Font Size: 

Real earthquake faults are surrounded by fractured zones whose eect on earth-
quake rupture is investigated. We rst performed a series of dynamic photoe-
lasticity experiments of a dynamic shear rupture along a frictional interface
bounded on one side by an intact material and on the other side by a damaged
material of the same or dierent undamaged elastic properties. We notice that
on the side of the rupture where damage is in tension the bulk damage eects
dominate over the local elastic eects leading to reduction in rupture velocity
or in some cases complete termination while on the compressional side the
local elastic eect seems to dominate.