PRF2022—Progressive Failure of Brittle Rocks

Paper No. 2-3
Presentation Time: 2:15 PM

REVISITING THE FATE OF FRACTURE ENERGY—IMPLICATIONS FOR EARTH SURFACE DYNAMICS


DAVIES, Timothy Reginald, School of Earth And Environment, University of Canterbury New Zealand, Canterbury, New Zealand and MCSAVENEY, Mauri, SKLGP, Chengdu University of Technology

Recent demonstrations, that the energy required to fracture brittle rocks is not “consumed” as surface energy , but is instead released as high-frequency body-wave energy and/or fragment kinetic energy and so remains available to do further mechanical work, have wide implications in fracture mechanics and its applications. These are important when high-energy and high-strain-rate fragmentation generates much larger quantities of ultrafine fragments than previously thought. We will outline how the following phenomena and processes are significantly affected by this change in perspective:

  1. Sediment particle size distributions: grinding limit and agglomeration
  2. Fault rupture energy, friction and gouge characteristics
  3. Runout of large rock avalanches and blockslides
  4. Stability of landslide dams
  5. Moraine paleoclimatology
  6. Volcanic ash generation and characteristics
  7. Impact cratering
  8. Geohazard assessments

We also outline how this understanding of fracture energetics affects discrete element modelling of rock fracture.

Handouts
  • Davies Tim.pdf (474.7 kB)
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