Marginal Stability and Chaos in Coupled Faults Modeled by Nonlinear Circuits

Studies of slider-block systems, used for decades to model the interactions between geological fault segments, have been mostly theoretical due to the difficulty in producing well-controlled mechanical systems which mimic these models' dynamics. We present here an experimental study of the dynamics of two elastically coupled slider blocks, using an electronic circuit with highly nonlinear load-unload elements. Unlike earlier computer simulations, a nominally symmetric circuit exhibits several alternating periodic and chaotic solutions as a function of the coupling parameter, emphasizing the importance of experimental studies in understanding this model.