Acoustic emission during different-type inter-block movements

Abstract

The article reports the lab experimentation on seismic/acoustic emission during different-type inter-block movements of rock mass. The fact that co-seismic displacement under induced earthquakes occurs along the existing interfaces is the basis for relatively simple tests on a slip-model plant. Using different materials as fracture fillers allowed modeling entire range of probable deformation modes. The deformation modes are conditionally grouped as creep or steady-state slip, unsteady-state slip and regular discontinuous slip or stick-slip. The authors show that statistics of acoustic emission during slip is described using the Gutenberg–Richter law. The strongest “representative” events under shearing occur quasiregularly, with probability much higher than follows from G–R law. The functional relation is found between the acoustic emission energy and the shear velocity.