By Davide Zaccagnino, Robert Shcherbakov & Filippos Vallianatos
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Modern geophysical networks are now able to capture fault system behavior with unprecedented resolution, revealing complex interactions between seismic ruptures, slow slip events, and aseismic creep. These observations consistently challenge existing physical models, demanding new theoretical frameworks and analytical approaches to understand nonlinear fault zone processes across temporal and spatial scales.
Understanding complexity in seismicity and faulting is crucial for improving our knowledge of the physics of faulting and, above all, of how large earthquakes emerge in previously stable fault systems from the whole spectrum of fault slip styles, with an outstanding future impact on next-generation physics-based earthquake forecasting. To better understand emergent phenomena in seismology (e.g., preparatory processes of large earthquakes) and the complexity of seismicity and faulting, innovative and interdisciplinary research is needed that can handle large amounts of data with more accurate physical, computational, and AI-enhanced models that are able to investigate the chaotic and nonlinear nature of fault systems across multiple scales, from microfractures to global tectonic settings.
This Special Issue aims to highlight interdisciplinary studies that go beyond phenomenological descriptions to reveal the fundamental mechanics governing fault system behavior. We particularly encourage contributions demonstrating how new observations can constrain physical models to embrace complexity in earthquake occurrences.