Theory of largest values applied to earthquake magnitudes

Abstract

The theory of largest values [see 1, 2, of "References" at end of paper] requiring data on only the largest event in each of a number of equal time-intervals, recommended itself to the author as a possible way of describing the earthquake activity of a region. A preliminary analysis using the calendar month as the interval having demonstrated the applicability of the theory in this field, the author has investigated the feasibility of using still shorter Intervals [3]. In the present paper the interval used is one-third of a month—the first day through the tenth, the eleventh through the twentieth, and the twenty-first to the end of the month. This interval therefore corresponds to that of one year used in flood-analyses. A compensating change has been made in the return-period scale (Fig. 2). Incomplete results of further analysis indicate that it is feasible to use a time-interval as short as five days.

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