Study of fault slip modes

Abstract

We present the data of the laboratory experiments on studying the regularities of gradual transition from the stick-slip behavior to aseismic creeping on the interblock boundary. The experiments show that small variations in the material composition in the principal slip zones of the faults may cause a significant change in the fraction of seismic energy radiated during the dynamic unloading of the adjacent segment of the rock mass. The experiments simulate interblock sliding regimes with the values of the scaled kinetic energy differing by a few orders of magnitude and relatively small distinctions in the strength of the contacts and in the amplitude of the released shear stresses. The results of the experiments show that the slip mode and the fraction of the deformation energy that goes into the seismic radiation are determined by the ratio of two parameters—the stiffness of the fault and the stiffness of the enclosing rock mass. An important implication of the study for solving the engineering tasks is that for bringing a stressed segment of a fault or a crack into a slip mode with low-intensity radiation of seismic energy, the anthropogenic impact should be aimed at diminishing the stiffness of the fault zone rather than at releasing the excessive stresses.