events.b varies temporally between 0.6 and 1.0, andD c between 0.6 and 1.4, both representing significant fluctuations above the errors in measurement technique. A strong negative correlation (r=−0.85) is observed betweenb andD c , consistent with previous observation of seismicity in Japan and southern California. Major events early in this century (M S ≥7) are associated with lowb and highD c , respectively consistent with greater stress intensity and greater spatial clustering of epicenters—both implying a greater degree of stress concentration at this time.
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Öncel, A.O., Main, I., Alptekin, Ö. et al. Temporal variations in the fractal properties of seismicity in the North Anatolian Fault Zone between 31°E and 41°E. PAGEOPH 147, 147–159 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00876441
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00876441