Rock Friction Constitutive Experiments as Related to Theory of Earthquake Instability

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This award continues experimental and theoretical study of the constitutive behavior of rock friction and its implications for understanding earthquake instabilities. At present little fundamental understanding exists concerning the micro-scale processes that are responsible for observed constitutive behavior. The physical meaning of the state variables is unknown. Consequently, extrapolation of laboratory results to time and length scales relevant to earthquakes cannot be done with confidence. This research will focus on discovering the fundamental micro-scale processes responsible for the observed behavior and using this information to formulate constitutive descriptions with a sound physical basis. The approach is to apply recent advances in the fields of intermolecular and surface forces and subcritical crack growth to understanding frictional resistance.