Hierarchical clustering analysis of earthquake clusters around the Kazerun and Kare-Bas fault systems, southern Iran

In this study, earthquake clusters around the Kazerun and Kare-Bas fault systems were identified and then, thesimilarities among these clusters and the hierarchical classification pattern of them, were analyzed by hierarchicalclustering technique. For this purpose, ۸ quantitative variables were computed for each cluster, and the Euclideandistance measure and the Ward’s method were used for hierarchical clustering analysis of the earthquake clusters.Based on this analysis, the identified clusters have been classified hierarchically at different levels of similarities.The results obtained indicate that the characteristics of earthquake clusters in this region significantly vary bothspatially and temporally. The results also demonstrate that the cluster analysis technique is a reliable and helpfulmethod for comparing earthquake clusters and discovering their space-time relationships.

کلیدواژه ها:

EARTHQUAKE CLUSTERS ، HIERARCHICAL CLUSTERING ، NUMERICAL CLASSIFICATION ، SEISMICITY