Abstract
Abstract. Four geographical zones are defined along the trench that is formed due to the subduction of the Nazca plate underneath the South American plate; they are denoted A, B, C and D from north to south; zones A, B and D had a major earthquake after 2010 (magnitude over 8.0), while zone C has not, thus offering a contrast for comparison. For each zone, a sequence of intervals between consecutive seisms with magnitudes greater than or equal to 3.0 is set up and then characterized by Shannon entropy and mutability. These methods show a correlation after a major earthquake in what is known as the aftershock regime but show independence otherwise. Exponential adjustments to these parameters reveal that mutability offers a wider range for the parameters to characterize the recovery compared to the values of the parameters defining the background activity for each zone before a large earthquake. It is found that the background activity is particularly high for zone A, still recovering for zone B, reaching values similar to those of zone A in the case of zone C (without recent major earthquake) and oscillating around moderate values for zone D. It is discussed how this can be an indication of more risk of an important future seism in the cases of zones A and C. The similarities and differences between Shannon entropy and mutability are discussed and explained.
Highlights
A recent advance in information theory techniques, with the introduction of the concept of mutability (Vogel et al, 2017a), opens new ways of looking at the tectonic dynamics in subduction zones
The main goals of the present paper are five-fold: (1) to establish the similarities and differences between mutability and the well-known Shannon entropy to deal with seismic data distributions; (2) to find out which of the aforementioned parameters gives an advantageous description of the subduction dynamics in order to discern different behaviors along the subduction trench; (3) to apply this description to characterize the recovery regime after a major earthquake; (4) to use this approach to establish background activity levels prior to major earthquakes; and (5) to apply all of the above to different geographical zones to look for possible indications of regions with indicators pointing to possible future major earthquakes
In order to analyze the spatial evolution of the mutability and Shannon entropy along this part of the subduction zone, we have focused our attention on four regions defined below
Summary
A recent advance in information theory techniques, with the introduction of the concept of mutability (Vogel et al, 2017a), opens new ways of looking at the tectonic dynamics in subduction zones. The main goals of the present paper are five-fold: (1) to establish the similarities and differences between mutability and the well-known Shannon entropy to deal with seismic data distributions; (2) to find out which of the aforementioned parameters gives an advantageous description of the subduction dynamics in order to discern different behaviors along the subduction trench; (3) to apply this description to characterize the recovery regime after a major earthquake; (4) to use this approach to establish background activity levels prior to major earthquakes; and (5) to apply all of the above to different geographical zones to look for possible indications of regions with indicators pointing to possible future major earthquakes. Vogel et al.: Measuring the seismic risk along the Nazca–South American subduction front applied to the intervals between consecutive seisms in each region
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
