9725358 Ben-Zion This research involves the study of the simultaneous evolution of regional seismicity, aseismic deformation, and the network of fault systems sustaining the deformation in a continuation of prior 3-D simulations. The goal is to establish a physical basis for understanding spatio-temporal patterns of regional earthquakes, and the interrelations between different modes of deformation, structural properties of faults, and rheological properties of the brittle crust and its ductile surroundings. The work will employ a model incorporating deformation- and time-dependent damage rheology in a structure consisting of a layered elastic/viscoelastic half- space. The work will attempt to map in parameter space the basic types of crustal response that are possible for different structural and rheological properties, understand the essential characteristics of the different responses, and examine the possibility of earthquake prediction based on seismicity patterns. This research is a component of the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program. ***
