Analysis of the distribution of the order parameter of synthetic seismicity generated by a simple spring–block system with asperities

By analyzing the synthetic seismicity generated by a simple spring–block system with asperities, the probability distribution of its order parameter is investigated. The spring–block system mimics the interaction between tectonic plates, whose asperities are given by sandpapers of different grades. The analysis is performed in the natural time domain, which was shown to be an important tool to obtain relevant information hidden in the time series of complex systems. We find that the scaled probability density functions of the order parameter almost collapse onto a single curve with non-Gaussian tails. This indicates that the system is in a critical state similar to what is reported for several real seismic catalogues and numerical simulations of different complex systems.