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Updated: Jan 3, 2026

The Role of Fabric in Frictional Properties of Phyllosilicate-Rich Tectonic Faults
Published on: November 6, 2021
Minimal model for slow, sub-Rayleigh, supershear, and unsteady rupture propagation along homogeneously loaded
Kjetil Thøgersen1,2, Henrik Andersen Sveinsson1,3, David Skålid Amundsen4
1Physics of Geological Processes, The NJORD Centre, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway.
Abstract:
In nature and experiments, a large variety of rupture speeds and front modes along frictional interfaces are observed. Here, we introduce a minimal model for the rupture of homogeneously loaded interfaces with velocity strengthening dynamic friction, containing only two dimensionless parameters; τ[over ¯], which governs the prestress, and α[over ¯], which is set by the interfacial viscosity. This model contains a large variety of front types, including slow fronts, sub-Rayleigh fronts, supershear fronts, slip pulses, cracks, arresting fronts, and fronts that alternate between arresting and propagating phases. Our results indicate that this wide range of front types is an inherent property of frictional systems with velocity strengthening branches.
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