On the state of stress in the near-surface of the earth's crust

Five models for near-surface crustal stresses induced by gravity and horizontal deformation and the influence of rock property contrasts, rock strength, and stress relaxation on these stresses are presented. Three of the models—the lateral constraint model, the model for crustal stresses caused by horizontal deformation, and the model for the effects of anisotropy—are linearly elastic. The other two models assume that crustal rocks are brittle or viscoelastic in order to account for the effects of rock strength and time on near-surface stresses. It is shown that the lateral constraint model is simply a special case of the combined gravity-and deformation-induced stress field when horizontal strains vanish and that the inclusion of the effect of rock anisotropy in the solution for crustal stresses caused by gravity and horizontal deformation broadens the range for predicted stresses. It is also shown that when stress levels in the crust reach the limits of brittle rock strength, these stresses become independent of strain rates and that stress relaxation in ductile crustal rocks subject to constant horizontal strain rates causes horizontal stresses to become independent of time in the long term.     

亚失稳准动态及同震过程变形场时空演化特征 ——实验与分析

断层亚失稳模型指出,在临震亚失稳阶段中各种物理量存在规律性的时空演化特征,控制这些物理参数变化的根本原因是震源的力学过程.为深入观测和分析该过程,文中介绍了一套自主研发的64通道、16位分辨率、4MHz采样频率、可并行连续采集的超动态变形场观测系统(Ultra-HiDAM),首次实现了在4MHz频率下对应变信号和声发射...     

Controls on the geotechnical response of sedimentary rocks to weathering

Weathering reduces the strength of rocks and so is a key control on the stability of rock slopes. Recent research suggests that the geotechnical response of rocks to weathering varies with ambient stress conditions resulting from overburden loading and/or stress concentrations driven by near-surface topography. In addition, the stress history experienced by the rock can influence the degree to which current weathering processes cause rock breakdown. To address the combined effect of these potential controls, we conducted a set of weathering experiments on two sedimentary lithologies in laboratory and field conditions. We firstly defined the baseline geotechnical behaviour of each lithology, characterising surface hardness and stress–strain behaviour in unconfined compression. Weathering significantly reduced intact rock strength, but this was not evident in measurements of surface hardness. The ambient compressive stress applied to samples throughout the experiments did not cause any observable differences in the geotechnical behaviour of the samples. We created a stress history effect in sub-sets of samples by generating a population of microcracks that could be exploited by weathering processes. We also geometrically modified groups of samples to cause near-surface stress concentrations that may allow greater weathering efficacy. However, even these pronounced sample modifications resulted in insignificant changes in geotechnical behaviour when compared to unmodified samples. The observed reduction in rock strength changed the nature of failure of the samples, which developed post-peak strength and underwent multiple stages of brittle failure. Although weakened, these samples could sustain greater stress and strain following exceedance of peak strength. On this basis, the multi-stage failure style exhibited by weaker weathered rock may permit smaller-magnitude, higher-frequency events to trigger fracture through intact rock bridges as well as influencing the characteristics of pre-failure deformation. These findings are consistent with patterns of behaviour observed in field monitoring results. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Study of fault slip modes

We present the data of the laboratory experiments on studying the regularities of gradual transition from the stick-slip behavior to aseismic creeping on the interblock boundary. The experiments show that small variations in the material composition in the principal slip zones of the faults may cause a significant change in the fraction of seismic energy radiated during the dynamic unloading of the adjacent segment of the rock mass. The experiments simulate interblock sliding regimes with the values of the scaled kinetic energy differing by a few orders of magnitude and relatively small distinctions in the strength of the contacts and in the amplitude of the released shear stresses. The results of the experiments show that the slip mode and the fraction of the deformation energy that goes into the seismic radiation are determined by the ratio of two parameters—the stiffness of the fault and the stiffness of the enclosing rock mass. An important implication of the study for solving the engineering tasks is that for bringing a stressed segment of a fault or a crack into a slip mode with low-intensity radiation of seismic energy, the anthropogenic impact should be aimed at diminishing the stiffness of the fault zone rather than at releasing the excessive stresses.     

