A debate on the fault strength and necessity of multidisciplinary perspectives

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  • Takahashi Miki
    Research Institute of Earthquake and Volcano Geology, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
  • Hirose Takehiro
    Kochi Institute for Core Sample Research, JAMSTEC
  • Iio Yoshihisa
    Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University

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  • 断層の強度に関する論争と学際的アプローチの必要性
  • ダンソウ ノ キョウド ニ カンスル ロンソウ ト ガクサイテキ アプローチ ノ ヒツヨウセイ

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Abstract

<p>Earthquakes occur when shear stress exceeds the static strength of a fault; thus, knowledge of fault strength is important. Various estimates of fault strength have been made over the last half century; however, there is still disagreement on whether faults are weak (~10 MPa), which would account for observed low stress drops and low heat flow anomalies, or strong (~100 MPa), as estimated from laboratory experiments using Byerlee’s law. We review methods to estimate fault strength and propose that a cause of the ongoing debate is the definition of strength used in different methods. High-speed friction experiments have played a significant role in resolving the debate. The experiments have shown that faults are only weak during an earthquake. Detailed seismic analysis, additionally, has revealed a heterogeneous distribution of fault strength. These findings require that fault models combine the deformation mechanisms of both strong and weak fault patches, which result in non-uniform strength and stress distributions. We propose that a multidisciplinary approach is required. Geological fieldwork should be used to test fault models that are developed based on seismology and rock mechanics.</p>

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