Fractal variations of the Transcarpathians, West Ukraine, seismicity and their potential relation to changing phases of local seismic cycles

Abstract

The evolution of spatial arrangement of the Transcarpathian earthquakes is studied by means of fractal analysis. Spatial correlation dimension is evaluated for a subset of fixed number of catalogue events consecutively shifted in time by one event forward. Distinctive patterns that may be related to different phases of local seismic cycle/cycles have been identified, corresponding to extreme values of the dimension. Their potential relation to evolution of the seismogenic stress field is discussed. The time it takes for the capacity dimension to reach the so-called percolation threshold is estimated for a subset consecutively extended by adding next catalogue events. Temporal and spatial frames of percolation analysis are discussed in relation to parameters of the future earthquake.