Modelling critical and catastrophic phenomena in geoscience: a statistical physics approach

B.K. Chakrabarti (auth.), Pratip Bhattacharyya, Bikas K. Chakrabarti (eds.)9783540353737, 3-540-35373-9

This book presents a broad survey of models for critical and catastrophic phenomena in the geosciences, with strong emphasis on earthquakes. It assumes the perspective of statistical physics, which provides the theoretical frame for dealing with complex systems in general. This volume addresses graduate students wishing to specialize in the field and researchers working or interested in the field having a background in the physics, geosciences or applied mathematics.

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Table of contents :
Front Matter….Pages I-XXI
Statistical Physics of Fracture and Earthquake….Pages 3-26
Rupture Processes in Fibre Bundle Models….Pages 27-55
Extensions of Fibre Bundle Models….Pages 57-92
Survey of Scaling Surfaces….Pages 93-110
Front Matter….Pages I-XXI
Some Early Earthquake Source Models….Pages 113-153
Geometric Models of Earthquakes….Pages 155-168
Friction, Stick-Slip Motion and Earthquake….Pages 169-189
Statistical Features of Earthquake Temporal Occurrence….Pages 191-221
Spatiotemporal Correlations of Earthquakes….Pages 223-257
Space-time Combined Correlation Between Earthquakes and a New, Self-Consistent Definition of Aftershocks….Pages 259-279
Short-Term Prediction of Mediumand Large-Size Earthquakes Based on Markov and Extended Self-Similarity Analysis of Seismic Data….Pages 281-301
Why Does Theoretical Physics Fail to Explain and Predict Earthquake Occurrence?….Pages 303-359
Front Matter….Pages I-XXI
Aeolian Transport and Dune Formation….Pages 363-386
Avalanches and Ripples in Sandpiles….Pages 387-421
Dynamics of Stick-Slip: Some Universal and Not So Universal Features….Pages 423-457
Search for Precursors in Some Models of Catastrophic Failures….Pages 459-477
Front Matter….Pages I-XXI
Nonlinear Analysis of Radon Time Series Related to Earthquake….Pages 481-490
A Thermomechanical Model of Earthquakes….Pages 491-498
Fractal Dimension of the 2001 El Salvador Earthquake Time Series….Pages 499-505
Approach in Time to Breakdown in the RRTN Model….Pages 507-513
Front Matter….Pages I-XXI
Critical Behaviour of Mixed Fibres with Uniform Distribution….Pages 515-520