'Tensile Fracturing in Rocks' presents field observations on fracturing of sedim- tary rocks and granite outcrops from various provinces in three continents. It also combines results of recent experiments conducted at different laboratories around the world with current theories on fracturing. In treating faults, this book limits itself to faults that are associated with joint sets produced by definable causes and occasi- ally to cases where interaction between the two types of fracture - faults and joints - is not clear. The book's subject matter is divided over six chapters, which are briefly described below. Chapter 1 summarizes current key concepts in fracture physics. It starts with a pr- entation of the elastic theory of fracture, and concentrates on the results of linear el- tic fracture mechanics. The chapter touches also upon other fracture properties, e.g., crack nucleation, dynamic fracturing and slow fracturing processes. Nucleation is - dressed by statistical mechanics methods incorporating modern approaches of th- mal and fiber bundle processes. The analyses of dynamic fracturing and slow fract- ing focus on the differences, as compared to the linear elastic approach. The cont- versy in interpreting experimental dynamic results is highlighted, as are the surface morphology patterns that emerge in fracturing and the non-Griffith crack extension criterion in very slow fracturing processes.

'Tensile Fracturing in Rocks' presents field observations on fracturing of sedim- tary rocks and granite outcrops from various provinces in three continents. It also combines results of recent experiments conducted at different laboratories around the world with current theories on fracturing. In treating faults, this book limits itself to faults that are associated with joint sets produced by definable causes and occasi- ally to cases where interaction between the two types of fracture - faults and joints - is not clear. The book's subject matter is divided over six chapters, which are briefly described below. Chapter 1 summarizes current key concepts in fracture physics. It starts with a pr- entation of the elastic theory of fracture, and concentrates on the results of linear el- tic fracture mechanics. The chapter touches also upon other fracture properties, e.g., crack nucleation, dynamic fracturing and slow fracturing processes. Nucleation is - dressed by statistical mechanics methods incorporating modern approaches of th- mal and fiber bundle processes. The analyses of dynamic fracturing and slow fract- ing focus on the differences, as compared to the linear elastic approach. The cont- versy in interpreting experimental dynamic results is highlighted, as are the surface morphology patterns that emerge in fracturing and the non-Griffith crack extension criterion in very slow fracturing processes.

" ... he who repeats a thing in the name of him who said it brings deliverance to the world ... " Mishnah, Sayings of the Fathers 6; 6 Main Objectives The present book intends to fulfill a number of purposes, which are arranged under the following scheme: 1. A topical review of main subjects in fractography, that branch of science which analyses fracture surface morphology and related features and their causes and mechanisms in technological materials. Among the materials that bear significant affinities to rock are in organic glass, ceramics, metals and polymer glass. 2. A historical review of the main studies published to date on rock fractography. In both these fields of review, one is confronted by the similarities between small-scale (micro metre) and large-scale (tens of metres) fracture surface morphologies. The similarities, on the one hand, and the differences on the other must surely promote further development of fractographical approaches in structural geology, where extrapola tion from microfractography to large-scale fractography is virtually a directive. As geologists become more familiar with the fractography of rocks, they undoubtedly will become aware of the great power of this descriptive discipline as a tool, in both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Rock fractography must yet be routinely applied in the structural analysis of rock formations in which fracture morphology is sufficiently prominent or extensive."