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On the state of stress in the near-surface of the earth's crust

Pure and Applied Geophysics PAGEOPH
By: , , and 
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00878896

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Abstract

Five models for near-surface crustal stresses induced by gravity and horizontal deformation and the influence of rock property contrasts, rock strength, and stress relaxation on these stresses are presented. Three of the models-the lateral constraint model, the model for crustal stresses caused by horizontal deformation, and the model for the effects of anisotropy-are linearly elastic. The other two models assume that crustal rocks are brittle or viscoelastic in order to account for the effects of rock strength and time on near-surface stresses. It is shown that the lateral constraint model is simply a special case of the combined gravity-and deformation-induced stress field when horizontal strains vanish and that the inclusion of the effect of rock anisotropy in the solution for crustal stresses caused by gravity and horizontal deformation broadens the range for predicted stresses. It is also shown that when stress levels in the crust reach the limits of brittle rock strength, these stresses become independent of strain rates and that stress relaxation in ductile crustal rocks subject to constant horizontal strain rates causes horizontal stresses to become independent of time in the long term. ?? 1992 Birkha??user Verlag.
Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title On the state of stress in the near-surface of the earth's crust
Series title Pure and Applied Geophysics PAGEOPH
DOI 10.1007/BF00878896
Volume 138
Issue 2
Year Published 1992
Language English
Publisher location Birkha??user-Verlag
Larger Work Type Article
Larger Work Subtype Journal Article
Larger Work Title Pure and Applied Geophysics PAGEOPH
First page 207
Last page 228
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