Spontaneous Rupture Sequences on Non-Planar Elastodynamic Faults: The Interaction of Geometrical Heterogeneities and Stress Heterogeneities and the Observable Consequences

Columbia University, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

Shaw EAR-0229834 Geometrical and material heterogeneities in faults have long been viewed as a crucial feature affecting earthquake behavior. More recently, the role of stress heterogeneities has begun to be recognized as a potentially central feature, particularly with the demonstration that stress heterogeneities alone already can produce a remarkably rich and complex set of earthquake-like behaviors on uniform planar faults. What is missing is an understanding of how the two types of heterogeneities, the static geometrical and material heterogeneities, and the dynamic stress heterogeneities, might combine and interact to produce even more realistic behavior. Building from earlier work in which we successfully integrated physical models of complex fault systems with the elastodynmics of repeating events, we are working to continue this line of research of the interaction of geometrical and dynamical heterogeneities. We are working to both further develop the theory, by further developing the modeling capability to extend from the scalar to the tensor case, and to further develop our ability to test the theory, by exploring the observable consequences.