Comment on "The wrinkle-like slip pulse is not important in earthquake dynamics" by D. J. Andrews and R. A. Harris

Yehuda Ben-Zion

Published March 24, 2006, SCEC Contribution #1363

Andrews and Harris [2005] (hereinafter referred to as AH) found in several numerical simulations that effects associated with prescribed stress heterogeneities and timeweakening friction can suppress those generated dynamically by rupture on a bimaterial interface, and concluded that the wrinkle-like rupture mode is generally not important for earthquake dynamics. Their results are based on selective cases, rather than a systematic parameter-space study, and they do not form the basis for a general conclusion. Moreover, most of their cases are associated with conditions for which the bimaterial effects are weak due to combination of assumed parameter values, mixed rupture modes, relatively small propagation distance, and coarse grid. Considerations of a larger body of theoretical results and observations suggest that the wrinkle-like rupture may be relevant to earthquake dynamics.

Citation
Ben-Zion, Y. (2006). Comment on "The wrinkle-like slip pulse is not important in earthquake dynamics" by D. J. Andrews and R. A. Harris. Geophysical Research Letters, 33, L06310. doi: 10.1029/2005GL025372.