Events

Presentation by Dr. Peter Kelemen.

Viscous earthquakes & icequakes

Abstract:

Weak layers in the earth (due to grain size, composition, …) can focus viscous deformation and thus - because of the temperature dependence of viscosity - undergo runaway shear heating. This process can accelerate very rapidly, giving rise to events that are essentially indistinguishable from formation of a brittle fracture, or stick-slip, frictional deformation on an existing fracture.