断层内部结构及其对封闭性的影响

先前的研究多考虑断层封堵和开启的2种极端状态,近来的研究认为,在多数情况下断层处于2种之间的状态,只有在静止期具有封闭能力的断层,才有可能对油气起封堵作用。分析断层对流体运移的影响,需要分析断层在演化过程中的内部结构特征。断层可以划分出破碎带、诱导裂缝带和围岩3部分,断层岩和伴生裂缝构成破碎带的主体部分。常见的断层岩包括断层角砾岩、断层泥和部分碎裂岩,它们充填在断层裂缝空间中,断层内部结构受断层形成时的构造应力性质、断层活动强度和围岩岩性因素的控制。从动态角度看,随着断距增加,断层活动伴随着裂缝的发育和岩石的破碎混杂,可用泥质源岩层厚度和断距的比值来划分不同的发育阶段。断层活动期为油气运移通道,在静止时表现出差异性的封闭,通常用断层渗透率和排替压力2个参数来定量评价断层的封闭程度。断层岩渗透率主要受断距、泥质含量、埋深等因素的控制;断层排替压力的预测方法有2种:一种是从断层岩成岩角度分析的"等效埋深法",另一种是分析实测排替压力与主控地质因素的"拟合法"。通过简化的断层模型,建立了渗透率、排替压力与主控因素的预测关系。和储层类似,流体在断层中的运移遵循多孔介质的渗流特征。利用断层两侧的流体压力和油气柱高度并不能直接评价封闭性能,还必须考虑油气充注史和流体压力变化历史。     

Folding and faulting of strain-hardening sedimentary rocks

The question of whether single- or multi-layers of sedimentary rocks will fault or fold when subjected to layer-parallel shortening is investigated by means of the theory of elastic-plastic, strain-hardening materials, which should closely describe the properties of sedimentary rocks at high levels in the Earth's crust. The most attractive feature of the theory is that folding and faulting, intimately related in nature, are different responses of the same idealized material to different conditions.When single-layers of sedimentary rock behave much as strain-hardening materials they are unlikely to fold, rather they tend to fault, because contrasts in elasticity and strength properties of sedimentary rocks are low. Amplifications of folds in such materials are negligible whether contacts between layer and media are bonded or free to slip for single layers of dolomite, limestone, sandstone, or siltstone in media of shale. Multilayers of these same rocks fault rather than fold if contacts are bonded, but they fold readily if contacts between layers are frictionless, or have low yield strengths, for example due to high pore-water pressure. Faults may accompany the folds, occurring where compression is increased in cores of folds. Where there is predominant reverse faulting in sedimentary sequences, there probably were few structural units.     

沁水盆地安泽地区煤层气富集主控地质因素

通过对沁水盆地安泽区块煤层气地质条件和储层条件的深入分析,探讨了该区煤层气的富集规律及主要影响因素。研究发现,煤的岩石学特征、构造、顶底板岩性是影响煤层气富集的主要因素。总体上,安泽区块煤储层含气量受煤阶影响,表现为:煤的变质程度越高,吸附能力整体增强,含气量增大。局部区域,煤层气含量受煤层埋深、断层、褶皱及煤层顶底板岩性等综合因素的影响。在构造平缓带,煤层气含量随埋深增大而增大;在构造活动带,正断层上升盘含气量明显低于下降盘含气量,断层对煤层气的逸散作用明显。此外,泥岩顶底板封盖较砂岩顶底板封盖能力强。      

Compressive Tectonics around Tibetan Plateau Edges

Various earthquake fault types, mechanism solutions, stress field, and other geophysical data were analyzed for study on the crust movement in the Tibetan plateau and its tectonic implications. The results show that numbers of thrust fault and strike-slip fault type earthquakes with strong compressive stress near NNE-SSW direction occurred in the edges around the plateau except the eastern boundary. Some normal faulting type earthquakes concentrate in the Central Tibetan plateau. The strikes of fault planes of thrust and strike-slip faulting earthquakes are almost in the E-W direction based on the analyses of the Wulff stereonet diagrams of fault plane solutions. This implies that the dislocation slip vectors of the thrust and strike-slip faulting type events have quite great components in the N-S direction. The compression motion mainly probably plays the tectonic active regime around the plateau edges. The compressive stress in N-S or NE-SW directions predominates earthquake occurrence in the thrust and strike-slip faulting event region around the plateau. The compressive motion around the Tibetan plateau edge is attributable to the northward motion of the Indian subcontinent plate. The northward motion of the Tibetan plateau shortened in the N-S direction encounters probably strong obstructions at the western and northern margins.     

