13th International Conference on Fracture June 16–21, 2013, Beijing, China -5- The author has actively participated in the field investigation of the Wenchuan Earthquake of May 12, 2008. He has found many natural phenomena that happened before, during and after Wenchuan Earthquake. These phenomena cannot be logically and consistently explained with the existing elastic rebound theory in association with the plate tectonics. Mostly importantly, the elastic rebound theory violates many phenomena. He has further actively investigated many other earthquakes including the 1976 Tangshan Earthquake, the 2001 Kunlun Pass W. Earthquake and the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku Earthquake. The same observations can be made. The existing elastic rebound theory cannot describe many earthquake phenomena and sometimes violates the phenomena [6-10]. As discussed in Section 2, the elastic rebound theory claims that a large amount of heat must be developed on the rupture-plane [4]. The friction energy to power the growth of the earthquake fracture and the production of heat is about 90% to 99% of the total energy release during earthquake [5]. The rupture speed is very fast and can be 2 to 3 km/s over hundred kilometers crustal rock faults according to analysis of seismograph records. Accordingly, the heat must cause some substantial increases in temperatures of the ruptured rocks and soils and the ground air at epicenters. However, field observations did not show any expected increase in temperatures of the ground rocks, soils and air. For example, Rice [16] stated the observations of “low heat outflow from major faults and a scarcity of glass (pseudotachylyte) that would be left from rapid recooling of silicate melts”. The author has further found that temperatures of the ground rocks, soils and air can suddenly drop during and immediately after ground shocking. An example is given below to show the inconsistency between the observed phenomena and the elastic rebound theory. 4. The 2001 Kunlun Pass W. Earthquake 4.1. Brief description Figure 2. Google topography based seismic rupture zone for 2001 Kunlun Pass W. Earthquake The Kunlun Pass W. Earthquake of magnitude 8.1 suddenly occurred along the western segment of
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