Abstract
The nucleation process of stick-slip instability was analyzed based on the experimental measurements of strain and fault slip on homogeneous and non-homogeneous faults. The results show that the nucleation process of stick-slip on the homogeneous fault is of weak slip-weakening behavior under constant loading point velocity. The existence of a short “weak segment” on the fault makes slip-weakening phenomenon in nucleation process more obvious, while the existence of a long “weak segment” on the fault makes the nucleation process changed. The nucleation is characterized by accelerating slip in a local region and rapid increase of shear stress along the fault in this case, which is more coincident with the rate and state friction law. During the period when fault is locked, increasing of shear stress causes lateral elastic dilation near the fault, and the rebound of the dilation at the time of instability causes an instantaneous increase of normal stress in the fault plane, which is an important factor making fault be rapidly locked and its strength recovered.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ohnaka, M., Kuwahara, Y., Yamamoto, K. et al., Dynamic breakdown processes and the generating mechanism for high-frequency elastic radiation during stick-slip instabilities, Geophys. Monogr., 1986, 6: 13–24.
Ohnaka, M., Earthquake source nucleation: A physical model for short-term precursors, Tectonophysics, 1992, 211: 149–178.
Palmer, A. C., Rice, J. R., The growth of slip surfaces in the progressive failure of overconsolidated clay, Pro. Roy. Soc. Lond., 1976, A332: 527–548.
Rice, J. R., The mechanics of earthquake rupture, Physics of the Earth’s Interior, Bologna: Italian Physical Society, 1980, 555.
Matsu’ura, M., Kataoka, H., Shibazaki, B., Slip-dependent friction law and nucleation processes in earthquake rupture, Tectonophysics, 1992, 211: 135–148.
Okubo, P. G., Dieterich, J. H., State variable fault constitutive relations for dynamic slip, Geophys. Monogr., 1986, 6: 25–35.
Diterich, J. H., Time-dependent friction of rocks, J. Geophys. Res., 1972, 77: 3690–3697.
Ruina, A. L., Slip instability and state-variable friction laws, J. Geophys. Res., 1983, 88: 10359–10370.
Dieterich, J. H., A model for the nucleation of earthquake slip, Geophys. Monogr., 1986, 6: 37–47.
Dieterich, J. H., Earthquake nucleation on faults with rate- and state-dependent strength, Tectonophysics, 1992, 211: 115–134.
Kato, N., Yamamoto, K., Yamamoto, H. et al., Strain-rate effect on factional strength and the slip nucleation process, Tectonophysics, 1992, 211: 269–282.
Kato, N., Hirasawa, T., Effects of strain rate and strength non-uniformity on the slip nucleation process: A numerical experiment, Tectonophysics, 1996, 265: 299–311.
He, C., Numerical simulation of earthquake nucleation process and seismic precursors on faults, Earthquake Research in China, 2000, 14(3): 199–212.
Ma, J., Ma S., Liu, L. et al., Geometrical textures of faults, evolution of physical field and instability characteristics, Acta Seismological Sinica, 1996, 9(2): 261–291.
Ma, S., He, C., Period doubling as a result of slip complexities in sliding surfaces with strength heterogeneity, Tectonophysics, 2001, 337: 135–145.
Ma, S., Ma, J., Liu, L., Experimental evidence for seismic nucleation phase, Chinese Science Bulletin, 2002, 47(9): 769–774.
Wu, Z. L., Implications of a percolation model for earthquake ‘nucleation’, Geophys. J. Int., 1998, 133: 104–110.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ma, S., Liu, L., Ma, J. et al. Experimental study on nucleation process of stick-slip instability on homogeneous and non-homogeneous faults. Sci. China Ser. D-Earth Sci. 46 (Suppl 2), 56–66 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1360/03dz0005
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1360/03dz0005