Mechanism of deep-focus earthquakes anomalous statistics

Analyzing the NEIC-data we have shown that the spatial deep-focus earthquake distribution in the Earth interior over the years 1993-2006 is characterized by the clearly defined periodical fine discrete structure with period L = 50 km, which is solely generated by earthquakes with magnitude M is an element of [3.9; 5.3] and only on the convergent boundary of plates. To describe the formation of this structure we used the model of complex systems by Volynskii and Bazhenov. The key property of this model consists in the presence of a rigid coating on a soft substratum. We have shown that in subduction processes the slab substance (lithosphere) plays the role of a rigid coating and the upper mantle acts as a soft substratum. Within the framework of this model we have obtained the estimation of average values of stress in the upper mantle and Young's modulus for the oceanic slab (lithosphere) and upper mantle. Copyright (C) EPLA, 2010