| Dynamic Shear Stress Estimated from Exhumed Pseudotachylyte-bearing Faults | |
| Personnel: A. Griffith, D. Pollard Sponsor: Stanford Rock Fracture Project | |
Description:
The purpose of this project is to assess how effectively models for steady-state frictional heating describe real faults. We
are attempting to reconstruct the stress conditions for slip on exhumed pseudotachylyte-bearing faults by considering the energy
balance governing the effects of frictional heating on the shear resistance within a fault zone (e.g. Lachenbruch, 1980). We
are primarily concerned with establishing the minimum dynamic shear stress necessary to initiate frictional melting (under
ambient temperature and pressure conditions) during small earthquakes.
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