Search

The 2010 Maule earthquake was a megathrust event that occurred along the Peru–Chile Trench. The earthquake source can be modelled as a fault with two asperities with different areas and strengths. By employing a discrete fault model, where asperities are the basic elements, the event can be described as a sequence of three dynamic modes involving simultaneous asperity slip. Interaction between asperities by mutual stress transfer plays a crucial role during fault slip. With a careful choice of values for the model parameters, the mode durations, the slip distribution, the seismic moment rate and the final moment calculated from the model are found to be consistent with the observed values. An important amount of frictional heat is produced by an event of this size and is calculated by summing up the contributions of each asperity. The seismic event produces a heat pulse propagating through the Earth's crust and contributing to the average heat flow in the region. The calculated heat production is equal to about 2 × 10 17 J and the peak value of the heat pulse is equal to 6 × 10 − 3 mW m − 2 or about 10 − 4 of the average surface heat flow density, with a characteristic diffusion time in the order of 10 6 a. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For low impact docking systems (LIDS) developing for rendezvous and docking of spacecraft, the main interface docking seal (MID seal) is one of the key components, and its seal and adhesion performances are crucial for mating LIDS-adapted spacecrafts. An elastomeric seal-on-seal structure is one of the mainstream designs of the MID seal and is generally made of silicone rubbers that can adapt to complex space environments. For the MID seal of seal-on-seal structure, the adhesion performance has been confirmed to have significant effects on the separation reliability of mating spacecrafts. By analyzing the sealing and adhesive mechanisms of the MID seal that is an elastomeric seal-on-seal structure, an adhesive contact model of single rough peak is derived on the grounds of Johnson, Kendall and Roberts (JKR) theory. Utilizing the asperities model and the adhesive contact model of single rough peak, an adhesive contact model of the elastomeric seal-on-seal structure is further proposed. The experiments were performed to verify the adhesion model, and the satisfied consistencies were presented in the comparative studies of the experimental data and the calculated data. Based on the proposed mathematical model, the simulation analyses were performed to disclosure adhesive performances of the MID seal. The influence rules of some parameters on adhesive performances were presented, including material parameters, geometric parameters, and parameters of surface morphology. The research findings are proven to be favorable for the design, machining, assemblage and actual service of the MID seal, and can be also used for other elastomeric seals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modeling of rough frictional interfaces is often based on asperity models, in which the behavior of individual microjunctions is assumed. In the absence of local measurements at the microjunction scale, quantitative comparison of such models with experiments is usually based only on macroscopic quantities, like the total tangential load resisted by the interface. Recently however, a new experimental dataset was presented on the onset of sliding of rough elastomeric interfaces, which includes local measurements of the contact area of the individual microjunctions. Here, we use this more comprehensive dataset to test the possibility of quantitatively matching the measurements with a model of independent asperities, enriched with experimental information about the area of microjunctions and its evolution under shear. We show that, despite using parameter values and behavior laws constrained and inspired by experiments, our model does not quantitatively match the macroscopic measurements. We discuss the possible origins of this failure.

