Gouge formation by dynamic pulverization during earthquake rupture

Reches, Z.; Dewers, Thomas

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2005.04.009

Cited by 172 publications

(153 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…The implications for the amount of fracture energy and type of stress field required to have produced the observed damage are significant, as the inferred energy depends strongly on the grain size distribution, and the existence of very small grains may imply tensile stress (e.g., RECHES and DEWERS, 2005;SAMMIS and BEN-ZION, 2008). Rather than C 50% of the earthquake energy budget being consumed by dynamic fracturing and pulverization as suggested by WILSON et al, (2005), we find that the average value is closer to 1%.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Chemical and Physical Characteristics of Pulverized Tejon Lookout Granite Adjacent to the San Andreas and Garlock Faults: Implications for Earthquake Physics

Rockwell

Sisk

Girty

et al. 2009

Pure appl. geophys.

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We present new detailed analyses of samples of pulverized Tejon Lookout granite collected from sections adjacent to the San Andreas and Garlock faults in southern California. The Tejon Lookout granite is pulverized in all exposures within about 100 m from both faults. Chemical analyses indicate no or little weathering in the collected samples, although XRD analysis shows the presence of smectite, illite, and minor kaolinite in the clay-size fraction. Weathering products may dominate in the less than 1 micron fraction. The average grain size in all samples of pulverized Tejon Lookout granite ranges between 26 and 208 microns (silt to fine sand), with the particle size distribution in part a function of proximity to the primary slip zone. The San Andreas fault samples that we studied are generally finer grained than those collected from adjacent to the Garlock fault. The particle size distribution for each studied sample from both faults follows a pseudo-power law with a continuously changing exponent, which suggests that pulverization is not simply a consequence of direct shear. The average particle size that we determined for our samples is considerably coarser than reported in previous investigations, which we attribute to possible measurement errors in the prior work. Our data and observations suggest that dynamic fracturing in the wall rock of the San Andreas and Garlock faults only accounts for about 1% or less of the earthquake energy budget.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Chemical and Physical Characteristics of Pulverized Tejon Lookout Granite Adjacent to the San Andreas and Garlock Faults: Implications for Earthquake Physics

Rockwell

Sisk

Girty

et al. 2009

Pure appl. geophys.

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“…Other parameters governing the inelastic response of the model are the same: crushing pressure p c = 300 MPa, M = 1.5, # = 0.5 Ä 0.99. The higher values of # indicates a substantial ''distance'' between the initial and ultimate gsd's, as experimentally observed in RECHES and DEWERS (2005). The breakage energy is higher than the frictional dissipation when u is below a critical value u c determined as follows.…”

Section: Numerical Approach To the Earthquake Energy Balancementioning

confidence: 77%

“…The stability of fault gouges holds the key to understanding earthquake dynamics (e.g., MARONE et al, 1990;SCHOLZ, 1990;BEN-ZION and SAMMIS, 2003), and the associated release of energy (e.g., SLEEP and BLANPIED, 1992;RECHES and DEWERS, 2005). Fault gouges evolve in high pressure or even ultrahigh-pressure environments of cataclasis (e.g., MORROW et al, 1981;LUND and AUSTRHEIM, 2003), commonly because of the severe motion of the lithospheric plate boundaries.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Energetics of Cataclasis Based on Breakage Mechanics

Nguyen

Einav

2009

Pure appl. geophys.

105

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We develop a constitutive model for rocks that are constituted from brittle particles, based on the theory of breakage mechanics. The model connects between the energetics and the micromechanics that drive the process of confined comminution. Given this ability, our model not only describes the entire stress-strain response of the material, but also connects this response to predicting the evolution of the grain size distribution. The latter fact enables us to quantify how the permeability reduces within cataclasite zones, in relation to aspects of grain crushing. Finally, our paper focuses on setting a framework for quantifying how the energy budget of earthquakes is expensed in relation to dissipation events in cataclasis. We specifically distinguish between the dissipation directly from the creation of new surface area, which causes further breakage dissipation from the redistribution of locked-in stored energy from surrounding particles, dissipations from friction and from the configurational reorganisation of particles.