Sedimentology and kinematics of a large, retrogressive growth-fault system in Upper Carboniferous deltaic sediments, western Ireland

Growth faulting is a common feature of many deltaic environments and is vital in determining local sediment dispersal and accumulation, and hence in controlling the resultant sedimentary facies distribution and architecture. Growth faults occur on a range of scales, from a few centimetres to hundreds of metres, with the largest growth faults frequently being under‐represented in outcrops that are often smaller than the scale of feature under investigation. This paper presents data from the exceptionally large outcrops of the Cliffs of Moher, western Ireland, where a growth‐fault complex affects strata up to 60 m in thickness and extends laterally for ≈ 3 km. Study of this Namurian (Upper Carboniferous) growth‐fault system enables the relationship between growth faulting and sedimentation to be detailed and permits reconstruction of the kinematic history of faulting. Growth faulting was initiated with the onset of sandstone deposition on a succession of silty mudstones that overlie a thin, marine shale. The decollement horizon developed at the top of the marine shale contact for the first nine faults, by which time aggradation in the hangingwall exceeded 60 m in thickness. After this time, failure planes developed at higher stratigraphic levels and were associated with smaller scale faults. The fault complex shows a dominantly landward retrogressive movement, in which only one fault was largely active at any one time. There is no evidence of compressional features at the base of the growth faults, thus suggesting open‐ended slides, and the faults display both disintegrative and non‐disintegrative structure. Thin‐bedded, distal mouth bar facies dominate the hangingwall stratigraphy and, in the final stages of growth‐fault movement, erosion of the crests of rollover structures resulted in the highest strata being restricted to the proximity of the fault. These upper erosion surfaces on the fault scarp developed erosive chutes that were cut parallel to flow and are downlapped by the distal hangingwall strata of younger growth faults.     

Thermal effects of normal faulting during rifted basin formation, 2. The Lugano-Val Grande normal fault and the role of pre-existing thermal anomalies

We investigate the thermal consequences of rift-related normal faulting and compare the results with a well-studied natural example, the Lugano-Val Grande normal fault (Southern Alps). Only limited heating of the crust is caused by lithospheric thinning. In the simple but realistic situation where heat conduction is substantially faster than heat advection, no major thermal disturbance is associated with the downward movement of the hanging wall.

Radiometric ages and fault rocks associated with the Lugano-Val Grande normal fault demonstrate that cooling rather than heating affected the crust during normal faulting. This pattern is not compatible with such a simple numerical model and is explained by a waning thermal anomaly induced by a magmatic intrusion immediately preceding or overlapping with the first stages of normal faulting. The magmatic body must have been emplaced at depths greater than 15–18 km, and probably started to cool in the Carnian i.e. few million years before the onset of normal faulting along the Lugano-Val Grande fault.     

Mechanics of growth of some laccolithic intrusions in the Henry mountains, Utah, I: Field observations, Gilbert's model, physical properties and flow of the magma

The shapes of sills and laccolithic intrusions and associated host rock deformation were studied at several locations on the flanks of the Henry Mountains. Diorite sills range from 0.5 to 10 m in thickness, are less than 1 km² in areal extent, and have blunt terminations. The laccolithic intrusions range from 10 to 200 m in thickness, and from 1 to 3 km² in areal extent. The host rock, principally sandstone and shale, is deformed along closely spaced cataclastic shear planes. This deformation is concentrated at contacts, especially near sill terminations and over laccolith peripheries. The diorite contains plagioclase phenocrysts which are usually sheared in a thin zone adjacent to each contact. Field observations suggest that sills are the forerunners of laccolithic intrusions which form only after magma has spread far enough laterally (greater than about 1 km² in the Henry Mountains) to gain leverage to bend the overburden upward. Further injection of magma results in laccolithic peripheries or terminations with one of three distinct cross-sectional forms: (1) blunt termination of the diorite accompanied by bending and minor faulting of the host rock; (2) termination at a peripheral diorite dike cutting upward across the host rock; or (3) abrupt termination of the diorite against a nearly vertical fault zone.In order to study some of the processes of sill and laccolith intrusion, mechanical models for the driving pressure, physical properties, and flow behavior of the diorite magma are derived and discussed. A static driving pressure (equal to the difference between total magma pressure and lithostatic pressure) of up to 700 bar is estimated. The rheological behavior of the magma in the Henry Mountains is unknown. However, flow behavior is calculated assuming three of the more common models for fluids: Newtonian viscous, pseudoplastic, and Bingham. Suspended crystals probably contributed to the finite strength of the magma (estimated to be at least 10³ dyn/cm² for the Henry Mountains magma) which enables it to support dense zenoliths and also fixes maximum limits on the lengths of sills or dikes. Pressure in magma flowing along tabular intrusions of uniform thickness drops linearly in the flow direction for all three rheological materials. Thickening of tabular intrusions tends to make the pressure drop less rapidly, but pressure drops more rapidly in the tapered region near a termination. Pressure distributions under these and other conditions are derived in order to use them in the models of host rock deformation presented in Part II.     

