JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 108, NO. B2, 2119, doi:10.1029/2002JB001884, 2003

5. Generalization for Finite Residual Shear Stress, taur

Thumbnail link to Figure 2Figure 2.  Linear softening curve assumed for cohesive crack model (tauf is shear strength, taur is residual shear stress, wf is critical sliding displacement; hatched area represents mode II fracture energy).

[22]   When taur > 0 (Figure 2), two solutions must be superposed: (1) The plasticity solution for a uniform shear stress taur at the sliding base, which simply is tauN = taur and (2) the fracture mechanics solution for an appropriately defined fracture energy, GII. This yields

Equation 8

As shown by Rice [1968] and Palmer and Rice [1973] by means of J integral, the fracture energy GII must be interpreted, in the sense of the cohesive crack model, as the area between the stress displacement curve and the line tau = taur (Figure 2).

AGU

Citation: Baz caronant, Z. P., G. Zi, and D. McClung, Size effect law and fracture mechanics of the triggering of dry snow slab avalanches, J. Geophys. Res., 108(B2), 2119, doi:10.1029/2002JB001884, 2003.