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A Model for Aperiodicity in Earthquakes

Brittany A. Erickson, Björn Birnir, & Daniel Lavallee

Published 2008, SCEC Contribution #1133

Conditions under which a single oscillator model coupled with Dieterich-Ruina's rate and state dependent friction exhibits chaotic dynamics is studied. Properties of spring-block models are discussed. The parameter values of the system are explored and the corresponding numerical solutions presented. Bifurcation analysis is performed to determine the bifurcations and stability of stationary solutions and we find that the system undergoes a Hopf bifurcation to a periodic orbit. This periodic orbit then undergoes a period doubling cascade into a strange attractor, recognized as broadband noise in the power spectrum. The implications for earthquakes are discussed.

Citation
Erickson, B. A., Birnir, B., & Lavallee, D. (2008). A Model for Aperiodicity in Earthquakes. Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics, 15(1), 1-12. doi: 10.5194/npg-15-1-2008.