Abstract:
The most common mechanism for an earthquake is a rupture front propagating along a fault, which breaks the solid contacts formed between the two fault faces. Ruptures are often arrested before spanning the entire length of the fault. The determination of the mechanisms responsible for rupture arrest is of particular interest for understanding an earthquake’s magnitude selection. We mimic a fault in the lab by pressing and shearing two solid blocks until sliding motion initiates. Propagating ruptures have been shown to be true shear cracks, driven by singular fields at their tip. Performing high temporal resolution measurements of the real contact area and strain fields, we demonstrate that an arrest criterion derived from fracture mechanics theory is valid to determine if and where a rupture will arrest along frictional interfaces with heterogeneous fracture properties and complex stress distributions at a macroscopic scale.
You will find the complete schedule for Njord Seminar Series spring '21 here.
To get news, invitations to seminars and more from Njord, please go here to subscribe to our newsletter.