Self-organized criticality in a continuous, nonconservative cellular automaton modeling earthquakes
Abstract
We introduce a new nonconservative self-organized critical model. This model is equivalent to a quasistatic two-dimensional version of the Burridge-Knopoff spring-block model of earthquakes. Our model displays a robust power-law behavior. The exponent is not universal; rather it depends on the level of conservation. A dynamical phase transition from localized to nonlocalized behavior is seen as the level of conservation is increased. The model gives a good prediction of the Gutenberg-Richter law and an explanation to the variances in the observed b values.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- February 1992
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.68.1244
- Bibcode:
- 1992PhRvL..68.1244O
- Keywords:
-
- 91.30.Px;
- 05.40.+j;
- 05.45.+b;
- Earthquakes