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Are earthquakes an example of deterministic chaos?
Author(s) -
Huang Jie,
Turcotte Donald L.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl017i003p00223
Subject(s) - chaotic , statistical physics , bifurcation , spring (device) , simple (philosophy) , constant (computer programming) , logistic map , chaos (operating system) , limit (mathematics) , physics , dynamical system (definition) , dynamical systems theory , computer science , mechanics , nonlinear system , mathematics , mathematical analysis , philosophy , computer security , epistemology , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence , thermodynamics , programming language
We use a simple mass‐spring model to systematically examine the dynamical behavior introduced by fault zone heterogeneities. The model consists of two sliding blocks coupled to each other and to a constant velocity driver by elastic springs. The state of this system can be characterized by the positions of the two blocks relative to the driver. A simple static/dynamic friction law is used. When the system is symmetric, we observe cyclic behavior. For an asymmetric system where the fractional forces for the two blocks are not equal, the solutions exhibit deterministic chaos. Chaotic windows occur repeatedly between regions of limit cycles on bifurcation diagrams. Our model behavior is similar to that of the one‐dimensional logistic map. In many examples of deterministic chaos, chaotic behavior of a low order system implies chaos in similar higher order systems. Thus, our results provide substantial evidence that earthquakes are an example of deterministic chaos.