From Hypothesis to Reality: Scale-Dependent Universality Classes in Earth's Seismotectonic Rhythms

A complete random-matrix-theory (RMT) investigation of earthquake timing, structured as a scientific arc: hypothesis, empirical test, and resolution. Part I (hypothesis): forward modeling with synthetic catalogs predicts a GOE-to-Poisson repulsion gradient across tectonic regimes. Part II (empirical test): real USGS/ANSS seismicity (1970-2024) from eight global fault zones rejects this at the mainshock scale — declustered mainshocks collapse onto Poisson. Part III (resolution): the memory lives in Omori clustering, and the Omori p-exponent (which does not collapse and tracks fluid involvement) is the true physical invariant. Earth's seismotectonic rhythms occupy three universality classes at three temporal scales: Omori clustering (hours-days), Poisson noise (years-decades), and GOE repulsion at geological-epoch scales (companion study). Part I uses synthetic data for hypothesis generation and pipeline validation only; Parts II-III use real public-domain USGS catalogs.