Lithological controls on the deformation mechanisms operating within carbonate-hosted faults during the seismic cycle

Heterogeneous strength and fault zone complexity of carbonate-bearing thrusts with possible implications for seismicity

“…Smith et al, 2011;Fondriest et al, 2013) that present microstructures indicating thermal decomposition Bullock et al, 2014). This evidence suggests that strong portions of the fault might be prone to seismic faulting.…”

“…The geological evidence of the systematic control of the lithology over the fault structure has been widely observed in the Northern Apennines (Alvarez et al, 1978;Koopman, 1983;Agosta and Aydin, 2006;Bussolotto et al, 2007;De Paola et al, 2008;Billi, 2010;Smith et al, 2011;Tesei et al, 2013;Bullock et al, 2014;Collettini et al, 2014b) and other carbonatic sequences throughout the world (e.g. Wojtal and Mitra, 1986;Prior and Behrmann, 1990;Willemse et al, 1997;Lacroix et al, 2011;Gratier et al, 2013).…”

“…Chiaraluce et al, 2003;Bernard et al, 2006;Burchfiel et al, 2008;Nissen et al, 2014) and might help to understand how the growth of large faults can be the result of a combination of seismic pulses and ductile deformation (e.g. Wojtal and Mitra, 1986;Yue et al, 2005).…”

Frictional heterogeneities on carbonate‐bearing normal faults: Insights from the Monte Maggio Fault, Italy

“…At the outcrop scale, the fault is composed of parallel, distinct slip surfaces extending for a total width of ~50 m (Figure ), all showing kinematic indicators of fault slip that are consistent with the current, extensional tectonic setting. Fault structure and slip surface phenomena are consistent with observations of other normal faults cutting carbonate lithologies [ Stewart and Hancock , ; Smith et al ., ; Bullock et al ., ] and are more fully explored in a separate manuscript [ Collettini et al ., ]. Here we focus on an exceptionally well‐exposed fault exposure (Figure , top) that separates cataclastic fault rocks derived from the Calcare Massiccio massive limestones (Lower Jurassic) in the footwall and cataclasite, formed mainly from marly limestone of the Bugarone formation (Upper Jurassic‐Lower cretaceous) in the hanging wall (Figure , bottom).…”

Structural and temporal evolution of a reactivated brittle–ductile fault – Part I: Fault architecture, strain localization mechanisms and deformation history

“…Chlorite, as other phyllosilicates, has a low friction coefficient (μ ∼ 0.3; Behnsen and Faulkner, 2012) compared to the bulk strength of most crustal rocks (0.6-0.85; Byerlee, 1978), and therefore can slide at relatively low differential stresses. However, in the case of the San Andreas Fault it has been argued that the frictional strength of chlorite is still too high to accommodate stable creep by frictional grain sliding alone, and that other mechanisms have to be active (e.g.…”