TY - JOUR
T1 - Frictional discharge at fault asperities
T2 - Origin of fractal seismo-electromagnetic radiation
AU - Muto, Jun
AU - Nagahama, Hiroyuki
AU - Miura, Takashi
AU - Arakawa, Ichiro
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to acknowledge F. Freund, M. Hayakawa, Y. Enomoto, K. Hattori, A. Takeuchi, and R. Yamada for their valuable comments. We also thank Y. Kawada for his insightful comments on the fractal properties of rocks. J.M. and H.N. are supported by the 21st Century Center-Of-Excellence program, ‘Advanced Science Technology Center for the Dynamic Earth’, of Tohoku University. J.M. is also financially supported by JSPS for Young Scientists. T.M. is supported by Abe Yoshishige Memorial Education Fund of Gakushuin.
PY - 2007/2/20
Y1 - 2007/2/20
N2 - To investigate the relation between the rock friction and the fractal electromagnetic radiation before the main-shock of earthquakes, we conducted a friction experiment simulating the motion of an asperity on a fault plane, and observed photon emissions due to electric discharge by dielectric breakdown of ambient gases from friction contacts between rock minerals. This indicates that frictional discharges (plasma generations) could occur locally at microscopic asperities on fault surfaces. From concepts on the fractal size-distribution and temporal evolution of fault asperities, the frictional discharge occurring at asperities on the fault plane can be one of origins of the fractal electromagnetic radiation (Benioff electromagnetic radiation) prior to earthquakes.
AB - To investigate the relation between the rock friction and the fractal electromagnetic radiation before the main-shock of earthquakes, we conducted a friction experiment simulating the motion of an asperity on a fault plane, and observed photon emissions due to electric discharge by dielectric breakdown of ambient gases from friction contacts between rock minerals. This indicates that frictional discharges (plasma generations) could occur locally at microscopic asperities on fault surfaces. From concepts on the fractal size-distribution and temporal evolution of fault asperities, the frictional discharge occurring at asperities on the fault plane can be one of origins of the fractal electromagnetic radiation (Benioff electromagnetic radiation) prior to earthquakes.
KW - Asperity
KW - Benioff electromagnetic radiation
KW - Damage mechanics
KW - Fractal
KW - Frictional discharge plasma
KW - Seismo-electromagnetic radiation
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U2 - 10.1016/j.tecto.2006.05.045
DO - 10.1016/j.tecto.2006.05.045
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33846520443
VL - 431
SP - 113
EP - 122
JO - Tectonophysics
JF - Tectonophysics
SN - 0040-1951
IS - 1-4
ER -