Earthquake swarms usually lack an outstanding earthquake, and usually the largest magnitude event occurs later in the sequence. Complex seismic sequences often manifest intense foreshock activity, or display doublets or triplets of earthquakes with comparable magnitude. Both swarm-like and complex sequences exhibit spatial and temporal migration patterns and extend over a larger seismogenic volume despite the usually small seismic moment release. Earthquake swarms and complex sequences are mostly common in volcanic areas and associated with eruption processes, however they have been reported in all tectonic environments.
A number of physical mechanisms may trigger swarm-like seismicity and complex seismic sequences in volcanic and tectonic environments: aseismic processes and local transients, like creeping, slow slip events, magmatic intrusion and crustal fluid redistribution, are arguably the most common ones. Furthermore, earthquake-earthquake interaction via static stress transfer can in some cases explain the temporal evolution and spatial migration of seismic activity during a complex sequence. Yet, the mechanism behind such processes and the ultimate reasons for the occurrence of swarm-like rather than mainshock-aftershocks sequences, is still far beyond a full understanding. To this end, more studies from different areas are necessary to understand how these sequences initiate and evolve. In addition, the implementation of techniques, whose scope is to detect and characterize earthquakes, would provide rich and high-resolution datasets, that would in turn help shedding more light on the underlying mechanisms.
We aim to attract original research articles on studies of earthquake swarms and complex seismic sequences in volcanic and tectonic areas in order to enhance our understanding on the underlying physics of the processes at their origin. We also encourage submission of Data Reports, Brief Research Reports, and Technology and Code format articles. We especially encourage contributions focusing on:
• Reporting and characterizing swarm-like and complex sequences in terms of spatial and temporal evolution, scaling properties, and triggering processes;
• Multi-disciplinary studies using observational datasets complementary to the seismological ones, such as fluid geochemistry, deformation, and geology;
• Laboratory and numerical models simulating the mechanical conditions yielding to rupture dynamics that are relevant for swarm-like seismicity and complex seismic sequences.
Earthquake swarms usually lack an outstanding earthquake, and usually the largest magnitude event occurs later in the sequence. Complex seismic sequences often manifest intense foreshock activity, or display doublets or triplets of earthquakes with comparable magnitude. Both swarm-like and complex sequences exhibit spatial and temporal migration patterns and extend over a larger seismogenic volume despite the usually small seismic moment release. Earthquake swarms and complex sequences are mostly common in volcanic areas and associated with eruption processes, however they have been reported in all tectonic environments.
A number of physical mechanisms may trigger swarm-like seismicity and complex seismic sequences in volcanic and tectonic environments: aseismic processes and local transients, like creeping, slow slip events, magmatic intrusion and crustal fluid redistribution, are arguably the most common ones. Furthermore, earthquake-earthquake interaction via static stress transfer can in some cases explain the temporal evolution and spatial migration of seismic activity during a complex sequence. Yet, the mechanism behind such processes and the ultimate reasons for the occurrence of swarm-like rather than mainshock-aftershocks sequences, is still far beyond a full understanding. To this end, more studies from different areas are necessary to understand how these sequences initiate and evolve. In addition, the implementation of techniques, whose scope is to detect and characterize earthquakes, would provide rich and high-resolution datasets, that would in turn help shedding more light on the underlying mechanisms.
We aim to attract original research articles on studies of earthquake swarms and complex seismic sequences in volcanic and tectonic areas in order to enhance our understanding on the underlying physics of the processes at their origin. We also encourage submission of Data Reports, Brief Research Reports, and Technology and Code format articles. We especially encourage contributions focusing on:
• Reporting and characterizing swarm-like and complex sequences in terms of spatial and temporal evolution, scaling properties, and triggering processes;
• Multi-disciplinary studies using observational datasets complementary to the seismological ones, such as fluid geochemistry, deformation, and geology;
• Laboratory and numerical models simulating the mechanical conditions yielding to rupture dynamics that are relevant for swarm-like seismicity and complex seismic sequences.
