Publication Date:
2016-07-12
Description:
A barrier may induce a supershear rupture transition in some cases, whereas, it may prevent the further propagation of a supershear rupture in other cases. We investigate the effects of a barrier on the supershear rupture propagation on a planar fault in a 3-D half space. Our results show that the effect of a barrier on supershear is strongly dependent on its size, strength and location. For larger sizes, shallower buried depths and relatively higher strengths, the barrier tends to prevent supershear propagation more strongly. When the barrier is located on the free surface and near the critical distance, it prevents the further propagation of supershear rupture. If a barrier is located far from the critical distance, the first supershear daughter crack is slowed down and a new supershear daughter crack is generated after the rupture front pass through the barrier. This mechanism greatly lengthens the supershear transition distance.
Print ISSN:
0094-8276
Electronic ISSN:
1944-8007
Topics:
Geosciences
,
Physics
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