This review is primarily concerned with the rupture process of large subduction-zone earthquakes determined by various seismological methods, and with its interpretation in terms of an asperity model. It is not possible to make a thorough and extensive review on the subject because of the limited length. Consequently, this review is inevitably biased toward the works in which I was directly inv...

_Abstract., The recent occurrence of several large su'ike-slip earthquakes provides the opportunity to review and complement available data on the scaling of seismic moment (Mo) with length of rupture (L) for large earthquakes, depending on their tectonic setting and mechanism. For strikeslip earthquakes onquasi-vertical transcurrent faults, the Mo versus L relation has a significant change of ...

In the common jargon used by non-specialist commentators in newspapers or TV programs, business cycle downturns are sometimes described in terms of economic collapses, crashes or even earthquakes. Does these comparisons make any sense but for literary license? In particular, are economic recessions and recoveries governed at large by the same statistical law underlying earthquakes' occurrence? ...

Earthquakes in Sannio Matese, a quite large Italian area, are divided into three geographical areas and interoccurrence times of major earthquakes, their magnitudes and number of minor earthquakes are analysed from a Bayesian point of view and then compared, discovering that diierent behaviours characterise the areas. Similar results are obtained by considering either a reasonable proper prior ...

Stress drop is a fundamental parameter of earthquakes, but it is difficult to obtain reliable stress drop estimates for most earthquakes. Static stress drop estimates require knowledge of the seismic moment and fault area. Dynamic stress drop estimates are based entirely upon the observed source time functions. Based on analytical formulas that I derive for the crack and slip-pulse rupture mode...

The high level of seismic activity and the potential for large earthquakes in the San Jacinto fault zone, southern California, make it desirable to have accurate locations and source parameters for as many previous events as possible. Prior to the installation of a dense seismic network in this region, earthquakes were located using only a few stations with generally poor azimuthal coverage res...

O 31 October 2008 and the following day, numerous Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) residents called 911 to report experiencing several small earthquakes, accompanied by loud booming noises and the shaking of walls and furniture. Using data recorded by regional seismic stations, the USGS National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) located nine earthquakes with magnitudes between 2.5 and 3.0. On 16 May ...

Frictional melting and fluid pressurization can play a key role in rupture dynamics of large earthquakes. For faulting under frictional stress ar, the temperature increases with cr.r and the earthquake magnitude, Mw. If the thickness of the heated zone, w, is of the order of a few mm, then, even for a modest a1, the temperature rise, ll.T, would exceed 1000° for earthquakes with Mw=5 to 6, and ...

We report on the experimental observation of the phenomenon of, spontaneously nucleated, supershear rupture and on the visualization of the mechanism of subRayleigh to supershear rupture transition in frictionally-held interfaces. The laboratory experiments mimic natural earthquakes. The results suggest that under certain conditions supershear rupture propagation can be facilitated during large...

an important aim of seismology is to determine focuses of earthquakes. the more precisely the process is carried out, the better results will be achieved in various studies, for example, in vestigation of the crustal structure and seismogenic zone or the determination of the plane of faults causing earthquakes. the classic methods of locating are based on geiger's equations (1910). the rel...