不同应力分量耦合模式下天津滨海饱和黏性土变形特性研究

地基土单元体在地震荷载作用下将产生主应力轴连续旋转,不同的应力耦合模式对土的强度、孔压以及变形等特性影响显著。利用GCTS空心圆柱扭剪仪,对天津滨海软土场地饱和黏性土进行K0固结下的不同应力耦合模式的循环剪切试验。着重对比相同应力路径下竖向和扭剪双向耦合加载模式,内外围压和扭剪的三向耦合加载模式以内外围压、竖向和扭剪的四向耦合加载模式条件下饱和黏性土的变形特性、循环软化特性。试验结果表明:在相同的动强度下,四向耦合应力模式更容易破坏且变形特性以及软化特性较双向、三向耦合下发展更加迅速;剪应力分量对试样软化变形特性的影响更加显著。     

A Unifying Phase Diagram for the Dynamics of Sheared Solids and Granular Materials

We present a simple unifying model that can be used to analyze, within a single framework, different dynamic regimes of shear deformation of brittle, plastic, and granular materials. The basic dynamic regimes seen in the response of both solids and granular materials to slowly increasing loading are scale-invariant behavior with power law statistics, quasi-periodicity of system size events, and persisting long term mode switching between the former two types of response. The model provides universal analytical mean field results on the statistics of failure events in the different regimes and distributed versus localized spatial responses. The results are summarized in a phase diagram spanned by three tuning parameters: dynamic strength change (weakening, neutral or strengthening) during slip events, dissipation of stress transfer (related to the void fraction in granular materials and damaged solids), and the ratio of shear rate over healing rate controlling the regaining of cohesion following failures in brittle solids. The mean field scaling predictions agree with experimental, numerical, and observational data on deformation avalanches of solids, granular materials, and earthquake faults. The model provides additional predictions that should be tested with future observation and simulation data.     

DEFORMATION OF THE BRITTLE-PLASTIC TRANSITION ZONE AT THE POST-SEISMIC RELAXATION PERIOD: A CASE STUDY OF THE RED RIVER FAULT

The transition from microscopic brittle deformation to microscopic plastic deformation is called brittle-plastic transition, which is considered as a key layer for determining the limit of lower continental crust seismicity. The depth and deformation mechanism of the brittle-plastic transition zone is controlled mainly by temperature. Besides, the strain rate and fluid pore pressure also affect the transition during the different deformation stages at the seismic cycle. In this paper, microstructure observation of catalcastic samples collected from the Red River Fault was carried out using optical polarized microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The morphology, microstructures of deformation characteristics, mineral composition, water-rock reaction, pressure solution, exsolution, crack healing in the samples were systematically observed. The mineral components quantitative analyses were examined using the EDS. Water-rock reaction and pressure solution were systematically observed under SEM. The fabric of the main minerals in the samples was measured using electron backscattered diffraction(EBSD). Based on these analyses, the deformation mode was setup for the brittle-plastic transition zone of the fault during the post-seismic relaxation period. Both brittle deformation and plastic deformation were developed in the cataclastic samples. EBSD data shows that the c axial fabrics of quartz present low-temperature plastic deformation characteristics. The feldspar deformed as cataclastic rock, and the micro-fracture in feldspar was healed by static recrystallized quartz and calcite veins. The calcite vein underwent plastic deformation, which represents the post-seismic relaxation deformation. Based on the analysis of deformation mechanism of cataclastic samples in brittle-plastic transition zone of the Red River Fault, and combined with previous studies, we concluded that the brittle fracture and fracture healing is the main deformation mode at brittle-plastic transition zone in the post-seismic relaxation. High stress and high strain rate at post-seismic relaxation lead to brittle fracture of high-strength minerals such as feldspar in rocks. Plastic deformation occurs in low-strength minerals such as quartz and mica. Under the fluid condition, micro-fractures were healed by quartz and calcite. The minerals such as quartz and calcite in the fracture transformed from static recrystallization to dynamic recrystallization with stress gradually accumulating. With fracture healing and stress accumulation, the fault strength gradually increases which could accumulate energy for the next earthquake.     

1997年以来巴颜喀拉块体周缘强震之间的黏弹性触发研究

本文利用考虑黏弹性地壳结构和精确震源参数的震后形变模型,计算了玛尼、昆仑山口西、汶川地震所形成的同震和震后形变场的变化过程与特征,结果显示玛尼地震的震后形变场有利于昆仑山口西地震的能量积累,玛尼地震与昆仑山口西地震的震后形变场对汶川地震的作用不明显,而这三次地震总的震后形变场在玉树断裂带附近形成了一个明显带有左旋性质的...     

