Microfracture analysis of fault growth and wear processes, Punchbowl Fault, San Andreas system, California

Wilson, Jennifer E.; Chester, J. S.; Chester, F. M.

doi:10.1016/s0191-8141(03)00036-1

Cited by 203 publications

(166 citation statements)

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“…A linear transect was drawn down the center of each examined core section, and the depths (in mbsf) of all tectonic structures intersecting the line were recorded. This sampling method is the recommended practice in borehole image logs and cores [Zeeb et al, 2013] and has also been shown to document elevated structure density in the vicinity of major faults at the outcrop scale [e.g., Schulz and Evans, 1998;Vermilye and Scholz, 1998;Wilson et al, 2003;Mitchell and Faulkner, 2009;Faulkner et al, 2011a;Savage and Brodsky, 2011]. Where the spacing between structures was~0.5 cm or less (i.e., breccia zones), we approximated the density of structures within the zone by determining the average clast size.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Three orthogonal thin sections were prepared from each sample [e.g., Friedman, 1969;Anders and Wiltschko, 1994]. JFAST lithologies are dominantly a mixture of micrometer-sized clay, volcanic debris, and microfossils, making the method of counting intragranular fractures in 50+ quartz grains per thin section impractical [e.g., Anders and Wiltschko, 1994;Wilson et al, 2003]. …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fracture modes and attitudes in the damage zone are a function of the stress field when they form, suggesting that fracture characteristics can be useful for constraining off-fault stresses [e.g., Kilsdonk and Fletcher, 1989;Saucier et al, 1992;Chester and Fletcher, 1997;Chester and Chester, 2000;Di Toro et al, 2005;Griffith et al, 2010]. Based on this relation, the types, distributions, and orientations of damage zone structures corresponding to each fault evolution process have been recognized in some cases, including mature faults that have experienced many slip events [e.g., Vermilye and Scholz, 1998;Wilson et al, 2003;Mitchell and Faulkner, 2009]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Processes that cause damage zone growth include fault and process zone propagation and linkage [e.g., Cowie and Scholz, 1992;McGrath and Davison, 1995;Vermilye and Scholz, 1998], wear related to fault geometry [e.g., Scholz, 1987;Wilson et al, 2003], and off-fault plasticity accompanying earthquake rupture [e.g., Rice et al, 2005; J. P. Ampuero and X. Mao, Upper limit on damage zone thickness controlled by seismogenic depth, in Fault Zone Dynamic Processes: Evolution of Fault Properties During Seismic Rupture, AGU Monogr., edited by M. Y. Thomas, H. S. Bhat, and T. Mitchell, manuscripts in preparation, 2016]. Fracture modes and attitudes in the damage zone are a function of the stress field when they form, suggesting that fracture characteristics can be useful for constraining off-fault stresses [e.g., Kilsdonk and Fletcher, 1989;Saucier et al, 1992;Chester and Fletcher, 1997;Chester and Chester, 2000;Di Toro et al, 2005;Griffith et al, 2010].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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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“…[4] The gouge and breccia zones are bordered, in turn, by fractured (but not fragmented) wall rock in which the fracture density (damage) decreases to the regional background level over a distance on the order of 100 meters [Chester and Logan, 1986;Wilson et al, 2003;King and Sammis, 1992]. There is a wide range of variation in this basic structure, particularly in the widths of the constitutive layers and in degree of symmetry about the core [Ben-Zion and Sammis, 2003;Biegel and Sammis, 2004].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanical origin of power law scaling in fault zone rock

Sammis

King

2007

Geophysical Research Letters

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[1] A nearest neighbor fragmentation model, previously developed to explain observations of power law particle distributions in 3D with mass dimension D 3 % 2.6 (D 2 % 2.6 in 2D section) in low-strain fault gouge and breccia, is extended to the case of large strains to explain recent observations of D 3 % 3.0 (D 2 % 2.0 in 2D section) in the highly strained cores of many exhumed fault zones. At low strains, the elimination of same-sized nearest neighbors has been shown to produce a power law distribution which is characterized by a mass dimension near D 3 % 2.6. With increasing shear strain these isolated same-size neighbors can collide, in which case one of them fractures. The probability of two same size neighbors colliding and fragmenting in a simple shear flow is a function of the size and density of the two particles. Only for a power law distribution with D 3 = 3.0 is this collision probability independent of the size of the particles.

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Predicting fault damage zones by modeling dynamic rupture propagation and comparison with field observations

Johri

Dunham²,

Zoback

et al. 2014

J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth

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We use a two-dimensional plane strain dynamic rupture model with strongly rate-weakening friction and off-fault Drucker-Prager plasticity to model damage zones associated with buried second-order thrust faults observed in the SSC reservoir. The modeling of ruptures propagating as self-sustaining pulses is performed in the framework of continuum plasticity where the plasticity formulation includes both deviatoric and volumetric plastic strains. The material deforming inelastically due to stress perturbations generated by the propagating rupture is assumed to be the damage zone associated with the fault. Dilatant plastic strains are converted into a fracture population by assuming that the dilatant plastic strain is manifested in the form of fractures. The cumulative effect of multiple slip events is considered by superposition of the plastic strain field obtained from individual slip events. The relative number of various magnitude slip events is chosen so as to honor the Gutenberg-Richter law. Results show that the decay of fracture density (F) with distance (r) from the fault can be described by a power law F = F 0 r À n . The fault constant F 0 represents the fracture density at unit distance from the fault. The decay rate (n) in fracture density is approximately 0.85 close to the fault and increases to~1.4 at larger distances (>10 m). Modeled damage zones are approximately 60-100 m wide. These attributes are similar to those observed in the SSC reservoir using wellbore image logs and those reported in outcrop studies. Considering fault roughness affects local damage zone characteristics, these characteristics are similar to those modeled around planar faults at a scale (~10 m) that affects bulk fluid-flow properties.

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Microfracture analysis of fault growth and wear processes, Punchbowl Fault, San Andreas system, California

Cited by 203 publications

References 45 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

Mechanical origin of power law scaling in fault zone rock

Predicting fault damage zones by modeling dynamic rupture propagation and comparison with field observations

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