In the present proposal we develop a parallel between seismic faulting and plastic events in soft-glassy materials below yield stress. We will employ a novel approach to study the dynamics of earthquakes based on an innovative continuum model displaying slip-stick dynamics. We will first compare our model against existing statistical models of earthquake frequency by changing model parameters. Second, we aim at establishing a quantitative statistical link between seismic surface measurements and micro-scale faulting events, as influenced by extraction events. Our project will allow a better understanding of the physics of soft-glassy material below yield and hopefully it will help shedding new light on the causal link between fluid extraction and seismicity.