Statistical distribution of elapsed times and distances of seismic events: the case of the Southern Spain seismic catalogue

Abstract

Several empiric cumulative distributions of elapsed times and distances between seismic events occurred in the Southern Iberian Peninsula from 1985 to 2000 (data extracted from the seismic catalogue of the Andalusian Institute of Geophysics) are investigated. Elapsed times and distances between consecutive seismic events of the whole catalogue, taking into account threshold magnitudes of 2.5, 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0, and of five seismic crises, without distinguishing magnitudes, are investigated. Additionally, the series of distances and elapsed times from the main event to every aftershock are also analysed for the five seismic crises. Even though a power law is sometimes a satisfactory model for the cumulative distribution of elapsed times and distances between seismic events, in some cases a fit with a Weibull distribution for elapsed times performs better. It is worth of mention that, in the case of the seismic crises, the fit achieved by the power law is sometimes improved when it is combined with a logarithmic law. The results derived might be a contribution to a better representation of the seismic activity by means of models that could be based on random-walk processes.