Experimental investigation on fluid-induced slip behavior of fault filled with fault gouge

Fault zones are usually filled with fault gouge and accompanied by fault water.The coupled effect of fault gouge and water significantly impacts the slip behavior of the fault,which may weaken the fault structure and further induce rupture propagation and earthquakes.In this study,we carried out a laboratory experiment to investigate the fluid-induced slip behavior of fault filled with gouge.The friction evolution characteristic associated with fluid pressure and effective stress was investigated during the slip process.In addition,the role transformation process of the gouge on the slip behavior of fault was revealed.The experimental result indicates that the friction on the filled fault surface is significantly affected by fault gouge.The rupture of the gouge promotes fault slip and the fluid pressure plays a vital role in the initiation of fault slip.The fault gouge enhances the shearing strength of the fault and acts as a barrier before the initial slip under fluid injection.Nevertheless,the fault gouge would accelerate the fault slip and transform into lubricant after the initial slip.

A Comparison Study of Synkinematic Illite Isolation,Quantitative X-ray Powder Diffraction,and K-Ar Dating for Direct Fault Gouge Analyses

K-Ar dating of synkinematic illite is increasingly recognized as a central method to constrain the timing of shallow crustal faulting.Methods of efficient sample preparation and quantitative identification of illite polytypes are critical to acquiring K-Ar isotope data for authigenic clays.In this respect,we compared the commonly used clay size separation method through centrifugation with vacuum filtration technology,showing that the former is prone to extract fractions with finer particle sizes under similar conditions,thus improving the error in the authigenic end-member age.Additionally,we demonstrated that the side-packed mounting method for X-ray diffraction analysis can significantly enhance the randomness in powder samples,thus improving the quantification accuracy compared with the front-packed and back-packed methods.The validity of our quantification method was confirmed by comparing Profex■modeling patterns with a suite of synthetic mixtures of known compositions,yielding an average analytical error of 3%.Dating results of these artificial mixtures and the reference materials indicated that a large range in percentages of detrital illite and a sufficient amount of age data will produce reliable results for ages of both extrapolated end-members.However,if the range is limited,the extrapolated age close to those of datasets is still reliable.

Suggestion of advanced regression model on friction angle of fault gouge in South Korea

Although friction characteristics of fault gouge are important to understand reactivation of fault,behavior of earthquake,and mechanism of slope failure,analysis results of fault gouge have low accuracy mostly than those of soils or rocks due to its high heterogeneity and low strength.Therefore,to improve the accuracy of analysis results,we conducted simple regression analysis and structural equation model analysis and selected major influential factors of friction characteristics among many factors,and then we deduced advanced regression model with the highest coefficient of determination(R^(2)) via multiple regression analysis.Whereas most coefficients of determination in simple regression analysis are below0.3-0.4,coefficient of determination in multiple regression analysis is remarkably large as 0.657.

Adaptability of ESR dating of fault gouge in aseismic region:A case study on Hangzhou region, China

ESR dating has been widely used in seismic assessment. In this paper, we collected fault gouge samples systematically for ESR (Electron Spin Resonance) dating, and sediment samples of overlying strata, and offset strata for OSL (Optically Stimulated Luminescence) dating along Xiaoshan-Qiuchuan fault (XQF) trending NE-SW, Xiaofeng-Sanmen fault (XSF) trending NW-SE, and Changhua-Putuo fault (CPF) trending E-W. In the same fault outcrop, the ESR data of fault gouge is greater than the OSL data of the strata offset by fault. Therefore, the ESR data of fault gouge colleted in Hangzhou region do not represent the time of weak fault movement in Late Quaternary region, but represent the strong fault movements in Late Cenozoic. The episode of fault movement in Late Cenozoic could be speculated according to the ESR data: 1.000.58 Ma, there were strong fault movements along the XSF, XQF and CPF in Hangzhou region; 0.580.45 Ma, the fault movements of all faults became weaker and did not zero ESR signals significantly for ESR dating of fault movements; 0.450.20 Ma, there were strong fault movements along part of XQF; 0.10.01 Ma, there were fault movements along the XSF only, but the fault movements were not strong enough to reset the ESR signal; Since 0.01 Ma, the Hangzhou region tends to be stable. In addition, the XSF might be the division line of fault segmentation of XQF; there were strong fault movements along the southwest segment of XQF during 0.45 Ma to 0.20 Ma; while the fault movements along the northeast segment of XQF mainly occurred during 1.000.58 Ma.