The Gutenberg–Richter (G–R) relationship can be derived as the Gibbs distribution. For a given earthquake set (all earthquakes in a given region, time period, magnitude range, tectonic settings) the Gibbs probability density function for magnitudes, with a given b value in its exponent, is the most uniform distribution under the constraints of the magnitude range and mean value. Therefore, it represents our limited knowledge about the system output: the only pieces of information are the mean value and the magnitude range. Honest earthquake forecasts can be based on such a distribution, since it represents all and only available information about the seismic system. The b value can change among different earthquake sets (in time, space, magnitude ranges, or tectonic settings), since it is related to earthquake rupture dynamics, or seismic source characteristics. The relationship between the b value and the exponent β in the rupture area vs. maximum slip scaling, A ∝ D β , results from viewing earthquake recurrence time in connection with the slip budget. This makes a link between earthquake statistics (the G–R law) and physics (fault characteristics). Specifically, the relationship enables us to explain different ranges of b values at megathrust faults, in dependence on interplate asperity and coupling distributions, as well as on amounts of sediments and fluids in subduction channels. The approach differs from common interpretations of the G–R law in that the b value becomes a field variable, not a constant. It is always the Gibbs distribution for a given magnitude range that we use due to our ignorance about the system outcome, and it is the b value that variates, depending on our knowledge about the system physics. This is important for seismic forecasts, which are mostly based on the G–R relationship. First, because the physical processes leading to the largest earthquakes can be revealed by observing the b value variations. Second, because earthquake generation process can be thought of as sampling with constraints, where the b value and the magnitude range are the constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asperity models for ground motion prediction is widely used in Japan. Here we expand the application of these asperity models to predict fault displacement caused by surface rupture. The proposed approach is rather simple and practical for the use in fault displacement hazard analysis in nuclear installations and other critical infrastructures, as it is the emphasis of the current topical issue. The proposed method mainly consists of two steps. The first step consists in the characterization of asperities at the seismogenic zone based on the kinematic asperity source model following Irikura's recipe (Irikura and Miyake in Pure Applied Geophysics, 168:85–104, 2011) for strong ground motion prediction. Since the kinematic model does not take into account surface rupture mechanism, this first step assumes that the fault is buried, and then by trial and error procedure the stress drop on the asperities are estimated, so that the average slip at each asperity be consistent with the ones from the kinematic model. At this stage, the dynamic model predicts strong ground motion consistent with those from the kinematic model. In the second step, the surface rupture is included by calibrating the shallow layer (SL) with stress drop, strength excess and critical slip distance, so that the final fault displacement along the fault be consistent with observations. The 2010 Mw 7.0 Darfield (New Zealand) earthquake is used to test the proposed method. Surface-rupturing was observed in several sites along the main fault reaching values of fault displacement larger than 5 m. The main fault of this earthquake is strike-slip, almost vertical. Therefore, a simplified planar fault asperity model to capture the main features of the fault displacement is assumed. The fault dimensions are assumed to have a length of 60 km and a width of 24 km with three asperities. The preferred model of the first step predicts average slip for each asperity of 2.7, 2.7, and 2 m corresponding, respectively, to stress drops of 6.0 MPa, 8.5 MPa, and 7.0 MPa. In the second step, the surface rupture is calibrated assuming a SL zone of 3 km depth. We found that negative stress drop is not necessary in the SL, because this strongly inhibits surface rupturing. Our preferred model produces fault displacement distribution closer to the observed ones, but average slip at each asperity increases to 3.4 m, 3.2 and 2.8 m. This increase in average slip is due to the contribution of surface rupturing. Ground motion differences between fault-surface rupturing and buried models are negligible, except at the very near-source. These differences are attributed to the SL rupture that mainly affect the ground motion at the very near-source. Overall, our simple asperity model captures the main features of the observed fault displacement and near-source ground motion, proving that the proposed simple and practical two step-procedure provides meaningful estimate of fault displacement and near-source ground motion consistent with observations, as such, this method has the potential to be used in practical fault displacement hazard analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The evolution of the contact area with normal load for rough surfaces has great fundamental and practical importance, ranging from earthquake dynamics to machine wear. This work bridges the gap between the atomic scale and the macroscopic scale for normal contact behavior. The real contact area, which is formed by a large ensemble of discrete contacts (clusters), is proven to be much smaller than the apparent surface area. The distribution of the discrete contact clusters and the interaction between them are key to revealing the mechanism of the contacting solids. To this end, Green’s function molecular dynamics (GFMD) is used to study both how the contact cluster evolves from the atomic scale to the macroscopic scale and the interaction between clusters. It is found that the interaction between clusters has a strong effect on their formation. The formation and distribution of the contact clusters is far more complicated than that predicted by the asperity model. Ignorance of the interaction between them leads to overestimating the contacting force. In real contact, contacting clusters are smaller and more discrete due to the interaction between the asperities. Understanding the exact nature of the contact area with the normal load is essential to the following research on friction.

