SCEC Award Number 11072 View PDF
Proposal Category Individual Proposal (Integration and Theory)
Proposal Title Properties and implications of off-fault yielding during dynamic earthquake ruptures
Investigator(s)
Name Organization
Yehuda Ben-Zion University of Southern California
Other Participants PhD student: Shiqing Xu;
Collaborators: Vladimir Lyakhovsky (Geol Surv. Israel) and Jean-Paul Ampuero (Caltech)
SCEC Priorities A7, A9, B2 SCEC Groups FARM, GMP, CDM
Report Due Date 02/29/2012 Date Report Submitted N/A
Project Abstract
 Studies under this project focused on clarifying properties of off-fault damage for different fault and bulk rheologies. Toward this goal we performed a detailed parameter-space study of properties of generated off-fault damage (e.g., locations, extent, intensity, symmetry properties, microcrack orientations, decay with distance) for various conditions (e.g., different fault friction and bulk rheology parameters, different orientations of the maximum regional compressive stress relative, different values of seismic S ratio and conditions representing various depth sections, possible existence of velocity contrast across the fault). The study supported a PhD student and led to two submitted papers.
Intellectual Merit The results provide improved criteria for interpreting various features of yielding zones around large strike-slip faults in terms of properties and conditions of earthquake ruptures on the faults.
Broader Impacts The results contribute to the development of bridges between mechanics and geological deformation
Exemplary Figure none