How thick is a fault? Fault displacement-thickness scaling revisited

Shipton, Zoe K.; Soden, A. M.; Kirkpatrick, J. D.; Bright, Aileen M.; Lunn, Rebecca

doi:10.1029/170gm19

Cited by 126 publications

(101 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…The functional form of the decrease in structure density is similar to models for decreasing stress magnitudes with distance from a fault [Cowie and Scholz, 1992;Scholz et al, 1993;Savage and Brodsky, 2011]. However, the rate of decrease in structure density and damage zone thickness vary significantly for different faults, contributing to scattered scaling relations between damage zone characteristics and displacement [e.g., Hull, 1988;Evans, 1990;Knott et al, 1996;Shipton et al, 2006;Childs et al, 2009;Faulkner et al, 2011a;Savage and Brodsky, 2011]. Damage zone thickness may also scale with parent fault length [Vermilye and Scholz, 1998;Davatzes and Aydin, 2003;de Joussineau et al, 2007;Perrin et al, 2016].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

The damage is done: Low fault friction recorded in the damage zone of the shallow Japan Trench décollement

Keren

Kirkpatrick

2016

JGR Solid Earth

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Fault damage zones record the integrated deformation caused by repeated slip on faults and reflect the conditions that control slip behavior. To investigate the Japan Trench décollement, we characterized the damage zone close to the fault from drill core recovered during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 343 (Japan Trench Fast Drilling Project (JFAST)). Core‐scale and microscale structures include phyllosilicate bands, shear fractures, and joints. They are most abundant near the décollement and decrease in density sharply above and below the fault. Power law fits describing the change in structure density with distance from the fault result in decay exponents (n) of 1.57 in the footwall and 0.73 in the hanging wall. Microstructure decay exponents are 1.09 in the footwall and 0.50 in the hanging wall. Observed damage zone thickness is on the order of a few tens of meters. Core‐scale structures dip between ~10° and ~70° and are mutually crosscutting. Compared to similar offset faults, the décollement has large decay exponents and a relatively narrow damage zone. Motivated by independent constraints demonstrating that the plate boundary is weak, we tested if the observed damage zone characteristics could be consistent with low‐friction fault. Quasi‐static models of off‐fault stresses and deformation due to slip on a wavy, frictional fault under conditions similar to the JFAST site predict that low‐friction fault produces narrow damage zones with no preferred orientations of structures. These results are consistent with long‐term frictional weakness on the décollement at the JFAST site.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

The damage is done: Low fault friction recorded in the damage zone of the shallow Japan Trench décollement

Keren

Kirkpatrick

2016

JGR Solid Earth

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“…The depths to the top of the hard limestone or to the base of the previous units were ranged from 140 to 220 m. We recorded at several wells the water level raised, in maximum, to ~25 m over the main depth to groundwater. The pumping tests reflected that the fracture density, shale content, and thickness of rock units such as the shale, shaly limestone, and limy shale, which have low-to-medium effective zones (connected fractures) and affect directly on the rate of pumping or productivity of groundwater, and pure limestone, locations of wells according to the location of recorded faults and its down-throw and up-throw, and rate of pumping in governing the storages and transmissivity of the recorded aquifer Shipton et al (2006) concluded that the fault zones in the upper crust produce permeability heterogeneities that have a large impact on subsurface fluid migration and storage patterns.…”

Section: Well Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Resistivity method contribution in determining of fault zone and hydro-geophysical characteristics of carbonate aquifer, eastern desert, Egypt

