Effect of loading point position on fracture mode of rock

Anti symmetric four point bending specimen with different loading point positions was used to study effect of loading point position on fracture mode of rock in order to explore a feasible method for achieving Mode Ⅱ fracture and determining Mode Ⅱ fracture toughness of rock, K ⅡC . Numerical and experimental results show that the distance between the inner and outer loading points, L 1+ L 2, has a great influence on stresses at notch tip and fracture mode. When L 1+ L 2>0.5 L or 0.1 L < L 1+ L 2<0.5 L , maximum principal stress σ 1 exceeds the tensile strength σ t. The ratio of τ max / σ 1 is relatively low or high and thus Mode Ⅰ or mixed mode fracture occurs. When L 1+ L 2< 0.1 L , σ 1 is smaller than σ t and the ratio of τ max / σ 1 is much higher, which facilitates the occurrence of Mode Ⅱ fracture.

Characteristics of gravity signal and loading effect in China

The complex geographical environment in China makes its gravity signals miscellaneous.This work gives a comprehensive representation and explanation in secular trend of gravity change in different regions,the key features of which include positive trend in inner Tibet Plateau and South China and negative trend in North China plain and high mountain Asia（HMA）.We also present the patterns of amplitudes and phases of annual and semiannual change.The mechanism underlying the semiannual period is explicitly discussed.The displacement in three directions expressed in terms of geo-potential spherical coefficients and load Love numbers are given.A case study applied with these equations is presented.The results show that Global Positioning System（GPS） observations can be used to compare with Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment（GRACE） derived displacement and the vertical direction has a signal-noise-ratio of about one order of magnitude larger than the horizontal directions.

The evolution characteristics of positive and negative earthquakes before strong quakes in Kanto area and the Hyugo earthquake in Japan

This paper studies the evolution charateristics of positive and negative quakes before Hyugo earthquake of M =7.2 and several strong quakes in Kanto area in Japan.The results show that the earthquakes over a certain megnitude are mainly positive ones a certain time before the main shock in or near the focal regions of most strong quakes,and form a concentratingintervals of positive quakes,The main quakes generally locate in or near the areas of positive quake distribution.Negative quakes often occur several months before the main shocks (not excluding positive ones), with the decrease of LURR (Loading/Unloading Response Ratio) values.It possibly shows that earthquake generating process has come to a short term stage.These characteristics may help to predict the time and location of the future earthquakes,and have been applied to the preliminary prediction of the time and the location of the earthquake of M =6.6 on Sep.11,1996 in Kanto area.