The influence of meteorological variation on the upwelling system off eastern Hainan during summer 2007–2008

The influence of meteorological variation, i.e., typhoon and precipitation events, on the coastal upwelling off the eastern Hainan Island was studied based on observations taken during two upwelling seasons. The observations were made in August 2007 and July 2008, respectively. We found that, in principle, similar structure of sea surface temperature and bottom temperature prevailed in both observational periods, providing evidence that upwelling events occur frequently during the summer monsoon along the eastern Hainan shelf. Based on a simple momentum balance theory, we studied the balances between momentum fluxes, wind stress, and bottom stress. The results showed that the Burger number is S ≈ 1, indicating that the cross-shelf momentum flux divergence was balanced by the wind stress and the onshore return flow occurred in the interior of the water column. Hence, a conceptual model of the upwelling structure was built for further understanding of upwelling events. In addition, it was also observed that variations in the strength of upwelling are controlled by storm events, i.e., strong northerly winds change the structure of the thermocline on the shelf significantly. The strong mixing caused by wind reduces the strength of the thermocline, in particular in coastal seas. Based on our conceptual model, a frontal zone between mixed coastal water and offshore water develops which destabilizing the water column and hence decreases the upwelling strength. Freshwaters from the two main rivers in the Wenchang Bay are confined to the coastal area less than 20–30 m deep, as confirmed by our water mass analysis. Freshwater discharge stabilized the water column, inhibiting the upwelling as shown by the potential energy calculation. Consequently, estuarine water only inhibits the upwelling in the near coastal area. Therefore, it can be concluded that estuarine water does not have a significant impact on upwelling strength on the shelf.     

长白山天池火山2002~2005年火山扰动机制研究

地震、形变、火山气体地球化学等观测结果表明2002~2005年长白山天池火山经历了1次扰动事件。长白山站地震台（CBS台）记录到了扰动事件前后连续稳定的宽频带地震观测资料。前人的观测研究结果认为长白山天池火山扰动期间的火山地震类型主要为构造型火山地震，伴随少量的谐频型地震。本文通过匹配滤波技术，对1999~2007年扰动事件前后CBS台单台三分量地震观测数据进行模板扫描，获得3763个清晰的火山地震事件，其中谐频（HS）事件125个，构造（VT）事件3618个，并发现长周期（LP）事件20个。进而将火山扰动期间火山地震事件分为3种类型：构造型事件、长周期事件和谐频型事件，并提出2002~2005年长白山天池火山扰动机制模型：深源地震-火山能量传递模型，即汪清深源地震能量释放和传递，引发长白山火山区岩石圈应力状态波动。地幔岩浆房受应力干扰后，岩浆通道打开，少量岩浆侵入地壳岩浆房。岩浆混合脱气导致地壳岩浆房升压，引起顶部岩石微破裂，产生构造型火山地震，气体和流体填充这些裂隙，从而产生LP和HS型火山地震事件。     

Acoustic Emissions Monitoring during Inelastic Deformation of Porous Sandstone: Comparison of Three Modes of Deformation

In some reservoirs, large deformations can occur during oil or gas production because of the effective stress change. For very porous rocks, these production operations can be sufficient to cause inelastic deformation and irreversible damage. Rock formations can undergo deformation by different mechanisms, including dilatancy or pore collapse. In the laboratory, it has been shown that the inelastic deformation and failure mode of porous rocks are pressure sensitive. Indeed, when subjected to an overall compressive loading, a porous rock may fail by shear localization, compaction localization, or by cataclastic compaction. Acoustic emission (AE) records provide important information to understand the failure mode of rocks: the spatial evolution of damage as well as the source mechanisms can be followed using this technique. In this paper, we present three different laboratory axisymmetric compression experiments, performed on Bleurswiller sandstone, which enable us to compare the acoustic emission signature of these three modes of deformation. Our data show that compaction localization and cataclastic compaction are characterized by similar acoustic signatures (in terms of AE sources characteristics and evolution of AE number), in comparison to the acoustic signature from shear localization. This implies similar micromechanisms involved during compaction bands formation and cataclastic compaction.     

Construction of regional and local seismic anisotropic structures from wide-angle seismic data: crustal deformation in the southeast of China

We present a method to obtain spatial distributions of seismic anisotropy associated with regional stress and local faulting in the crust from wide-angle seismic data. The method contains three steps. The first step consists of obtaining radial- and transverse-component seismic sections using a pre-stack depth migration algorithm from the S-wave velocity model determined by conventional interpretation of picked intra-crustal seismic events. In the second step, we compute time delays between split shear-waves and polarizations of fast split shear-waves by minimizing the transverse-component seismic energy. The time delay and polarization in each layer are derived using a layer-stripping method. The final step is to estimate the average splitting parameters along the whole profile. Thus, the average time delay and polarization can be regarded as caused by the effects owing to regional structure and stress fields, whereas the residual values of the splitting parameters are considered to be related to local structures and local faulting. Our method allows us to construct multi-layer anisotropic images, which may later be interpreted in terms of intra-layer coupling/decoupling or deformation. We present results from a set of three-component seismic data acquired by a controlled source experiment in the southeast region of China. The results demonstrate that the average polarizations and time delays are consistent with the direction and strength of the stress field, and their lateral variations related to local anisotropy match the spatial distribution of surface faulting crossing the acquisition seismic profile.     

