Hybrid CatBoost and SVR Model for Earthquake Prediction Using the LANL Earthquake Dataset

Earthquakes have the potential to cause catastrophic structural and economic damage. This research explores the application of machine learning for earthquake prediction using LANL (Los Alamos National Laboratory) dataset. The data, obtained from a laboratory stick-slip friction experiment, simulate real earthquakes through digitized acoustic signals recorded against the time to failure of a granular layer. We introduced a hybrid model combining CatBoost and Support Vector Regression (SVR) to predict the time of the next earthquake, evaluating its performance against individual CatBoost and SVR models. The hybrid model demonstrated superior accuracy with a Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 0.0825, outperforming the individual models. We implemented feature engineering to optimize the predictive capability of the models. Additionally, we compared our hybrid model's performance with previous studies to validate its efficacy. Our findings underscore the potential of machine learning, particularly hybrid models, in enhancing earthquake prediction accuracy. This study highlights the robustness and effectiveness of the hybrid CatBoost-SVR model, paving the way for advanced AI algorithms in seismology and contributing to improved disaster preparedness and mitigation strategies.