Dynamic Ruptures in Fault Zones with Material Contrasts and Geometrical and Rheological Heterogeneities

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9903049Ben-ZionThis project is to study dynamic ruptures in fault zone structures containing material interfaces, geometrical discontinuities, and rheological heterogeneities. The studies will combine and extend previous 2D computational models and develop a basic 3D framework for related calculations. As shown in the previous work, the incorporation of a material interface in calculations of dynamic rupture leads to a host of new phenomena that do not exist in a laterally homogeneous solid: dynamic rupture along a material interface can thus potentially provide an explanation for a number of important geophysical problems including the heat flow paradox, short rise time of earthquake slip, and trapping of rupture in existing fault zones. The additional incorporation in this study of a gouge layer, fault offsets, more realistic rheology, and increased dimensionality may modify some of the previous results. This project will examine quantitatively these differences and their consequences for the earthquake failure process and associated seismic radiation.