A monolithic model for phase-field fracture and waves in solid-fluid media towards earthquakes

TL;DR

This paper introduces a unified monolithic model that simulates rupture processes and seismic wave propagation in coupled solid-fluid media, capturing complex earthquake phenomena in a single framework.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel, energy-conserving monolithic model that integrates rupture dynamics and wave propagation in solids and fluids, with a robust FEM discretization.

Findings

Model effectively simulates fault ruptures and seismic wave interactions.

Computational experiments demonstrate model's applicability to earthquake scenarios.

Extensions towards realistic geophysical modeling are discussed.

Abstract

Coupling of rupture processes in solids with waves also propagating in fluids is a prominent phenomenon arising during tectonic earthquakes. It is executed here in a single `monolithic' model which can asymptotically capture both damageable solids (rocks) and (visco-)elastic fluids (outer core or oceans). Both ruptures on pre-existing lithospheric faults and a birth of new faults in compact rocks are covered by this model, together with emission and propagation of seismic waves, including, e.g., reflection of S-waves and refraction of P-waves on the solid-fluid interfaces. A robust, energy conserving, and convergent staggered FEM discretisation is devised. Using a rather simplified variant of such models for rupture, three computational experiments documenting the applicability of this approach are presented. Some extensions of the model towards more realistic geophysical modelling are outlined, too.