Slow‐to‐Fast Transition and Shear Localization in Accelerating Creep of Clayey Soil
Abstract Accelerating creep before catastrophic failure commonly follows a power‐law velocity‐acceleration relationship, with the exponent typically near 2 but often evolving from 1 to 2 at a certain point, indicating a dynamic transition. The underlying mechanisms, however, remain unclear. Here we...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Geophysical Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2024GL111839 |
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| Summary: | Abstract Accelerating creep before catastrophic failure commonly follows a power‐law velocity‐acceleration relationship, with the exponent typically near 2 but often evolving from 1 to 2 at a certain point, indicating a dynamic transition. The underlying mechanisms, however, remain unclear. Here we investigate this transition by monitoring the slip displacement of clayey soil during fluid‐injection creep experiments. This transition is discontinuous in the first run but becomes continuous in the initially pre‐sheared sample. Using a regularized rate‐and‐state friction model, we explicitly examine the relationship between the exponent and the frictional properties of the soil. This model describes the dynamic transition, with the exponent evolving from 1 to 2 across a broad range of frictional parameters. Furthermore, by incorporating idealized shear localization processes, the model qualitatively reproduces the shear‐history‐dependent transition. Our study demonstrates that a combination of structural evolutions and frictional properties may explain slow and fast slips observed in various shear systems. |
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| ISSN: | 0094-8276 1944-8007 |