Stable and stick-slip behaviour in fracture-propagation-based analogue model

The preliminary results of physical modelIing analysing stick-slip behaviour are presented in this paper. Given an externally controlled traction velocity, the experiment aims at reproducing the stable and unstable failure propagation by using an adhesive tape that detaches from a plastic fixed plate. If the imposed velocity is less than 1.5mm/sec a stationary failure propagation is observed. For values greater than that, the failure propagation obeys dynamic stick-slip behaviour. Therefore we find a critical transition value that underlines the variation between stability and instability during rupture phenomena. These findings are compared to the velocity strengthening and velocity weakening friction in faulting mechanism as a function of the rate of failure propagation to show that its critical variations can be a triggering factor for stick slip behaviour.