A fault with two asperities with different areas and strengths is considered. The fault is treated as a dynamical system with two state variables (the slip deficits of the asperities) and four dynamic modes, for which complete analytical solutions are provided. The seismic events generated by the fault can be discriminated in terms of a variable related with the difference between the slip deficits of the asperities at the beginning of the interseismic interval preceding the event. The effect of the difference between the asperity areas on several features of the model, such as the force rates on the asperities, the slip duration and amplitude, the occurrence of events involving the simultaneous motion of the asperities and the radiation of elastic waves, is discussed. As an application, the Mw 8.0 2007 Pisco, Peru, earthquake is considered: it is modelled as a two-mode event due to the consecutive failure of two asperities, one almost twice as large as the other. The source function and final seismic moment predicted by the model are found to be in good agreement with observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of the contact area with normal load for rough surfaces has great fundamental and practical importance, ranging from earthquake dynamics to machine wear. This work bridges the gap between the atomic scale and the macroscopic scale for normal contact behavior. The real contact area, which is formed by a large ensemble of discrete contacts (clusters), is proven to be much smaller than the apparent surface area. The distribution of the discrete contact clusters and the interaction between them are key to revealing the mechanism of the contacting solids. To this end, Green's function molecular dynamics (GFMD) is used to study both how the contact cluster evolves from the atomic scale to the macroscopic scale and the interaction between clusters. It is found that the interaction between clusters has a strong effect on their formation. The formation and distribution of the contact clusters is far more complicated than that predicted by the asperity model. Ignorance of the interaction between them leads to overestimating the contacting force. In real contact, contacting clusters are smaller and more discrete due to the interaction between the asperities. Understanding the exact nature of the contact area with the normal load is essential to the following research on friction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The near-field motion of large earthquakes is generally simulated using finite fault source models (FFSMs). Most of these models use post-earthquake observation data as the constraints for the inversion model, and therefore, it is difficult to generate FFSMs until after the earthquake has occurred. We use parameters from previous earthquakes to generate FFSMs in a hybrid simulation prediction approach that combines the asperity model and the k−2 model. New scaling laws for global and local parameters are used to estimate the asperity model parameters and the coordinates of the fracture initiation point. Using the k−2 model, 30 sets of FFSMs are established using truncated normal distributions and several regional geological structural parameters. After applying the residual evaluation criteria to the various response spectra, we select the average source model. We then apply our methodology to the 2018 Acari earthquake in Peru. Both our average model and the USGS inversion model have two asperities, but their positions are different. The response spectra of the four representative points of our model are similar to those of the USGS model, and the peak difference is between −13.4% and 18.4%. The USGS model is a post-earthquake model, which requires many parameters and post-earthquake observation data. Our FFSM requires few parameters and represents the most representative source model for future earthquakes in this area with similar magnitudes, and it is intended to be supplementary to the inversion model. Therefore, our hybrid approach may be used for the early prediction or rapid estimation of the resulting ground motions. • Based on new scaling laws, a hybrid simulation approach that combines the asperity model and the k−2 model is proposed to estimate Finite Fault Source Models (FFSMs). • Using the k−2 model, 30 sets of FFSMs are randomly established using truncated normal distributions and a few regional geological structural parameters. • After applying the residual evaluation criteria to the various response spectra, the average source model is obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2003 December 26 Bam earthquake was an intermediate size strike-slip event that occurred beneath the Bam city, causing more than 26000 fatalities. The record of the only near-fault station (Bam station) shows a clear long-period pulse in almost fault normal direction suggesting a near-fault forward directivity effect contributing to the heavy damage observed in Bam city. In this study, the long-period (0.1–1.5Hz) strong ground motions were simulated to answer some ambiguities in source parameters for fully description of the observed motion in different components at Bam station. To this end, the Hisada's kinematic model accounting for both heterogeneous source characteristics and underground geology is applied to simulate the long-period ground motion. Different source scenarios suggested by previous studies are examined and the optimum scenario that could provide the best fitting between the simulated and observed motions for different components was introduced. The slip model and asperities as well as velocity structure parameters are optimized in order to have the best possible fit between the simulated and observed velocity time histories and spectra. The good agreements between the simulated and observed low-frequency motions indicate a successful identification of source and slip parameters of the Bam earthquake and provide a good test for the simulation technique. Furthermore, the uniqueness of the identified source parameters and the slip model is further checked against the observed near- and far-field recordings of the Bam earthquake. A good agreement between the simulated and the observed waveforms provides a base for model verification and results confirmation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]