Continental Dynamics in High Tibetan Plateau: Normal Faulting Type Earthquake Activities and Mechanisms

Various earthquake fault types were analyzed for this study on the crust movement in the high region of the Tibetan plateau by analyzing mechanism solutions and stress fields. The results show that a lot of normal faulting type earthquakes are concentrated in the central High Tibetan plateau. Many of them are nearly perfect normal fault events. The strikes of the fault planes of normal faulting earthquakes are almost in an N-S direction based on the analyses of the Wulff stereonet diagrams of fault plane solutions. It implies that the dislocation slip vectors of the normal faulting type events have quite great components in the E-W direction. The extensions probably are an eastward extensional motion, being mainly a tectonic active regime in the plateau altitudes. The tensional stress in the E-W or NWW-SEE direction predominates earthquake occurrences in the normal event region of the central plateau. The eastward extensional motion in the high Tibetan plateau is attributable to the gravitational collapse of the high plateau and the eastward extrusion of hotter mantle materials beneath the east boundary of the plateau. Extensional motions from the relaxation of the topography and/or gravitational collapse in the high plateau hardly occurred along the N-S direction. The obstruction for the plateau to move eastward is rather weak.     

Effects of fault activities on hydrocarbon migration and accumulation in the Zhu I Depression,Pearl River Mouth Basin,South China Sea

Faults can act as either conduits or barriers for hydrocarbon migration, because they have complicated anisotropic flow properties owing to their complicated three-dimensional structures. This study focuses on the Zhu I Depression, Pearl River Mouth Basin (PRMB), China. In this area, hydrocarbon migration and accumulation occurred over a relatively short period of time and were contemporaneous with fault activation, so the characteristics of hydrocarbon accumulations can be used to deduce the effect of active faults on hydrocarbon migration and accumulation. This study addresses the effect of fault activity on flow properties during hydrocarbon migration through a quantitative and comparative analysis of fault activity vs hydrocarbon accumulation. The fault slip rate and shale smear factor parameters were used to characterise faulting and elucidate its effect on hydrocarbon migration and accumulation. Active faults are generally excellent vertical conduits with strong fault activation resulting in vertical migration of most hydrocarbons and little preservation; traps near faults with fault slip rates greater than 20 m/Ma rarely contain commercial oil and gas accumulations. Faulting can form shale smear, which, if continuous, can act as a barrier to hydrocarbon migration. An active fault can allow hydrocarbon transport from deeper formations and to be trapped by continuous shale smear in shallower strata. Most of the oil and gas in the Zhu I Depression have accumulated near faults with a moderate fault slip rate (<20 m/Ma) and development of continuous shale smear (SSF<4–6).     

西秦岭北缘断裂带漳县—车厂断层的结构及构造演化

西秦岭北缘断裂带是青藏高原东北缘主要构造边界断裂带之一, 其构造变形历史和运动学特征研究可以为西秦岭中新生代构造过程和印度—亚洲板块碰撞动力学的远程构造响应提供约束。漳县—车厂断层是西秦岭北缘断裂带的重要组成部分, 通过对工程开挖所揭露的断层带内丰富构造现象的观测与分析, 至少可以辨别出3期性质、规模、运动学特征各异的构造变形事件。第一期为向北北东陡倾的伸展正断层作用; 第二期为向南南西倾的由南向北的逆冲断层作用; 第三期为沿近直立断面左旋走滑作用。尽管每期变形的时代尚缺乏构造物质测年的约束, 但根据其与白垩系、新近系的空间关系以及已有第四纪以来沿断层地貌位错和相关沉积物测年以及地震活动历史研究对断层左旋走滑作用的时代约束, 认为第一期伸展正断层作用起始于早白垩纪, 可能持续到渐新世; 第二期向北逆冲断层作用起始于渐新世初, 可能持续到早第四纪; 第三期左旋走滑断层作用起始于晚第四纪, 持续至今。漳县—车厂断层是一条典型的多期变形的脆性断层, 其变形特征与历史, 如果代表了西秦岭北缘断裂带特征与构造变形过程, 那么现今西秦岭北缘断裂带仅是起始于早白垩纪、新生的脆性断裂带, 并非是印支主造山期大规模韧性逆冲推覆作用的边界断层。     

