Abstract. Since the formulation of Reid’s elastic rebound theory 100 years ago laboratory mechanical models combining frictional and elastic elements have joined the forefront of the research on the dynamics of earthquakes. In the last decade, with the advent of high resolution monitoring techniques and new rock analogue materials, laboratory earthquake experiments kept developing from simple spring-slider models to more sophisticated scaled analogue models. This evolution was accomplished by advances in seismology and geodesy which, along with a culmination of large earthquakes, have significantly increased the quality and quantity of relevant observations in nature. We here review the cornerstones of analogue earthquake model developments with a focus on scale models which are directly comparable to observational data on short to long timescales. We revisit the basics of analogue modelling, namely scaling, materials and monitoring, as applied in earthquake modelling. An overview of applications highlights the contributions of analogue earthquake models in bridging timescales of observations including earthquake statistics, rupture dynamics, ground motion and seismic cycle deformation up to seismotectonic evolution. We finally discuss limits, challenges and links to numerical models.
Brittle Fracture Theory Describes the Onset of Frictional Motion