Influence of the characteristics of fault gouge on the stability of a borehole wall

How to find more effective way to stabilize the borehole wall in the fault gouge section is the key technical challenge to control the stability of the borehole wall in the Wenchuan fault gouge section during the process of core drilling. Here we try to describe the characters of deep fault gouge in fracture zones from the undisturbed fault gouge samples which are obtained during the core drilling. The X- Ray Diffraction （XRD）, X-Ray Fluorescence （XRF） and Scanning Electron Microscope （SEM） provided the detailed information of the fault gouge＇s microscopic characteristics on the density, moisture content, expansibility, dispersity, permeability, tensile strength and other main physical-mechanical properties. Based on these systematic experimental studies above and analysis of the fault gouge instability mechanism, a new technical procedure to stabilize the borehole wall is proposed -- a low water and a low loss low permeability drilling fluid system that consists of 4% day ＋ 0.5% CMC-HV ＋ 2% S-1 ＋ 3%sulfonated asphalt ＋ 1% SMC ＋ 0.5% X-1 ＋ 0-5% T type lubricant ＋ barite for core drilling in fault gouge sections.

Experimental investigation on the origin of carbonaceous materials in the fault zone of the Wenchuan earthquake

Carbonaceous materials in seismic fault zones may considerably influence seismic fault slip;however,the formation mechanism of carbonaceous materials remains unclear.In this study,we proposed a novel hypothesis for the formation of carbonaceous materials in fault gouge.Thus,we conducted a CO_(2) hydrogenation experiment in a high-temperature reactor at a co-seismic temperature,with fault gouge formed during the Wenchuan earthquake as the catalyst.Our experimental results demonstrate that carbonaceous materials in fault zones are formed on the fault gouge during the chemical reaction process,suggesting that the carbonaceous materials are possibly generated from the catalytic hydrogenation of CO_(2),followed by thermal cracking of its products.The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for understanding fault behavior and earthquake physics.

Fractal research of fault gouge

The process and result of fractal research of natural fault gouge collected from the active fault zone at northern edge of Western Qinling Mt. by using optical and electronic microscope technics were introduced in this paper. The fractal dimension of this fault gouge is D =2.594±0.122 (2 D plane D =1.594±0.122), and its upper limit of fractal dimension occurs at grain size at 9.6～19.2 mm. The study result shows that this gouge is fractal, and its characteristic displacement parameter of stick slip friction can be determined by upper limit of fractal dimension. The feature of protolith which affect fractality and the significance of gouge fractal to seismic fault changes are also disscussed in the paper.

Effect of mineralogy on friction-dilation relationships for simulated faults:Implications for permeability evolution in caprock faults

This paper experimentally explores the frictional sliding behavior of two simulated gouges:one,a series of quartz–smectite mixtures,and the other,powdered natural rocks,aiming to evaluate and codify the effect of mineralogy on gouge dilation and frictional strength,stability,and healing.Specifically,velocity-stepping and slide-hold-slide experiments were performed in a double direct shear configuration to analyze frictional constitutive parameters at room temperature,under normal stresses of 10,20,and 40 MPa.Gouge dilation was measured based on the applied step-wise changes in shear velocity.The frictional response of the quartz–smectite mixtures and powdered natural rocks are affected by their phyllosilicate content.Frictional strength and healing rates decrease with increasing phyllosilicate content,and at 20 wt.%a transition from velocity-weakening to velocity-strengthening behavior was noted.For both suites of gouges,dilation is positively correlated with frictional strength and healing rates,and negatively correlated with frictional stability.Changes in the permeability of gouge-filled faults were estimated from changes in mean porosity,indexed through measured magnitudes of gouge dilation.This combined analysis implies that the reactivation of caprock faults filled with phyllosilicaterich gouges may have a strong influence on permeability evolution in caprock faults.

Dating Fault Activity Based on Surface Texture of Quartz Grains from the Bailong River Fault

Much important information referring to fault motion （e.g., fault activities period, intensity, frequency, and even dynamic background） can be revealed by resolving fault gouge, which is the result of fault motion while extruding or grinding. The field investigation encompassed sample collecting from the Bailong River fault system of the western segment of the Qinling Orogenic Belt （QOB）; 44 samples of fault gouges were collected for quartz micro-morphology analysis. These samples were analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy. In addition, 14 samples were tested for thermo-luminescence dating. The results showed that most of the surface textures of quartz grains are characterized by fish scale, moss-like texture, and stalactite. However, a small amount of orange peel-like fractures and worm-hole-like shaped surface texture were observed. Moreover, a few typical conchoids or subconchoidal fractures in quartz grains can be seen. This implies that the Bailong River Fault was active repeatedly during the Quaternary period, but the main motion period is the Pleistocene. The 14 thermo-luminescence dating values showed two age groups： 343.29-184.06 ka and 92.18-13.87 ka. These study data reveal that fault movement started during the Pliocene, occurred frequently in the early-middle period of the Pleistocene, and the peak frequency of the motion was reached in the early Pleistocene. The fault motions were stopped terminated in the early Holocene. The results are significant for the natural disaster risk evaluation in the western segment of the QOB.