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“…Using geological constraints, it was argued that the Punchbowl fault was exhumed from between 2 and 4 km depth, and that the thin continuous slip surface observed in exposures of the Punchbowl fault core accommodated at least 1.5 km of offset, with little or no mixing between opposing wall rock materials (CHESTER and CHESTER, 1998). More recently, in-situ ''pulverization'' of rock and gouge has been proposed as a potential indicator of seismic rupture velocities (RECHES and DEWERS, 2005;DOR et al 2006;SAMMIS and BEN-ZION, 2008), and localized ''fluidization'' of fault rock materials has been recognized in the slip zones of exhumed faults cutting layered volcanic sequences (SAGY andBRODSKY, 2009), in melanges (MENEGHINI et al, 2010;ROWE et al, 2005;UJIIE et al, 2007), and in the clayrich slip zones of the Nojima fault (M W 7. 2 1995Kobe earthquake, OTSUKI et al, 2003 and the Chelengpu fault (M W 7.6 1999Chi-Chi earthquake, BOULLIER et al, 2009.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Principal Slip Zones in Limestone: Microstructural Characterization and Implications for the Seismic Cycle (Tre Monti Fault, Central Apennines, Italy)

Smith

Billi

Toro

et al. 2011

Pure Appl. Geophys.

123

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Earthquakes in central Italy, and in other areas worldwide, often nucleate within and rupture through carbonates in the upper crust. During individual earthquake ruptures, most fault displacement is thought to be accommodated by thin principal slip zones. This study presents detailed microstructural observations of the slip zones of the seismically active Tre Monti normal fault zone. All of the slip zones cut limestone, and geological constraints indicate exhumation from\2 km depth, where ambient temperatures are 100C. Scanning electron microscope observations suggest that the slip zones are composed of 100% calcite. The slip zones of secondary faults in the damage zone contain protocataclastic and cataclastic fabrics that are cross-cut by systematic fracture networks and stylolite dissolution surfaces. The slip zone of the principal fault has much more microstructural complexity, and contains a 2–10 mm thick ultracataclasite that lies immediately beneath the principal slip surface. The ultracataclasite itself is internally zoned; 200–300 lm-thick ultracataclastic sub-layers record extreme localization of slip. Syn-tectonic calcite vein networks spatially associated with the sub-layers suggest fluid involvement in faulting. The ultracataclastic sub-layers preserve compelling microstructural evidence of fluidization, and also contain peculiar rounded grains consisting of a central (often angular) clast wrapped by a laminated outer cortex of ultra-fine-grained calcite. These ‘‘clast-cortex grains’’ closely resemble those produced during layer fluidization in other settings, including the basal detachments of catastrophic landslides and saturated high-velocity friction experiments on clay-bearing gouges. An overprinting foliation is present in the slip zone of the principal fault, and electron backscatter diffraction analyses indicate the presence of a weak calcite crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) in the fine-grained matrix. The calcite c-axes are systematically inclined in the direction of shear. We suggest that fluidization of ultracataclastic sub-layers and formation of clast-cortex grains within the principal slip zone occurred at high strain rates during propagation of seismic ruptures whereas development of an overprinting CPO occurred by intergranular pressure solution during post-seismic creep. Further work is required to document the range of microstructures in localized slip zones that cross-cut different lithologies, and to compare natural slip zone microstructures with those produced in controlled deformation experiments

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Gouge formation by dynamic pulverization during earthquake rupture

Cited by 172 publications

References 28 publications

Chemical and Physical Characteristics of Pulverized Tejon Lookout Granite Adjacent to the San Andreas and Garlock Faults: Implications for Earthquake Physics

Chemical and Physical Characteristics of Pulverized Tejon Lookout Granite Adjacent to the San Andreas and Garlock Faults: Implications for Earthquake Physics

The Energetics of Cataclasis Based on Breakage Mechanics

Principal Slip Zones in Limestone: Microstructural Characterization and Implications for the Seismic Cycle (Tre Monti Fault, Central Apennines, Italy)

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