ON VOLTERRA'S DISLOCATIONS IN A SEMI-INFINITE ELASTIC MEDIUM

Abstract

In this paper a Green's function method is developed to deal with the problem of a Volterra dislocation in a semi-infinite elastic medium in such a way that the boundary surface of the medium remains free from stresses. (A Volterra dislocation is here defined as a surface across which the displacement components show a discontinuity of the type Δu = U + Ω ×r, where U and Ω are constant vectors.) It is found that the general problem requires the construction of six sets of Green's functions. The method for the construction is outlined and applied to one of the six sets, which is of the type of two double forces with moments in a plane parallel with the boundary. The displacement field thus generated is computed. Several of the results obtained are believed to be of geophysical interest, but a more detailed discussion of these applications is postponed to a further communication which is being prepared.