2018

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Determination of fault zone and hydro-geophysical characteristics of the fractured aquifers are complicated, because their fractures are controlled by different factors. Therefore, 60 VESs were carried out as well as 17 productive wells for determining the locations of the fault zones and the characteristics of the carbonate aquifer at the eastern desert, Egypt. The general curve type of the recorded rock units was QKH. These curves were used in delineating the zones of faults according to the application of the new assumptions. The main aquifer was included at end of the K-curve type and front of the H-curve type. The subsurface layers classified into seven different geoelectric layers. The fractured shaly limestone and fractured limestone layers were the main aquifer and their resistivity changed from low to medium (11-93 Ω m). The hydro-geophysical properties of this aquifer such as the areas of very high, high, and intermediate fracture densities of high groundwater accumulations, salinity, shale content, porosity distribution, and recharging and flowing of groundwater were determined. The statistical analysis appeared that depending of aquifer resistivity on the water salinities (T.D.S.) and water resistivities add to the fracture density and shale content. The T.D.S. increasing were controlled by Na + , Cl − , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , and then (SO 4 ) 2− , respectively. The porosity was calculated and its average value was 19%. The hydrochemical analysis of groundwater appeared that its type was brackish and the arrangements of cation concentrations were Na + > Ca 2+ > Mg 2+ > K + and anion concentrations were Cl − > (SO 4 ) 2− > HCO 3 − > CO 3 − . The groundwater was characterized by sodium-bicarbonate and sodium-sulfate genetic water types and meteoric in origin. Hence, it can use the DC-resistivity method in delineating the fault zone and determining the hydro-geophysical characteristics of the fractured aquifer with taking into account the quality of measurements and interpretation.

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“…A long-lived history of progressive deformation can be expected to lead to a more complex buildup of faults with potentially asymmetric permeability structures (Wibberley and Shimamoto 2003). Fault-zone thickness shows a clear positive correlation with displacement (Bense et al 2013;Childs et al 2009) but is strongly depending on the overall deformation history (Savage and Brodsky 2011;Shipton et al 2006 and references cited there).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Agosta et al 2010Agosta et al , 2012Caine et al 1996;Faulkner et al 2010;Jourde et al 2002;Mitchell and Faulkner 2012;Shipton and Cowie 2003;Shipton et al 2006;Wibberley and Shimamoto 2003;Wibberley et al 2008). In shallow crustal depths, primary deformation mechanisms such as cataclasis, deformation banding, brecciation and fracturing are similar for crystalline, siliciclastic and carbonate rocks, but water-rock interaction in carbonates has the potential to generate completely different permeability characteristics impacting fluid flow in aquifers (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hydrogeological properties of fault zones in a karstified carbonate aquifer (Northern Calcareous Alps, Austria)

2016

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This study presents a comparative, field-based hydrogeological characterization of exhumed, inactive fault zones in low-porosity Triassic dolostones and limestones of the Hochschwab massif, a carbonate unit of high economic importance supplying 60 % of the drinking water of Austria's capital, Vienna. Cataclastic rocks and sheared, strongly cemented breccias form low-permeability (<1 mD) domains along faults. Fractured rocks with fracture densities varying by a factor of 10 and fracture porosities varying by a factor of 3, and dilation breccias with average porosities >3 % and permeabilities >1,000 mD form high-permeability domains. With respect to fault-zone architecture and rock content, which is demonstrated to be different for dolostone and limestone, four types of faults are presented. Faults with single-stranded minor fault cores, faults with single-stranded permeable fault cores, and faults with multiple-stranded fault cores are seen as conduits. Faults with single-stranded impermeable fault cores are seen as conduit-barrier systems. Karstic carbonate dissolution occurs along fault cores in limestones and, to a lesser degree, dolostones and creates superposed highpermeability conduits. On a regional scale, faults of a particular deformation event have to be viewed as forming a network of flow conduits directing recharge more or less rapidly towards the water table and the springs. Sections of impermeable fault cores only very locally have the potential to create barriers.

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How thick is a fault? Fault displacement-thickness scaling revisited

Cited by 126 publications

References 32 publications

The damage is done: Low fault friction recorded in the damage zone of the shallow Japan Trench décollement

The damage is done: Low fault friction recorded in the damage zone of the shallow Japan Trench décollement

Resistivity method contribution in determining of fault zone and hydro-geophysical characteristics of carbonate aquifer, eastern desert, Egypt

Hydrogeological properties of fault zones in a karstified carbonate aquifer (Northern Calcareous Alps, Austria)

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