Statistical analogies between earthquakes, micro-quakes in metals and avalanches in the 1D Burridge-Knopoff model

Universalities and intriguing analogies in the statistics of avalanches are revealed for three physical systems defined on largely different length energy scales. Earthquakes induced by tectonic scale dynamics, micro-scale level quakes observed from slipping crystallographic planes metals a one-dimensional, room-scale spring-block type Burridge-Knopoff model is studied similar statistical viewpoints. The validity Gutenberg-Richter law probability density energies dissipated proven all systems. By analysing data seismic zones performing acoustic detection Zn samples under deformation, universality involved scaling exponent revealed. With proper parameter choices 1D able to reproduce same law. recurrence times earthquakes micro-quakes with magnitudes above given threshold present again distributions striking quantitative similarities. However, cannot account correlations such statistics.