柴达木盆地东北缘柯柯地区铀矿化地质特征和找矿标志

为了扩大柯柯地区铀矿勘查成果,采用野外实地调查取样方法,综合分析柯柯地区的铀矿地质、物化探等资料,发现F4、F5构造带控制着柯柯地区铀矿床的分布和规模,云母石英片岩是铀成矿的有利围岩,变砂岩是成矿条件最好的含矿主岩,红化是最明显的找矿标志,伟晶岩脉、煌斑岩脉及闪长玢岩脉等脉体与铀矿化关系密切,也是较好的找矿标志。F4构造带下盘和F5构造带上盘之间是本区找矿潜力最大的区段。     

Geometry and architecture of faults in a syn-rift normal fault array: The Nukhul half-graben, Suez rift, Egypt

The geometry and architecture of a well exposed syn-rift normal fault array in the Suez rift is examined. At pre-rift level, the Nukhul fault consists of a single zone of intense deformation up to 10 m wide, with a significant monocline in the hanging wall and much more limited folding in the footwall. At syn-rift level, the fault zone is characterised by a single discrete fault zone less than 2 m wide, with damage zone faults up to approximately 200 m into the hanging wall, and with no significant monocline developed. The evolution of the fault from a buried structure with associated fault-propagation folding, to a surface-breaking structure with associated surface faulting, has led to enhanced bedding-parallel slip at lower levels that is absent at higher levels. Strain is enhanced at breached relay ramps and bends inherited from pre-existing structures that were reactivated during rifting. Damage zone faults observed within the pre-rift show ramp-flat geometries associated with contrast in competency of the layers cut and commonly contain zones of scaly shale or clay smear. Damage zone faults within the syn-rift are commonly very straight, and may be discrete fault planes with no visible fault rock at the scale of observation, or contain relatively thin and simple zones of scaly shale or gouge. The geometric and architectural evolution of the fault array is interpreted to be the result of (i) the evolution from distributed trishear deformation during upward propagation of buried fault tips to surface faulting after faults breach the surface; (ii) differences in deformation response between lithified pre-rift units that display high competence contrasts during deformation, and unlithified syn-rift units that display low competence contrasts during deformation, and; (iii) the history of segmentation, growth and linkage of the faults that make up the fault array. This has important implications for fluid flow in fault zones.     

Focal mechanisms and earthquake generating stress system in the Indonesian region

Thirty nine focal mechanisms for shallow, intermediate and deep earthquakes that occurred during the period 1964–1967 in the Indonesian Region have been studied from the first initial motion of the P or PKP waves.The position of the two nodal planes, maximum-pressure axis and maximumtension axis are presented in this paper. The correlation between the state of the pressure distributions and earthquake generating stress systems that produce shallow, intermediate and deep earthquakes are also presented. There is some systematic agreement between the results of the same study already given by others and which is presented in this paper.The dominant modes of deformation are reverse or thrust fault and normal fault rather than strike-slip faulting.     

Formation of phyllosilicates in a fault zone affecting deeply buried arkosic sandstones: their influence on petrophysic properties (Annot sandstones, French external Alps)

The Restefond fault, located in the Late Eocene-Early Oligocene Alpine foreland basin, affects the well lithified and low porosity Grès d??Annot. The fault core zone is characterized by the occurrence of highly deformed sandstone lenses. Deformation inside the lenses corresponds to mm to sub-mm-spaced cleavage planes rich in phyllosilicates and up to cm-thick and dm-long quartz-calcite pure extensional veins. The cleavages are mostly composed of newly-formed synkinematic white mica and chlorite. By using thermodynamic thermometers based on the chemical composition of chlorite, a temperature of 200?±?20?°C of fault activity was computed. This temperature shows that the Restefond fault was active at burial conditions comprised between 6.5 and 8?km, assuming a mean geothermal gradient between 25 and 30?°Ckm^?1. The petrophysic properties of sandstones from the core zone and in the hanging and foot wall of the fault were determined on drilled plugs following three spacial directions. The permeability of the highly deformed sandstone from the core zone is about one order of magnitude higher than in the host rock. This increase in permeability occurs in the direction parallel to the S?CC structures and is explained by the occurrence of well-connected micropores localized between platy phyllosilicates. This study shows that the fault petrophysic properties are mostly controlled by the precipitation of synkinematic phyllosilicates under deep burial conditions.     

