Statistical analysis of stress drops in Mexico with an application to accelerations of the ground

Abstract

The statistical analysis of the stress drops, p, of 5 sets of earthquakes in California and Mexico confirms that the density distribution of pis proportional to a p-l+α(α <0). The result had been anticipated by Caputo (1976). The density distribution of p allows us to compute the return period of accelerations of the ground (Caputo, 193la) and to find precursors of earthquakes (Caputo, 198lb).