Development of an Instrument to Allow Rotary-Shear Friction Experiments at High-Pressure and Seismic Slip Rates

这个项目将开发一种新的仪器，能够测量岩石的摩擦特性，同时承受高围压和地震中典型断层的滑动速度。目前世界上还没有这样的机器。与任何新仪器和程序的开发一样，如果项目成功，将会给广泛的利益相关方带来可观的利益。参与该项目的个人，包括一名早期职业科学家，将从克服项目提出的挑战所代表的专业成长中受益。新的实验能力使人们对震源的物理学认识的增加成为可能，这将使许多地震科学家受益，并使他们更好地了解地震波的产生，包括那些产生强烈破坏性地面运动的地震波。实验岩石变形已经对我们对地震物理的理解做出了重要贡献，但仍然存在一些关键问题，只能通过实验室实验来解决。虽然还有其他方法可以让这些实验与理解地震相关，但这个项目的重点是摩擦，因为摩擦在理解地震的发生和震源处发生的事情方面起着重要作用。获得这种理解不仅具有内在的科学兴趣，而且在理解地震发生的时间和原因以及震源对破坏性强地面运动的贡献方面，许多最大的不确定性都是由于我们对断层摩擦的有限理解。

This project will develop a new instrument that will be able to measure the frictional properties of rock that is simultaneously subjected to high confining pressure and slipping at rates typical of faults during earthquakes. No machine like this currently exists anywhere in the world. As with any development of new instrumentation and procedures, there is considerable benefit to a wide range of interested parties if the project is a success. The individuals participating in the project, including an early career scientist, will benefit from the professional growth represented by overcoming the challenges the project presents.The increase in understanding of the physics of the earthquake source made possible by the new experimental capability will benefit many earthquake scientists and lead to a better understanding of the generation of seismic waves, including those producing strong damaging ground motions. Experimental rock deformation has already made important contributions to our understanding of earthquake physics, but critical questions remain that can only be addressed by laboratory experiments. Although there are other ways in which such experiments are relevant to understanding earthquakes, this project focuses on friction, since friction plays such an important role in understanding the occurrence of earthquakes and what takes place at the earthquake source. Gaining this understanding is not only of intrinsic scientific interest, much of the greatest uncertainty in understanding when and why earthquakes occur and the contributions of the earthquake source to damaging strong ground motions is due to our limited understanding of friction on faults.