Rock friction depends on temperature, but not as previously thought.

What is it about?

We call friction the resistance that two solids in contact offer to sliding. Yes, friction keeps tires on the road and warms your rubbing hands, but it also controls the physics of earthquakes. Understanding friction between tectonic plates is challenging because of the conditions of great temperature and pressure found deep in the crust. The new study shows how friction in these conditions was ill-conceived and proposes a new, accurate way to represent the phenomenon, opening the door to better predictions of earthquakes and seismic hazards.

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Photo by Jens Aber on Unsplash

Photo by Jens Aber on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Rock friction controls when and where earthquakes will happen. Hence, understanding the friction phenomenon is a key stepping stone to predicting earthquakes. This study shows that frictional resistance depends on temperature, pressure, and sliding velocity in a more complicated way than previously thought. Although the phenomenon is complex and multi-faceted, it appears tractable. A physical and mathematical representation of the underlying mechanics explains many observations under the conditions found in the crust, where earthquakes happen. Using this theory opens the door to more realistic earthquake predictions.

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