Investigating the interaction between rough surfaces by using the Fisher-Shannon method: Implications on interaction between tectonic plates

We investigated the properties of the interaction between surfaces with asperities by the analysis of voltage time series recorded by an experimental stick-slip model. We found that: (1) the standard deviation of the voltage time series decreases with the number of consecutive runs, reflecting the decrease of the displacements' variation due to the decrease of friction between the two interacting surfaces; (2) the Shannon entropy (the Fisher Information Measure) of the voltage time series decreases (increases) with the number of consecutive runs, suggesting a decrease of the randomness of the system; (3) this experimental model mimics the aging effect that characterizes the interaction between tectonic faults.