Interrelation between fault zone structures and earthquake processes

In order to develop capabilities for predicting earthquake processes on the basis of known fault zone structures and stress conditions, we need to find relations between seismogenic structures and processes. In the present paper we search for the scale dependence in Various earthquake phenomena with the hope to find some structures in the earth that may control the earthquake processes. Among these phenomena, we shall focus on (1) geologic structures which play some role in nucleation and stopping of earthquake fault rupture, (2) depth ranges of the brittle seismogenic zone, (3) asperities and barriers distributed over a fault plane, (4) source-controlled f(max) effect, (5) nonfractal behavior of creep events, and (6) temporal correlation between coda Q(-1) and seismicity of earthquakes with magnitude characteristic to a given area. Our review of various scale-dependent phenomena leads us to propose a working hypothesis that the temporal change in coda Q(-1) may reflect the activity of creep fractures near the brittle-ductile transition zone.