Lateral structure of the subducting pacific plate beneath the Hokkaido corner from intermediate and deep earthquakes

We present a study of the lateral structure and mode of deformation in the transition between the Kuril and Honshu subduction zones. We begin by examining the source characteristics of the January 19, 1969, intermediate depth earthquake north of Hokkaido in the framework of slab-tearing, which for the December 6, 1978 event has been well documented by previous studies. We use a least-squares body wave inversion technique, and find that its focal mechanism is comparable to the 1978 event. To understand the cause of these earthquakes, which in the case of the 1978 event occurred on a vertical tear fault but does not represent hinge faulting, we examine the available International Seismological Centre [ISC] hypocenters and Harvard centroid-moment tensor [CMT] solutions to determine the state of stress, and lateral structure and segmentation in the Kuril and northern Honshu slabs. These data are evaluated in the framework of two models. Model (A) requires the subducting slab at the Hokkaido corner to maintain surface area. Model (B) requires slab subduction to be dominated by gravity, with material subducting in the down-dip direction. The distribution of ICS hypocenters shows a gap in deep seismicity down-dip of the Hokkaido corner, supporting model (B). From the CMT data set we find that three types of earthquake focal mechanisms occur. The first (type A) represents dip-slip mechanisms consistent with down-dip tension or compression in the slab in a direction normal to the strike of the trench. These events occur throughout the Honshu and Kuril slabs with focal mechanisms beneath Hokkaido showing NNW plungingP andT axes consistent with the local slab geometry. The second (type B) occurs primarily at depths over 300 km in the southern part of the Kuril slab with a few events in the northern end of the Honshu deep seismicity. These earthquakes have focal mechanisms with P axes oriented roughly E-W, highly oblique to the direction of compression found in the type A events, with which they are spatially interspersed. The third (type C) group of earthquakes are those events which do not fit in either of the first two groups and consist of either strike-slip focal mechanisms, such as the tearing events, or oddly oriented focal mechanisms. Examination of the stress axes orientations for these three types reveals that the compressional axes of the type C events are consistent with those of type B. The slab tearing events are just differential motion reflecting the E-W compressive states of stress which is responsible for the type B family of events. There is no need to invoke down-dip extension which does not fit the slab geometry. We conclude that these two states of stress can be explained as follows: 1) The type A events and the seismicity distribution support model (B). 2) The type B and C events upport model (A). The solution is that the slab subducts according to model (B), but the flow in the mantle maintains a different trajectory, possibly induced by the plate motions, which produces the second state of E-W compressive stress.     

循环荷载作用下粗粒料与掺砾粘土接触面单剪试验研究

土石坝内部存在较多的接触面,在静、动力荷载作用下,接触面的力学特性对坝体的稳定性具有显著的影响。基于动态单剪仪,开展了粗粒料与掺砾粘土接触面循环单剪试验。试验结果表明,初始剪应力加载方向对相对位移有较大影响：相对位移总是在沿初始剪应力加载方向一侧较大;在一个剪切循环内,正、反向加载时,若剪应力较小,发生剪缩变形,若剪应力较大,则发生剪胀变形;卸载时试样发生剪缩变形;整个剪切循环过程中,试样总体上处于剪缩状态;循环单剪过程中,接触面抗剪强度提高;接触面抗剪强度随着法向应力的增大而增大,呈线性关系。     

Comparison of seismic effects during deep tunnel excavation with different methods