南大西洋东岸尼日尔三角洲大型重力滑动构造东南缘的断裂和泥构造

尼日尔三角洲位于南大西洋东岸被动大陆边缘之上,以大型重力滑动构造为主要构造特征。该大型重力滑动构造的东南缘位于喀麦隆境内,断裂和泥构造都很发育。这里的断裂包括重力滑动构造后缘伸展形成的正断层、侧翼剪切形成的撕裂断层和泥底辟成因的断层。泥柱和泥墙是研究区的两种类型的泥构造。泥柱代表主动泥底辟;泥墙是撕裂断层控制下被动泥底辟的结果。研究区重力滑动构造相关的断裂活动起始于中新世中期,随后,在上新世和第四纪各有一个断裂活动的加速期。每个断裂活动的加速期都伴随有泥底辟。中新世中期有一次泥底辟,上新世和第四纪各有两次泥底辟。     

Normal Faulting Type Earthquake Activities in the Tibetan Plateau and Its Tectonic Implication

Abstract: This paper analyzes various earthquake fault types, mechanism solutions, stress field as well as other geophysical data to study the crust movement in the Tibetan plateau and its tectonic implications. The results show that a lot of normal faulting type earthquakes concentrate in the central Tibetan plateau. Many of them are nearly perfect normal fault events. The strikes of the fault planes of the normal faulting earthquakes are almost in the N-S direction based on the analyses of the equal area projection diagrams of fault plane solutions. It implies that the dislocation slip vectors of the normal faulting type events have quite great components in the E-W direction. The extension is probably an eastward extensional motion, mainly a tectonic active regime in the altitudes of the plateau. The tensional stress in the E-W or WNW-ESE direction predominates the earthquake occurrence in the normal event region of the central plateau. A number of thrust fault and strike-slip fault type earthquakes with strong compressive stress nearly in the NNE-SSW direction occurred on the edges of the plateau. The eastward extensional motion in the Tibetan plateau is attributable to the eastward movement of materials in the upper mantle based on seismo-tomographic results. The eastward extensional motion in the Tibetan plateau may be related to the eastward extrusion of hotter mantle materials beneath the east boundary of the plateau. The northward motion of the Tibetan plateau shortened in the N-S direction probably encounters strong obstructions at the western and northern margins. Extensional motions from the relaxation of the topography and/or gravitational collapse in the altitudes of the plateau occur hardly in the N-S direction. The obstruction for the plateau to move eastward is rather weak.     

Controls on alluvial architecture by synsedimentary faults in the Coal Measures of South Wales

A series of small-scale gravity induced synsedimentary faults are described from the Middle Coal Measures (Westphalian B) of the South Wales Coalfield. The synsedimentary nature of the faults is indicated by abrupt changes in sediment thickness across faults, eroded fault scarps and the restriction of faulting to 8·75 m of sediment bounded by laterally persistent black shales above and a seatearth below. Evidence for the non-tectonic origin of the faults is given by the presence of passive footwalls. Channel sandstone bodies occurring within the hanging walls of individual faults were deposited by discrete overbank flood events. Drainage patterns during flood events were controlled by topographic lows adjacent to the faults such that palaeocurrent data within the channel sandstone bodies indicate a S/SW transport direction parallel to fault strike. Synsedimentary fault movements resulted in the diagonal stacking of successively younger sandstone bodies adjacent to the faults, and an increase in tilt of the bodies with depth from 0 → 26°. The architecture of channel sandstone bodies was controlled by (1) the amount of fault movement and (2) fault block dimensions (or fault spacing). The interaction of these controlling factors resulted in deposition of symmetrical channel sandstone bodies over narrow fault blocks (12 m wide) with large fault displacements (7 m), asymmetrical sandstone bodies over wide fault blocks (30 m) with large fault displacement (7.5 m), and limited channel sandstone body development over fault blocks with small fault displacements (1.5 m). Synsedimentary faulting is thought to have been initiated by either seismic shock and/or overpressuring of pore fluids within buried mudstones.     

