The Mechanics of Creep, Slow Slip Events, and Earthquakes in Mixed Brittle‐Ductile Fault Zones

Geological observations show that fault zone composition varies and often accommodates a mixture of brittle and ductile deformation. There is growing evidence that the nature of this mixture may play an important role in determining whether the fault creeps steadily or slides in slow slip events (SS...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of geophysical research. Solid earth 2021-02, Vol.126 (2), p.n/a
Main Authors: Lavier, Luc L., Tong, Xinyue, Biemiller, James
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Brittle materials
Brittleness
Composition
creep
Creep (materials)
Deformation
Ductile-brittle transition
Earthquakes
Elastoplasticity
Fault lines
Fault zones
Geological faults
Geophysics
Mechanics
mixed brittle‐ductile
Numerical experiments
Plastic deformation
Seismic activity
Slip velocity
slow slip events
Solifluction
Strengthening
Velocity
Viscoelasticity
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Summary:Geological observations show that fault zone composition varies and often accommodates a mixture of brittle and ductile deformation. There is growing evidence that the nature of this mixture may play an important role in determining whether the fault creeps steadily or slides in slow slip events (SSEs) and/or fast earthquakes. Using numerical experiments of slip events in a fault zone of finite thickness, we explore how the ratio of brittle to ductile material and the absolute friction change resulting from a variation in slip velocity, |b−a|, affect energy partitioning and slip behavior in brittle‐ductile mixtures. We treat brittle material as Mohr‐Coulomb elastoplastic and ductile material as Maxwell viscoelastic. We simulate velocity‐weakening (a−b
ISSN:2169-9313
2169-9356
DOI:10.1029/2020JB020325