3-D rheologic model of earthquake preparation (II): Strain field and its applications

Abstract

On the basis of the three-dimensional elastic inclusion model, the analytic expression of viscoelastic strain field is derived,i.e., the analytic expression of viscoelastic strain at an arbitrary point (x, y, z) inx-axis, y-axis andz-axis produced by three-dimension inclusion in the semi-infinite rheologic medium defined by the standard linear rheologic model, namely the normal strainsεxx(r, t),εyy(r, t) andεzz(r, t), the shear strainsεxy(r, t) andεyx(r, t),εyz(r, t) andεzy(r, t),εxz(r, t) andεzx(r, t), and the bulk-strain ε(r, t). By computing the spatial-temporal variation of bulk strain on the ground produced by a spherical rheologic inclusion in a semi-infinite rheologic medium, we obtained some significant results that the bulk-strain variation with time produced by a hard inclusion has three stages (α, α, γ) with different characteristics, which are similar to those of most geodetic deformation curves, but not the case for those by a soft inclusion. It is meaningful that these theoretical results have been applied to explain preliminarily the characteristics of stage variation of spatial-temporal evolution, the pattern and quadrant distribution of earthquake precursors, the changeability, spontaneity and complexity of short-term and imminent-term precursors. It offers a theoretical base to found the physical model of earthquake precursors and a reference to predict physically the earthquakes.