Schrödinger: Journal of Physics Education
Schrödinger: Journal of Physics Education

Advancing Physics and Physics Education Through Research and Innovation

SINTA

2.396

Impact

Gscholar

11

H-Index

Schrödinger: Journal of Physics Education

Advancing Physics and Physics Education Through Research and Innovation

Spatial and Temporal Variability of Earthquake b-Values: Insights into Seismic Heterogeneity Along the Southern Java Subduction Zone

Rendinis Rendinis
Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta
Indonesia
rendinis11@gmail.com
Elmira Mosadeghzadeh
University of Isfahan
Iran, Islamic Republic of
Share

  • Purpose of the study: This study aimed to characterize the spatial and temporal variation of b-value in the southern Java subduction zone and identify areas exhibiting distinctive seismicity patterns through an integrated analysis of earthquake magnitude distribution, seismic activity, and associated estimation uncertainty.

    Methodology: Earthquake data from the BMKG and NEIC-USGS catalogues covering 1973–2011 were processed through magnitude homogenization, declustering, and magnitude-completeness assessment. The Gutenberg–Richter relationship and maximum-likelihood estimation were applied using ZMAP V.06 implemented in MATLAB 7.04. Spatial analysis used 0.1° × 0.1° grids with 80 events per calculation, while temporal variation was evaluated using a moving-window approach.

    Novelty/Originality of this study: This study integrates regional, spatial, temporal, and uncertainty analyses of b-value to provide a differentiated characterization of seismicity across southern Java. By combining Gutenberg–Richter parameters, spatial mapping, moving-window analysis, and standard-deviation assessment, the study demonstrates that regional-average b-values can conceal localized seismic regimes and provides a more comprehensive framework for interpreting seismic heterogeneity.

     

  • How to cite

    [1]
    R. Rendinis and E. Mosadeghzadeh, “Spatial and Temporal Variability of Earthquake b-Values: Insights into Seismic Heterogeneity Along the Southern Java Subduction Zone”, Sch. Jo. Phs. Ed, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 222–237, Aug. 2026, doi: 10.37251/sjpe.v7i4.3717.

