For more than a century, a guiding principle in seismology has been that earthquakes recur at semi-regular intervals according to a “seismic cycle.” In this model, strain that gradually accumulates along a locked fault is completely released in a large earthquake. Recently, however, seismologists have realized that earthquakes often occur in clusters separated by gaps, and one research group now argues that the probability of a tremor’s recurrence depends upon whether a cluster is ongoing—or over.
Click here for original story, Faults’ hot streaks and slumps could change earthquake hazard assessments
Source: Phys.org