Static deformation of two welded elastic half-spaces caused by a rectangular shear fault located on the interface

Abstract

The expressions for the displacements owing to a point displacement dislocation in a a two-phase medium are integrated analytically to obtain the displacement field produced by a horizontal rectangular shear fault in a homogeneous, isotropic, elastic half-space in welded contact along a horizontal interface with another homogeneous, isotropic, elastic half-space. Detailed numerical computations are performed for a fault on the interface. The variation of the displacement field with the distance from the fault is studied when the point of observation lies on a plane parallel to the interface. The variation with the distance from the interface is also studied. It is found that the displacement field is moderated significantly by contrast in the elastic properties of the two half-spaces. Contour maps showing the deformation of the two-phase medium around a finite rectangular shear fault located on the interface are also given.