    More Citation Formats

  • 2
    Abstract views
    2
    Downloads

    Metrics — Badges

    1. D. Schorlemmer, S. Wiemer, and M. Wyss, “Earthquake statistics at Parkfield: 1. Stationarity of b values,” J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, vol. 109, no. B12, Dec. 2004, doi: 10.1029/2004JB003234.
    2. M. L. Sousa and G. Tsionis, “National seismic risk assessment: an overview and practical guide,” Nat. Hazards, vol. 121, no. 19, pp. 23513–23546, 2025, doi: 10.1007/s11069-024-07008-y.
    3. F. A. Chishtie and J. J. Clague, “Risky ground: Seismic hazards and transectional networks in the Pacific northwest,” Prog. Disaster Sci., vol. 28, p. 100483, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.pdisas.2025.100483.
    4. B. Gutenberg and C. F. Richter, “Frequency of earthquakes in California,” Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 185–188, Oct. 1944, doi: 10.1785/BSSA0340040185.
    5. W. Pei, S. Zhou, J. Zhuang, Z. Xiong, and J. Piao, “Application and discussion of statistical seismology in probabilistic seismic hazard assessment studies,” Sci. China Earth Sci., vol. 65, no. 2, pp. 257–268, 2022, doi: 10.1007/s11430-021-9824-0.
    6. W. Shan, Z. Wang, Y. Teng, and M. Wang, “Temporal and spatial evolution analysis of earthquake events in california and nevada based on spatial statistics,” ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Information, vol. 10, no. 7, p. 465, 2021, doi: 10.3390/ijgi10070465.
    7. S. M. Ali and K. Abdelrahman, “Earthquake occurrences of the major tectonic terranes for the Arabian shield and their seismic hazard implications,” Front. Earth Sci., vol. 10, no. March, pp. 1–19, 2022, doi: 10.3389/feart.2022.851737.
    8. M. Herrmann, E. Piegari, and W. Marzocchi, “Revealing the spatiotemporal complexity of the magnitude distribution and b-value during an earthquake sequence,” Nat. Commun., vol. 13, no. 1, p. 5087, 2022, doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-32755-6.
    9. H. İ. Solak and C. Gezgin, “Seismic hazard evaluation and strain dynamics in the Simav fault zone: A comprehensive analysis of earthquake recurrence and energy release patterns,” Appl. Sci., vol. 15, no. 6, p. 3039, 2025, doi: 10.3390/app15063039.
    10. Y.-A. Lin, L. Colli, J. Wu, and B. S. A. Schuberth, “Where are the proto-South China sea slabs? SE Asian plate tectonics and mantle flow history from global mantle convection modeling,” J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, vol. 125, no. 12, p. e2020JB019758, Dec. 2020, doi: 10.1029/2020JB019758.
    11. F. Muttaqy, A. D. Nugraha, J. Mori, N. T. Puspito, P. Supendi, and S. Rohadi, “Seismic imaging of lithospheric structure beneath Central-East Java Region, Indonesia: Relation to recent earthquakes,” Front. Earth Sci., vol. 10, no. January, pp. 1–15, 2022, doi: 10.3389/feart.2022.756806.
    12. Badan Meteorologi, Klimatologi, dan Geofisika (BMKG) “Gempa bumi dirasakan [Earthquake Felt],” Official BMKG earthquake information page. [Online]. Available: https://www.bmkg.go.id/gempabumi/gempabumi-dirasakan
    13. S. Widiyantoro et al., “Implications for megathrust earthquakes and tsunamis from seismic gaps south of Java Indonesia,” Sci. Rep., vol. 10, no. 1, p. 15274, 2020, doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-72142-z.
    14. S. Pasari, A. V. H. Simanjuntak, A. Mehta, Neha, and Y. Sharma, “The current state of earthquake potential on Java island, Indonesia,” Pure Appl. Geophys., vol. 178, no. 8, pp. 2789–2806, 2021, doi: 10.1007/s00024-021-02781-4.
    15. S. J. Hutchings and W. D. Mooney, “The seismicity of Indonesia and tectonic implications,” Geochemistry, Geophys. Geosystems, vol. 22, no. 9, p. e2021GC009812, Sep. 2021, doi: 10.1029/2021GC009812.
    16. D. Schorlemmer, S. Wiemer, and M. Wyss, “Variations in earthquake-size distribution across different stress regimes,” Nature, vol. 437, no. 7058, pp. 539–542, 2005, doi: 10.1038/nature04094.
    17. A. Kato and Y. Ben-Zion, “The generation of large earthquakes,” Nat. Rev. Earth Environ., vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 26–39, 2021, doi: 10.1038/s43017-020-00108-w.
    18. J. R. Elliott, “Earth observation for the assessment of earthquake hazard, risk and disaster management,” Surv. Geophys., vol. 41, no. 6, pp. 1323–1354, 2020, doi: 10.1007/s10712-020-09606-4.
    19. D. K. Bora, K. Borah, A. P. Singh, and O. P. Mishra, “Distribution of b-values in Indo-Burma Ranges, northeast India: Implications to structural heterogeneities and style of faulting,” Geol. J., vol. 57, no. 12, pp. 5284–5293, Dec. 2022, doi: 10.1002/gj.4294.
