On the similarity in the formation mechanism of the fracture structure of a rock massif

Local segments of the Earth’s crust reside at the mechanical nonequilibrium and continuously obtain and dissipate mechanical energy. The energy exchange between the structural elements of a geophysical medium determines its state, especially if the medium is fragmented into blocks. The stationary state of a rock differs from its static equilibrium by the fact that the mechanical energy is conserved because the energy input is equal to the energy dissipation. From this point of view, the cracks, the faults, and the block structure are not simply the manifestations of rock destruction, but rather the mode of existence of a medium with large irreversible deformations. Then, the fracture structure, whose formation is actually a response of a rock to large irreversible deformation, becomes, in terms of physics, the characteristic of the state of a geophysical medium; for example, it allows one to assess the parameters of the deformation processes during the period of formation of the fracture structure. The present paper addresses the identification of the features of the fracture structure in geological objects of different scales.