Quantification of the b-values
Based on the plot you generated in the previous exercise, you can safely use a completeness threshold of mt = 3. Using this threshold, compute b-values for the period between 1980 and 2009 and for 2010 through mid-2017. The function b_value() you wrote last chapter, which computes the b-value and confidence interval from a set of magnitudes and completeness threshold, is available in your namespace, as are the numpy arrays mags_pre and mags_post from the last exercise, and mt.
This exercise is part of the course
Case Studies in Statistical Thinking
Exercise instructions
- Compute the b-value and 95% confidence interval for earthquakes from 1980 through 2009 using 10,000 bootstrap replicates.
- Compute the b-value and 95% confidence interval for earthquakes from 2010 through mid-2017 using 10,000 bootstrap replicates.
- Hit 'Submit Answer' to print the results to the screen.
Hands-on interactive exercise
Have a go at this exercise by completing this sample code.
# Compute b-value and confidence interval for pre-2010
b_pre, conf_int_pre = ____(____, ____, ____=[____, ____], ____=____)
# Compute b-value and confidence interval for post-2010
b_post, conf_int_post = ____
# Report the results
print("""
1980 through 2009
b-value: {0:.2f}
95% conf int: [{1:.2f}, {2:.2f}]
2010 through mid-2017
b-value: {3:.2f}
95% conf int: [{4:.2f}, {5:.2f}]
""".format(b_pre, *conf_int_pre, b_post, *conf_int_post))