Rock Friction Constitutive Experiments as Related to Theory of Earthquake Instability

该奖项继续对岩石摩擦本构行为及其对理解地震不稳定性的影响进行实验和理论研究。目前，关于微观尺度过程的基本认识很少，微观尺度过程负责观察到的本构行为。状态变量的物理意义是未知的。因此，不能有把握地将实验室结果外推到与地震有关的时间和长度尺度上。本研究将侧重于发现负责观察行为的基本微观尺度过程，并利用这些信息制定具有良好物理基础的本构描述。该方法是应用分子间力和表面力以及亚临界裂纹扩展领域的最新进展来理解摩擦阻力。

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.