Co-seismic displacements, folding and shortening structures along the Chelungpu surface rupture zone occurred during the 1999 Chi-Chi (Taiwan) earthquake

A nearly 100-km-long surface rupture zone, called Chelungpu surface rupture zone, occurred mostly along the pre-existing Chelungpu fault on the northwestern side of Taiwan, accompanying the 1999 Chi-Chi Ms 7.6 earthquake. The Chelungpu surface rupture zone can be divided into four segments based on the characteristics of co-seismic displacements, geometry of the surface ruptures and geological structures. These segments generally show a right-step en echelon form and strike NE–SW to N–S, and dip to the east with angles ranging from 50 to 85°. The co-seismic flexural-slip folding structures commonly occurred in or near the surface rupture zone from a few meters to a few hundreds of meters in width, which have an orientation in fold axes parallel or oblique to the surface rupture zone. The displacements measured in the southern three segments are approximately 1.0–3.0 m horizontally and 2.0–4.0 m vertically. The largest displacements were measured in the northern segment, 11.1 m horizontally and 7.5 m vertically, respectively. The amount of co-seismic horizontal shortening caused by flexural-slip folding and reverse faulting in the surface rupture zone is generally less than 3 m. It is evident that the co-seismic displacements of the surface rupture zone are a quantitative surface indicator of the faulting process in the earthquake source fault. The relations between the geometry and geomorphology of the surface rupture zone, dips of the co-seismic faulting planes and the striations on the main fault planes generated during the co-seismic displacement, show that the Chelungpu surface rupture zone is a reverse fault zone with a large left-lateral component.     

河南省嵩山区五佛山群内的砂岩岩墙及构造解释

河南省嵩山地区中—新元古代五佛山群沉积岩中发育几百条砂岩岩墙、砂岩岩脉和砂岩岩床 ,形成一个壮观的砂岩岩墙群。它们的地质关系、几何学、组成和结构特征显示 ,其母源层是骆驼畔组含砾中粗粒砂岩及中细粒砂岩 ,主要是在五佛山群重力滑动构造发育过程中 ,准稳定的骆驼畔组砂岩经液化及流体化 ,由上向下注入到下伏的葡峪组页岩等岩层内断层、裂隙和节理中形成的。砂岩岩墙群的发育证明 ,五佛山群区域变形时 ,其整个地层序列的岩石虽已具有一定强度 ,可形成较规律性的重力滑动构造几何学和运动学图像 ,但是 ,总体尚未完全固结成岩。因此 ,五佛山群复杂的阿尔卑斯型构造属于软沉积变形 ,在中朝克拉通尺度上 ,乃是地壳局部力学不稳定性的结果     

Clay gouge

Clays are a common component of fault gouge, but their genesis and importance in fault evolution is poorly understood. We present preliminary evidence that clays participate in extensive mineral reactions and microfabric changes during faulting. Rather than thinking of clay reactions as a consequence of mechanical processes or fault localization following diagenetically altered horizons, we see the interplay between clay mineral reactions and mechanical processes as a single, integrated process. Furthermore, faulting may lower kinetic barriers to low-temperature (∼100°C) mineral reactions that are common in sedimentary rocks.Our most striking example of fault diagenesis-deformation is a profile of %illite in mixed-layer illite/smectite in shales beneath the Lewis Thrust, Canada. Whereas burial diagenesis caused minimal smectite-to-illite reaction, shales within meters of the thrust are almost completely converted to illite. The consequences of these changes are manifested in geochemical, geochronologic and microfabric characteristics of clay gouge. In this example, faulting has helped overcome a kinetic barrier in the smectite-to-illite reaction without appreciable addition of heat. In another example we infer that dissolution–precipitation reactions continue during faulting even when smectite has already been completely transformed to illite.If mineral reactions intimately interact with mechanical processes in shallow-crustal faults, then our current understanding of the mechanical and hydraulic properties of fault zones may be incomplete. Syndeformational mineral reactions and associated fabric changes could make faults much weaker than would be expected from evaluation of the static mineral assemblage of gouge and single crystal properties. Syndeformational mineral reactions may promote fault slip (affecting earthquake activity) in gouge-bearing faults under stress conditions considerably lower than predicted from static mineral properties. In addition, fault-induced dissolution-precipitation reactions may contribute to fault localization.