<p>This chapter summarizes experimental observations and related theoretical developments of faulted and intact rock properties related to earthquake mucleation, failure and dynamic slip.</p>

The calculations reported here illustrate that simulations of crack branching with cohesive surfaces between all elements are not well posed in the sense that the results continually change with mesh refinement. Introducing an additional length scale into ...

It is examined the basic mechanism of brittle failure of rock in order to gain some understanding of the underlying reasons for the behaviour patterns which are observed.

This thesis contains details of an investigation into the applicability of Griffith's brittle fracture theory, modified to account for the effects of crack closure in compression, to the prediction of rock fracture behaviour.