Self-organized criticality of plastic shear bands in rocks

Journal Article · Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · Geophysical Research Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/94GL02005· OSTI ID:85425

Poliakov, A N.B.; Herrmann, H J ^[1]

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1. HLRZ (Germany)

We show that the shear bands that appear during the pure shear numerical simulations of rocks with a non-associated plastic flow rule form fractal networks. The system drives spontaneously into a state in which the length distribution of shear bands follows a power law (self-organized criticality) with exponent 2.07. The distribution of local gradients in deviatoric strain rate has different scaling exponents for each moment, in particular the geometrical fractal dimension is 1.7. Samples of granodiorite sheared under high confining pressure from the Pyrenees are analyzed and their properties compared with the numerical results.

• OSTI ID: 85425
• Journal Information: Geophysical Research Letters, Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters Journal Issue: 19 Vol. 21; ISSN GPRLAJ; ISSN 0094-8276
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
DEFORMATION
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
PRESSURE DEPENDENCE
RHEOLOGY
ROCK MECHANICS
ROCKS