A Simple Experimental Method to Simulate the Fracture and Faults in Earthquakes

Abstract:

In the present work we present the results of a simple laboratory experiment which fulfils the mechanical conditions of formation of fracture and faults in earthquakes and also helps us understand the relation between inter- and intraplate earthquakes. Although many experimental investigations have been undertaken in an attempt to understand this relationship, they were not successful due to the difficulty in duplicating the conditions causing earthquakes using experimental methods. We discovered that the stress field around a subsurface crack growing under rolling contact fatigue fulfils the mechanical conditions of a plate subduction boundary, and also that subsurface crack branching is similar to the fracture of earthquake faults.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volumes 150-151)
• Pages: 1444-1447
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.150-151.1444
• Online since: October 2010
• Authors: Katsuyuki Kida
• Keywords: Compressive Stress Field, Fault, Interplate Earthquake, Mode II Crack Growth

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