Abstract:
By using differential form of potential energy function, and taking the effect of work applied by external force in far field in to account, the mechanism of strike-slip fault earthquake was analyzed. The researching indicates that, in catas trophe theory the characters displayed by fold catastrophe model correspond to the primary characteristics of strike-slip fault earthquake one by one. Fold catastrophe can describe the position of starting point and end point of fault failure, distance of fault dislocation etc, including the description about the stability of surrounding rock-fault system before and after the earthquake. Two different illustrations about~elastic energy releasing amount of the surround ing rock with fault failure were shown, their primary characteristics can demonstrate each other. The in tensity of strike-slip fault earthquake was related to the surrounding rock press, and to the stiffness ratio of surrounding rock and faultetc. The bigger the surrounding rock press was, the smaller stiffness ratio was. The bigger the included angle between the tangential stress axis to causative fault surface was, the bigger the earthquake intensity was.