Frictional and viscous effects on the nucleation phase of an earthquake

Abstract

We study the frictional and viscous effects on earthquake nucleation, especially for the nucleation phase, based on a one-degree-of-freedom spring-slider model with friction and viscosity. The frictional and viscous effects are specified by the characteristic displacement, U c, and viscosity coefficient, η, respectively. Simulation results show that friction and viscosity can both lengthen the natural period of the system and viscosity increases the duration time of motion of the slider. Higher viscosity causes a smaller amplitude of lower velocity motion than lower viscosity. A change of either U c (under large η) or η (under large U c) from a large value (U ch for U c and η h for η) to a small one (U cl for U c and η l for η) in two stages during sliding can result in a clear nucleation phase prior to the P-wave. The differences δU c = U ch − U cl and δη = η h − η l are two important factors in producing a nucleation phase. The difference between the nucleation phase and the P-wave increases with either δU c or δη. Like seismic observations, the peak amplitude of P-wave, which is associated with the earthquake magnitude, is independent upon the duration time of nucleation phase. A mechanism specified with a change of either η or U c from a larger value to a smaller one due to temporal variations in pore fluid pressure and temperature in the fault zone based on radiation efficiency is proposed to explain the simulation results and observations.