Modeling frictional precursory phenomena using a wear-based rate- and state-dependent friction model in the laboratory

We examine numerical models that employ the rate-and-state frictional (RSF) framework to investigate earthquake sequences using laboratory driven descriptions of heterogeneous properties. Using previously obtained experimental measurement roughness, we observed wear produced a bimodal Gaussian distribution surface heights, which hypothesized spatial heterogeneity critical slip distance Dc. In this study, fault was binarized into discrete smooth or rough sections, producing barcode style version heterogeneity. The predominantly except for two dominant asperities (A1 and A2) representative larger polished sections. simulated resistive effect increasing fracture energy (toughness) barriers while maintaining constant properties embedded brittle/smooth asperities. Our simulations generated burst-like seismic events aseismic transients throughout interseismic phase. At late phase, bursts seismicity (foreshocks) interacted with accelerating preslip region at transition preseismic (nucleation) lower levels toughness heterogeneity, rate increase roughly inversely proportional time-to-failure tf events. As increased, initiated nucleation thus force deviations from 1/tf acceleration homogeneous case, rate-dependent cascade response. calculations were validated by comparing independently measured metrics experiments: (1) expansion slow ruptures during phase (2) scalar moment source dimensions. While our study does not address scaling problem, these results help understand experiments complex sequences.