A new physical model for earthquake time interval distribution

•This paper reports a new physical model for earthquake time interval distribution.•For the earthquakes with magnitude ≥M≥M, there existed lgN(>t)=c−dt.•The value dd decreased with MM.

This paper reports a new physical model for time interval distribution of earthquakes, which was obtained by borrowing the idea from the research in the time interval distribution of sand-dust storms. Of the model, it was hypothesized that the earthquakes were induced by the magma movement inside the earth, and if the speed of magma ≥≥ threshold value UtUt, the earthquakes with magnitude ≥M≥M occurred. With this model, it was obtained that for the earthquakes with magnitude ≥M≥M there existed lgN(>t)=c−dt, where NN was the number of time intervals longer than tt; the value dd decreased with MM. This result was also verified by analyzing the earthquake data from the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).