The purpose of this project is to support the ongoing S4 preliminary design process to develop the earthquake and fault experiments planned for the Fracture Processes Facility at DUSEL Homestake as part of the NSF Major Research Equipment and Facility Construction (MREFC) initiative. The proposed work has two main objectives: (1) to provide theoretical and numerical analyses critical for the development of the dynamic slip nucleation and propagation experiment at DUSEL Homestake; (2) to conduct field studies in order to locate existing faults and joints suitable for reactivation, nucleation, and propagation of dynamic slip within the scope of the proposed experimental facility. Understanding these faults and fractures is critical for DUSEL project planning.
