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Science 19 March 2004:
Vol. 303. no. 5665, pp. 1859 - 1861
DOI: 10.1126/science.1094022
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Reports

Laboratory Earthquakes: The Sub-Rayleigh-to-Supershear Rupture Transition

Kaiwen Xia,1,2 Ares J. Rosakis,2 Hiroo Kanamori1*

We report on the experimental observation of spontaneously nucleated supershear rupture and on the visualization of sub-Rayleigh–to–supershear rupture transitions in frictionally held interfaces. The laboratory experiments mimic natural earthquakes. The results suggest that under certain conditions supershear rupture propagation can be facilitated during large earthquake events.

1 Seismological Laboratory, MC 252-21, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
2 Graduate Aeronautical Laboratories, MC 105-50, Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: hiroo{at}gps.caltech.edu

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
TeraShake2: Spontaneous Rupture Simulations of Mw 7.7 Earthquakes on the Southern San Andreas Fault.
K. B. Olsen, S. M. Day, J. B. Minster, Y. Cui, A. Chourasia, D. Okaya, P. Maechling, and T. Jordan (2008)
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 98, 1162-1185
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
A Unified Source Model for the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.
S. G. Song, G. C. Beroza, and P. Segall (2008)
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 98, 823-831
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Dynamic fibre sliding along debonded, frictional interfaces.
Q.D Yang, A Rosakis, and B.N Cox (2006)
Proc R Soc A 462, 1081-1106
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Laboratory Earthquakes Along Inhomogeneous Faults: Directionality and Supershear.
K. Xia, A. J. Rosakis, H. Kanamori, and J. R. Rice (2005)
Science 308, 681-684
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Near-Source Ground Motions from Simulations of Sustained Intersonic and Supersonic Fault Ruptures.
B. T. Aagaard and T. H. Heaton (2004)
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 94, 2064-2078
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Evidence for a Supershear Transient during the 2002 Denali Fault Earthquake.
E. M. Dunham and R. J. Archuleta (2004)
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 94, S256-S268
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The 14 November 2001 Kokoxili (Kunlunshan), Tibet, Earthquake: Rupture Transfer through a Large Extensional Step-Over.
(2004)
Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 94, 1173-1194


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)