    20. F. Zhang, R. Wang, Y. Chen, and Y. Chen, “Spatiotemporal variations in earthquake triggering mechanisms during multistage hydraulic fracturing in Western Canada,” J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, vol. 127, no. 8, p. e2022JB024744, Aug. 2022, doi: 10.1029/2022JB024744.
    21. M. Sharon, I. Kurzon, N. Wetzler, A. Sagy, S. Marco, and Z. Ben-Avraham, “Variations of the seismic b-value along the Dead Sea transform,” Front. Earth Sci., vol. 10, no. December, pp. 1–19, 2022, doi: 10.3389/feart.2022.1074729.
    22. P. Nuannin, O. Kulhanek, and L. Persson, “Spatial and temporal b value anomalies preceding the devastating off coast of NW Sumatra earthquake of December 26, 2004,” Geophys. Res. Lett., vol. 32, no. 11, Jun. 2005, doi: 10.1029/2005GL022679.
    23. A. J. Hotovec-Ellis et al., “Earthquake-derived seismic velocity changes during the 2018 caldera collapse of kīlauea volcano,” J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, vol. 127, no. 2, p. e2021JB023324, Feb. 2022, doi: 10.1029/2021JB023324.
    24. M. Picozzi, D. Spallarossa, D. Bindi, A. G. Iaccarino, and E. Rivalta, “Detection ofspatial and temporal stress changes during the 2016 central Italy seismic sequence by monitoring the evolution of the energy index,” J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, vol. 127, no. 11, p. e2022JB025100, Nov. 2022, doi: 10.1029/2022JB025100.
    25. V. Kossobokov, “Unified scaling law for earthquakes that generalizes the fundamental gutenberg-richter relationship bt - encyclopedia of solid earth geophysics,” H. K. Gupta, Ed., Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2020, pp. 1–4. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-10475-7_257-1.
    26. D. Iwata and K. Z. Nanjo, “Adaptive estimation of the Gutenberg–Richter b value using a state space model and particle filtering,” Sci. Rep., vol. 14, no. 1, p. 4630, 2024, doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-54576-x.
    27. G.-M. Geffers, I. G. Main, and M. Naylor, “Accuracy and precision of frequency–size distribution scaling parameters as a function of dynamic range of observations: example of the Gutenberg–Richter law b-value for earthquakes,” Geophys. J. Int., vol. 232, no. 3, pp. 2080–2086, Mar. 2023, doi: 10.1093/gji/ggac436.
    28. S. Matsumoto, Y. Iio, S. Sakai, and A. Kato, “Strength dependency of frequency–magnitude distribution in earthquakes and implications for stress state criticality,” Nat. Commun., vol. 15, no. 1, p. 4957, 2024, doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-49422-7.
    29. D. Zaccagnino, L. Telesca, and C. Doglioni, “Scaling properties of seismicity and faulting,” Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., vol. 584, p. 117511, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117511.
    30. G.-M. Geffers, I. G. Main, and M. Naylor, “Biases in estimating b-values from small earthquake catalogues: how high are high b-values?,” Geophys. J. Int., vol. 229, no. 3, pp. 1840–1855, Jun. 2022, doi: 10.1093/gji/ggac028.
    31. A. Letamo, K. B, and T. TP, “Seismicity pattern of African regions from 1964–2022: b-value and energy mapping approach,” Geomatics, Nat. Hazards Risk, vol. 14, no. 1, p. 2197104, Dec. 2023, doi: 10.1080/19475705.2023.2197104.
    32. R. K. Tiwari and H. Paudyal, “Analysis of the b, p values, and the fractal dimension of aftershocks sequences following two major earthquakes in central Himalaya,” Heliyon, vol. 10, no. 2, Jan. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24476.
    33. S. Rohadi, “Studi seismotektonik sebagai indikator potensi gempabumi di wilayah Indonesia [Seismotectonic study as an indicator of earthquake potential in the Indonesian region],” J. Meteorol. dan Geofis., vol. 10, no. 2 SE-Article, Jul. 2015, doi: 10.31172/jmg.v10i2.40.
    34. K. Ciptani and S. Dewi, “Analysis of subsurface faults using 3D gravity method based on satellite image data : Insights into Indo-Australian and Eurasian plate subduction in the formation of an accretionary prism,” Int. J. Hydrol. Environ. Sustain., vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 135–148, 2025, doi: 10.58524/ijhes.v4i3.960.
    35. B. Kundu and V. K. Gahalaut, “Slab detachment of subducted Indo-Australian plate beneath Sunda arc, Indonesia,” J. Earth Syst. Sci., vol. 120, no. 2, pp. 193–204, 2011, doi: 10.1007/s12040-011-0056-7.
    36. Masyhur Irsyam et al., “Development of the 2017 national seismic hazard maps of Indonesia,” Earthq. Spectra, vol. 36, no. 1_suppl, pp. 112–136, Oct. 2020, doi: 10.1177/8755293020951206.
