In particular, fault strength is small.
When the shear stress reaches the fault strength described by Eq. (1), seismic slip will occur.
In this paper, we present the results and discuss heterogeneous fault strength from a mesoscale perspective.
Similar fault strength property was determined from the focal mechanisms around Yalova–Hersek segment.
The quartz gouge shows a high healing rate, b = 0.014, which means a relatively quick recovery of fault strength, whereas clay minerals show low healing rate, b = 0.001 0.004, suggesting a slow recovery of fault strength.
They pointed out that this suggests the stress drop gives information on the fault strength, but the relation between the fault strength and the strength of wall rock would be complex.
Estimated rotation angle, ratio of stress drop to background deviatoric stress, fault strength and pore pressure ratio.
This model describes the relationships among slip velocity, shear stress in the slip direction and fault strength (Nakatani, 2001).
These results suggest the possibility that there exists a mechanism by which fault strength is reduced without high pore pressure.
The periodic high fluid pressures would reduce fault strength in the slab and overriding plate, keeping the differential stress low.
Structural geologist Giulio Di Toro of the University of Padua in Italy, who was not part of the research, says the study makes sense, and he agrees with the authors' interpretation about why the fault strength suddenly spiked.