The rapid release of strain energy is an important phenomenon leading to seismic events or rock failures during the excavation of deep rock.Through theoretical analysis of strain energy adjustment during blasting and mechanical excavation,and the interpretation of measured seismicity in the Jin-Ping Ⅱ Hydropower Station in China,this paper describes the characteristics of energy partition and induced seismicity corresponding to different energy release rates.The theoretical analysis indicates that part of the strain energy will be drastically released accompanied by violent crushing and fragmentation of rock under blast load,and this process will result in seismic events in addition to blasting vibration.The intensity of the seismicity induced by transient strain energy release highly depends on the unloading rate of in-situ stress.For mechanical excavation,the strain energy,which is mainly dissipated in the deformation of surrounding rock,releases smoothly,and almost no seismic events are produced in this gradual process.Field test reveals that the seismic energy transformed from the rock strain energy under high stress condition is roughly equal to that coming from explosive energy,and the two kinds of vibrations superimpose together to form the total blasting excavation-induced seismicity.In addition,the most intense seismicity is induced by the cut blasting delay; this delay contributes 50% of the total seismic energy released in a blast event.For mechanical excavation,the seismic energy of induced vibration(mainly the low intensity acoustic emission events or mechanical loading impacts),which accounts only for 1.5‰ of that caused by in-situ stress transient releasing,can be ignored in assessing the dynamic response of surrounding rock.     

Development of a family of unconditionally stable explicit direct integration algorithms with controllable numerical energy dissipation

The implicit dissipative generalized‐ α method is analyzed using discrete control theory. Based on this analysis, a one‐parameter family of explicit direct integration algorithms with controllable numerical energy dissipation, referred to as the explicit KR‐α method, is developed for linear and nonlinear structural dynamic numerical analysis applications. Stability, numerical dispersion, and energy dissipation characteristics of the proposed algorithms are studied. It is shown that the algorithms are unconditionally stable for linear elastic and stiffness softening‐type nonlinear systems, where the latter indicates a reduction in post yield stiffness in the force–deformation response. The amount of numerical damping is controlled by a single parameter, which provides a measure of the numerical energy dissipation at higher frequencies. Thus, for a specific value of this parameter, the resulting algorithm is shown to produce no numerical energy dissipation. Furthermore, it is shown that the influence of the numerical damping on the lower mode response is negligible. It is further shown that the numerical dispersion and energy dissipation characteristics of the proposed explicit algorithms are the same as that of the implicit generalized‐ α method. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate the potential of the proposed algorithms in reducing participation of undesired higher modes by using numerical energy dissipation to damp out these modes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Parallel Fault Systems with Evolving Self-similar Sliding Zones

Catastrophic fault sliding is preceded by the development of sliding zones which grow further driven by the excess of the shear stress over friction at the loci of initiation. This growth is strongly affected by the interaction between the sliding zones. We propose a model of development of such zones based on two major simplifications. Firstly, each sliding zone is modelled as a disc-like shear crack driven by a pair of concentrated forces representing the excess of the shear stress over friction at the loci of initiation. Secondly, the interaction between these cracks is modelled based on the assumption that the distribution of their sizes is self-similar and the self-similarity is maintained in the process of their growth. We show that for parallel cracks the latter is only possible if the sliding zones are localised in a narrow layer. In this case the exponent and the prefactor of the distribution function are uniquely determined. The addition of new sliding zones does not change the distribution but rather increases the upper cut-off. This happens either by instantaneous growth of each added sliding zone to the maximum size producing the strongest microseismic event or by initiating a cascade of intermediate growth producing a series of smaller events. We determine the energy distribution associated with the cascade and the probability of hazardous events. We show that measuring the statistical properties of seismic energy alone is not sufficient for determining the parameters of the model; monitoring of fault deformation is also needed.     

地铁列车循环荷载试验论证研究

地铁循环荷载作用下饱和软黏土的动力特性研究对于揭示软黏土在地铁荷载下的孔压、强度以及变形模式具有重要意义,可以为控制地铁长期沉降、降低运营风险提供理论依据。试验加载形式的不同会带来不同的动力特性表征,需选取最能反映地铁列车真实性质的荷载形式。本文在列车荷载作用下研究土动力特性,采用室内动三轴试验的方法,对比分析不同形式下动力荷载作用效果。试验研究表明:偏压正弦波可以作为简化波形研究列车荷载,它不仅可以确保加载过程中地基土只有压应力,而且能较好地模拟列车循环荷载。     

Spatio-temporal characteristics of acoustic emission during the deformation of rock samples with compressional and extensional en-echelon faults

Introduction By the experimental techniques of acoustic emission (AE) and surface strain observation, a lot of achievements on the study of deformation and fracture process of samples with en-echelon faults has been obtained (Bomblakis, 1973; LIU, et al, 1986; DU, et al, 1989; LI, et al, 1989; ZHANG, FANG, 1989; ZHANG, LI, 1989; MA, et al, 1995a, b; LI, et al, 2000). However, there still exist many problems. For example, most of discussion on the spatio-temporal evolution of microf…