Dynamic Rupture, Fault Opening, and Near Fault Particle Motions along an Interface between Dissimilar Materials

Abstract

Dynamic rupture propagation along an interface between two different elastic solids under shear dominated loading is studied numerically by a 2-D lattice particle model (LPM). The configuration of the lattice particle model consists of two solid blocks of different elastic properties connected along a planar interface. Each block is characterized as an isotropic elastic material and the interface strength is described as a composite elastic modulus of a mismatch function of the elastic properties of two dissimilar materials. The particle interaction between the two blocks with pair inter-particle potential also takes account of normal stress variations.