Non-uniform scaling features in central Italy seismicity: A non-linear approach in investigating seismic patterns and detection of possible earthquake precursors

Abstract

The detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) is a powerful method for capturing scaling behavior in nonstationary time series. Using an appropriate instability index, it is possible to identify and quantify deviations from uniform power-law scaling, which suggest the presence of changing dynamics in the system under study. In this context, the scaling behavior of the 1981-2007 seismicity in Umbria-Marche (central Italy), which is one of the most seismically active areas in Italy, was investigated. Significant deviations from uniform power-law scaling in the seismic temporal fluctuations were revealed mostly linked with the occurrence of rather large earthquakes or seismic clusters. © 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.