Towards the numerical simulation of seismic excitation

Recent advances in the numerical simulation of the rupture process in solids, namely mode I fracture propagation, are extended to account for sliding with friction along pre-existing fracture surfaces, with the final objective of analyzing seismic fault motions. The procedure is applied to the study of the resulting stick-slip motion of a prismatic block resting by gravity on a flat rigid surface. The result, although not yet confronted with experimental observations, suggests that the basic assumptions are correct and permits drawing a number of conclusions on the characteristics and evolution of stick-slip motion.