Fracture Mechanics and Tectonics of Magma Transport Through the Lithosphere

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9219824 Rubin Field observations indicate that zones of inelastic deformation produced at the tips of propagating dikes can be much larger than those produced at crack tips in laboratory rock fracture experiments. This is in direct conflict with the concept that "fracture toughness" is a rock property, independent of scale and loading configuration. Even at shallow depths, rock fracture in the Earth takes place at sufficiently high confining pressure that standard concepts of engineering fracture mechanics do not apply. These results have been applied primarily to interpreting outcrop-scale observations of inelastic deformation produced by dikes and their geologic implications. This work will extend this analysis and approach to larger scales of deformation, and in particular to the interpretation of earthquakes associated with magma transport in volcanic regions. ***