The results of seismic investigations on the basis of methods of non equilibrium processes theory and self-similarity theory have showed that a shallow earthquake can be treated as a critical transition that occurs during the evolution of a nonequilibrium seismogenic system and is preceded by such phenomenon as the scale invariance of spatiotemporal seismic structures. The implication is that seismicity can be interpreted as a purely multifractal process. Modeling the focal domain as a fractal cluster of microcracks allows the prognostic signs of earthquakes actually observed in seismic data to be formulated. Seismic scaling permits the state of a seismogenic system to be monitored as the system approaches instability.

Keywords: seismicity, multifractal measure, prognostic signs of earthquakes, seismic kinetics, scaling, fault field, seismic field, scaling correspondence PACS: 91.30.−f, 91.30.Px (all) DOI: 10.3367/UFNe.2016.09.037970 URL: https://ufn.ru/en/articles/2017/5/b/ 000407895100002 2-s2.0-85026899119 2017PhyU...60..472S Citation: Stakhovsky I R "Scale invariance of shallow seismicity and the prognostic signs of earthquakes" Phys. Usp. 60 472–489 (2017) BibTexBibNote ® (generic)BibNote ® (RIS)MedlineRefWorks Received: 5th, July 2016, revised: 8th, September 2016, accepted: 20th, September 2016 Оригинал: Стаховский И Р «Масштабная инвариантность коровой сейсмичности и прогностические признаки землетрясений» УФН 187 505–524 (2017); DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.2016.09.037970