Analysis of aftershock sequences in South and Southeastern Spain

• Probabilistic modeling is used to analyze the spatio-temporal behavior of aftershocks.
• Gutenberg-Richter relationship for aftershock sequences. The Omori–Utsu law.
• The modified Bath’s law is used to analyze in details the energy partitioning.
• The fractal dimension D2 and the correlation integral.
• Analysis of the Aki’s relation D = 3b/c.

A probabilistic modeling is used to analyze the spatio-temporal behavior of eleven aftershock sequences occurred in South and Southeastern Spain. This study focuses on the analysis of two seismicity parameters: the b-value of the frequency-magnitude distribution, and the p-value, explaining the temporal decay rate of aftershocks. The estimated b values range between 0.77 ± 0.05 and 1.18 ± 0.10 close to the typical b-values of the aftershock frequency-magnitude relationship b ≈ 1.0. The estimated p-values range between 0.75 ± 0.03 and 1.43 ± 0.10 showing broad regimes of the temporal decay of aftershocks. The modified Bath’s law used to analyze the energy partitioning, suggests that a large fraction of the accumulated energy is released in the mainshock and relatively small fraction of energy is released during aftershock sequence, for example 80% of the total energy is released during the Mula 1999 mainshock, 88% during Bullas 2002 mainshock and 87% during La Paca 2005 mainshock. The fractal dimension D2 is estimated using the correlation integral, and then used to derive the slip ratio, as the ratio of the slip occurred on primary fault segment to the total slip. For example, we obtained a slip ratio equal to 71% for the Mula 1999 aftershock sequence, 61% for the Bullas 2002 event, 58% for the La Paca 2005 aftershock, 50% for the Lorca 2011 sequence and 63% for the sequence triggered by the Gador 2002 mainshock.Finally, the correlations between the fractal dimension, the b-value and the p-value is analyzed, and the Aki’s relation D = 3b/c is discussed as well.