Deformation analysis of a viscoelastic half-space due to a finite and an infinite interacting faults

Abstract

In seismically active regions the process of stress–strain accumulation near earthquake faults during aseismic period (period in between two major seismic events) has become a subject of research during the last few decades. The occurrence of multiple faults (for example Calaveras, Garlock in the neighbourhood of San Andreas fault) in seismically active region is more likely than that of a single fault (i.e. Sierra Madre fault, Raymond fault). Moreover the earthquake faults involve both the strike-slip and dip-slip faults some of which may be finite and others infinite. The way of interaction of faults with each other controls fault geometries, displacements and strains. Such phenomena encourage us to consider a model of interacting strike-slip and dip-slip faults in which a finite and an infinite interacting faults are taken to study the stress–strain accumulation in the neighbouring fault due to the movement across the other fault. The solutions for displacement, stress and strain are then found before the onset of fault slip and then superpose the effect of fault slip for both the interacting faults using Laplace transform, suitable mathematical technique of modified Green’s function and Correspondence principal. The analytical results and the graphical presentations show that the velocities of both the faults movement and their inclinations have noticeable effects on displacements, stresses and strains.

On the Investigation of Interacting Fault Movement in a Viscoelastic Structure

“…The characterization and classification of interacting faults have been described by [22]. Several researchers ( [16], [17], [18], [20]) described ground deformation due to fault interactions in viscoelastic medium using Maxwell, Standard linear solid and Burger model. They also provides the concepts of applications of fractional order differential calculus in the modelling of viscoelastic systems.…”