Analysis of Time-scaling Behaviour in the Sequence of Aftershocks of the Wenchuan Earthquake, China

Based on the aftershock sequence of the Great Wenchuan earthquake that occurred on 12 May, 2008, the long-term memory and multifractal scaling are analyzed by using MF-DFA method. And we consider aftershocks as a SOC phenomenon. Main findings are as follows: (1) h(q) values of the aftershock sequence indicates high persistence or long-term memory. (2) The generalized fractal dimensions D(q) presents obvious trend variation, which reveal crisis and critical characteristics of seismogenic dynamical system. (3) The right-skewed spectrum f(alpha) indicates that the aftershocks are predominated by low magnitude, which gives a characterization of distribution in multiple scales in seismic activity. Its structural morphology is closely related with the dynamical complexity. (4) Aftershock sequence exhibits self-organized criticality because it follows the classical Gutenberg-Richter and Omori Law.