    37. M. Irsyam, S. Widiyantoro, and J. S. Kadarman, “Development of national deaggregation maps for earthquake source types , return periods , and structural vibration periods : A framework for ground motion selection and modification,” in Proceedings ofthe 21st ICSMGE, Vienna, Austria, ÖGG, Austrian Society for Geomechanics, Salzburg, Austria, 2026, pp. 2505–2508. doi: 10.53243/ICSMGE2026-2214.
    38. R. Das, H. R. Wason, and M. L. Sharma, “Global regression relations for conversion of surface wave and body wave magnitudes to moment magnitude,” Nat. Hazards, vol. 59, no. 2, pp. 801–810, 2011, doi: 10.1007/s11069-011-9796-6.
    39. G. A. Weatherill, M. Pagani, and J. Garcia, “Exploring earthquake databases for the creation of magnitude-homogeneous catalogues: tools for application on a regional and global scale,” Geophys. J. Int., vol. 206, no. 3, pp. 1652–1676, Sep. 2016, doi: 10.1093/gji/ggw232.
    40. D. Di Giacomo, I. Bondár, D. A. Storchak, E. R. Engdahl, P. Bormann, and J. Harris, “ISC-GEM: Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2009), III. Re-computed MS and mb, proxy MW, final magnitude composition and completeness assessment,” Phys. Earth Planet. Inter., vol. 239, pp. 33–47, 2015, doi: 10.1016/j.pepi.2014.06.005.
    41. H. R. Wason, R. Das, and M. L. Sharma, “Magnitude conversion problem using general orthogonal regression,” Geophys. J. Int., vol. 190, no. 2, pp. 1091–1096, Aug. 2012, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-246X.2012.05520.x.
    42. R. Das, H. R. Wason, and M. L. Sharma, “Magnitude conversion to unified moment magnitude using orthogonal regression relation,” J. Asian Earth Sci., vol. 50, pp. 44–51, 2012, doi: 10.1016/j.jseaes.2012.01.014.
    43. A. Das, T. Das, C. H. Chaudhuri, and D. Choudhury, “Integrated study on buried pipelines, co-seismic landslides, and magnitude conversion for 2023 Türkiye earthquake,” Eng. Geol., vol. 337, p. 107599, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.enggeo.2024.107599.
    44. A. Kijko and A. Smit, “Estimation of the frequency–Magnitude Gutenberg–Richter b‐Value without making assumptions on levels of completeness,” Seismol. Res. Lett., vol. 88, no. 2A, pp. 311–318, Jan. 2017, doi: 10.1785/0220160177.
    45. G. A. Popandopoulos, I. Baskoutas, and E. Chatziioannou, “The spatiotemporal analysis of the minimum magnitude of completeness Mc and the Gutenberg–Richter law b-value parameter using the earthquake catalog of Greece,” Izv. Phys. Solid Earth, vol. 52, no. 2, pp. 195–209, 2016, doi: 10.1134/S1069351316010079.
    46. K. Hutton, J. Woessner, and E. Hauksson, “Earthquake monitoring in Southern California for seventy-seven years (1932–2008),” Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., vol. 100, no. 2, pp. 423–446, Apr. 2010, doi: 10.1785/0120090130.
    47. K. Z. Nanjo, T. Ishibe, H. Tsuruoka, D. Schorlemmer, Y. Ishigaki, and N. Hirata, “Analysis of the completeness magnitude and seismic network coverage of japan,” Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., vol. 100, no. 6, pp. 3261–3268, Dec. 2010, doi: 10.1785/0120100077.
    48. H.-D. Wu, C. He, W. C.-W. Chu, and M.-S. Wong, “Estimation of plane of maximum curvature for the patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis via a purpose-design computational method,” Eur. Spine J., vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 668–675, 2021, doi: 10.1007/s00586-020-06557-7.
    49. J. Wang, Y. Zuo, L. Dong, and X. Yan, “Spatiotemporal clustering of microseismic signals in mining areas: A case study of the Baoji lead‑zinc mine in Shaanxi, China,” Eng. Geol., vol. 352, p. 108057, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108057.
    50. H. Zhang et al., “The implications of regional microseismic activities: A lesson from 2008 Ms. 8.0 Wenchuan earthquake,” Phys. Earth Planet. Inter., vol. 261, pp. 107–117, 2016, doi: 10.1016/j.pepi.2016.06.006.
    51. F. Hisyam, A. Susilo, M. Anshori, and M. F. R. Hasan, “Spatio-temporal variation seismicity pattern in East Java between 2002 and 2022 based on the b-value and seismic quiescence z-value,” Trends Sci., vol. 21, no. 4, 2024, doi: 10.48048/tis.2024.7608.
    52. C.-H. Chan, J.-C. Kao, and D.-Y. Chen, “Spatial–temporal variations of b-values prior to medium-to-large earthquakes in Taiwan and the feasibility of real-time precursor monitoring,” Earth, Planets Sp., vol. 76, no. 1, p. 119, 2024, doi: 10.1186/s40623-024-02065-w.
    53. W. Gong, H. Chen, Y. Gao, Q. Li, and Y. Sun, “A test on methods for Mc estimation and spatial-temporal distribution of b-value in the eastern Tibetan Plateau,” Front. Earth Sci., vol. 12, no. February, pp. 1–16, 2024, doi: 10.3389/feart.2024.1335938.