A precursory dynamics, motivated by the analysis of recent experiments on solid-on-solid friction, is introduced in a continuous cellular automaton that mimics the physics of earthquake source processes. The resulting system of equations for the interevent cycle can be decoupled and yields an analytical solution in the mean-field limit, exhibiting a smoothing effect of the dynamics on the stress field. Simulation results show the resulting departure from scaling at the large-event end of the frequency distribution, and support claims that the field leakage may parametrize the superposition of scaling and characteristic regimes observed in real earthquake faults.

• Received 22 January 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.65.056117