USGS · 70009874
Empirical law for fault-creep events
Abstract
Fault-creep events measured on the San Andreas and related faults near Hollister, California, can be described by a rheological model consisting of a spring, power-law dashpotand sliding block connected in series. An empirical creep-event law, derived from many creep-event records analyzed within the constraints of the model, provides a remarkably simple and accurate representation of creep-event behavior. The empirical creep law is expressed by the equation: D ( t )= D f [1−1/{ ct ( n −1) D f n −1 +1}/ ( n −1) ] where D is the value of displacement at time t following the onset of an event, D f is the final equilibrium value of the event displacementand C is a proportionality constant. This discovery should help determine whether the time—displacement character of creep events is controlled by the material properties of fault gouge, or by other parameters.
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S.Thomas Crough, Robert O. Burford. 1977. Empirical law for fault-creep events. https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-1951(77)90024-5
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