Dating deep? Luminescence studies of fault gouge from the San Andreas Fault zone 2.6 km beneath Earth's surface

This study aims to assess whether luminescence emission from fault gouge samples from the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) can be used to determine the age distribution of distinct deformation microstructures. Such age determination could help constrain some of the proposed micromechanical models for shear localization in fault gouge, in addition to providing more accurate time constraint on the seismic cycle itself. The mechanism by which previously trapped charge is reset in minerals in fault gouge is thought to be a combination of frictional heating and mechanical deformation, and these processes may be localized to grain surfaces. An added dating complexity specific to deep samples is the high ambient temperature conditions, which act as a barrier to charge storage in lower energy trapping sites. In this work luminescence experiments are being conducted on minerals from whole-rock samples of intact fault gouge from the SAFOD Phase III core. Initial studies indicate (i) the thermal and radiation history of the mineral lattice can be assessed with TL, (ii) trap resetting is evident in both TL and IRSL data, (iii) a small charge-trapping window between drill hole ambient temperature of ∼112 °C and higher energy lattice excitation via rupture events is evident in TL data from ∼300 to 400 °C, and we tentatively link the source of IRSL to TL within this 300–400 °C region, (iv) IRSL data have low natural intensity but good luminescence characteristics, and (v) SAR IRSL D_e data have high over-dispersion but demonstrate ages ranging from decades to centuries may be measured.     

A recent paleoearthquake on Qingfengling seismic fault of Tanlu fault zone

Introduction The Tanlu fault zone lies in the eastern China, which is an important huge active fault with a long history. It has experienced a complex generation and evolution process and affects significantly the regional structure, paleogeography, magma activity, minerogenesis and earthquake activity in the area. With a length of 2 400 km, the fault zone consists of 2-4 or more parallel faults of 10-40 km in width, cutting through different geotectonic elements in the eastern China （FANG et al, 1986）. On July 25 in 1668, an extraordinarily large earthquake of M=8.5 occurred on the Changyi-Dadian fault （F1） that is an embranchment of Tanlu fault zone, resulting in a surface rupture with a total length of 130 km （LI et al, 1994; CHAO et al, 1995）. The paleoseismic study reveals that 3 events with a magnitude equal to 8 occurred on the Changyi-Dadian fault. The recent event occurred 3 500 a ago and the reoccurrence interval is about 3 500 a （LIN and GAO, 1987）. During the Tancheng earthquake （on July 25, 1668）, the Anqiu-Juxian fault was not ruptured, which was a Late Pleistocene active fault （ZHENG et al, 1988; GAO et al, 1988; CHAO et al, 1994） and was doubted as the seismogenic fault of the M=7.0 Anqiu earthquake occurred in 70 BC by certain geologists （CHAO et al, 1994）.     

Distribution of slip along an earthquake fault

IntroductionInearthquakeandengineeringseismology,fortheexplanationofthehigh-frequencycontentsinearthquakegroundmotion,itisoftenassumedthatalargeearthquakeiscomposedofmanysmallereventswithavarietyofsizes(Frankel,1991).Thesesmalleventscomefromtheruptureoftheasperitiesalongtheearthquakefault,showingthecharacteristicsoffractals(Aki,1981).Thisworkingassumptioncanexplainsomeoftheimportantpropertiesofseismicsourcesuchasthehigh-frequencyfall-offofsourcespectra.Ontheotherhand,however,beinglimitedbyobs…     

Numerical analyses of fault–foundation interaction

Field evidence from recent earthquakes has shown that structures can be designed to survive major surface dislocations. This paper: (i) Describes three different finite element (FE) methods of analysis, that were developed to simulate dip slip fault rupture propagation through soil and its interaction with foundation–structure systems; (ii) Validates the developed FE methodologies against centrifuge model tests that were conducted at the University of Dundee, Scotland; and (iii) Utilises one of these analysis methods to conduct a short parametric study on the interaction of idealised 2- and 5-story residential structures lying on slab foundations subjected to normal fault rupture. The comparison between numerical and centrifuge model test results shows that reliable predictions can be achieved with reasonably sophisticated constitutive soil models that take account of soil softening after failure. A prerequisite is an adequately refined FE mesh, combined with interface elements with tension cut-off between the soil and the structure. The results of the parametric study reveal that the increase of the surcharge load q of the structure leads to larger fault rupture diversion and “smoothing” of the settlement profile, allowing reduction of its stressing. Soil compliance is shown to be beneficial to the stressing of a structure. For a given soil depth H and imposed dislocation h, the rotation Δθ of the structure is shown to be a function of: (a) its location relative to the fault rupture; (b) the surcharge load q; and (c) soil compliance.     

Study of the segmentation of active fault by the boundary element method──analysis of the Xianshuihe fault zone

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Recent activity of Chihe segment of Tanlu fault zone

Introduction The southern part of the Tanlu fault zone, especially the sections to the south of the Huaiheriver, has been taken as the sections that have been inactive or inert since Late Pleistocene (Insti-tute of Geology, State Seismological Bureau, 1987; CHAO, et al, 1999; SHI, et al, 2003). Thepresent authors have found the structural features that are inconsistent with the previous viewpointduring their researches. The new knowledge about active features along the Tanlu fault …     

Bouguer gravity study of middle section of Tanlu fault

Although Tanlu fault is one of the most important tectonic fault zones and active earthquake belts in eastern China, little is known about its deep structure. In this study, we use the existing Bouguer gravity data to study the middle section of the Tanlu fault zone, which is also known as the Yishu fault zone. Our gravity inversion results indicate that the Moho has an abrupt offset in depth at the Tanlu fault zone and it has a relatively smooth variation away from the fault zone. The crustal structures on both sides are different from each other. Sediment is thin on the west side with an average thickness of less than 5 km, while it is as thick as 6 km on the east side. The thinnest sediment （3-4 km） is at the fault zone. Moho depth increases from 33 to 34 km on east side and from 36 to 38 km on west side. Tanlu fault zone is shown as a wide zone of linear gradient in the Bouguer gravity anomaly.     

Lateral migration of fault activity in Weihe basin

Introduction Like the longitudinal migration (DING, et al, 1993) of fault activity, the lateral migration is a common phenomenon in the fault development and evolvement, especially in the piedmont and the margin of lake basin. As a large inland basin beside the northeast margin of Qinghai-Xizang block (DENG, YOU, 1985; Research Group of Active Fault System around Ordos Massif, 1988; Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources of Shaanxi Province, 1989; PENG, et al, 1992), the lateral m…     

Centrifuge modelling of reverse fault–foundation interaction

The propagation of reverse faults through soil to the ground surface has been observed to cause damage to surface infrastructure. However, the interaction between a fault propagating through a sand layer and a shallow foundation can be beneficial for heavily loaded foundations by causing deviation of the fault away from the foundation. This was studied in a series of centrifuge model tests in which reverse faults of dip angle 60° (at bedrock level) were initiated through a sand layer, close to shallow foundations. The tests revealed subtle interaction between the fault and the shallow foundation so that the foundation and soil response depend on the foundation loading, position, breadth and flexibility. Heavily loaded rigid foundations appeared best able to deviate fault rupture away from the foundation but this deviation could be associated with significant foundation rotations. However, a lightly loaded foundation was unable to deviate a reverse fault and the fault emerged beneath the foundation. This led to gapping beneath the foundation as well as significant rotations and may cause severe structural distress. As well as providing insight into the mechanisms of behaviour, the data from the tests is used to validate finite element analyses in a separate article.     

Self-similar cataclasis in the formation of fault gouge

Particle-size distributions have been determined for gouge formed by the fresh fracture of granodiorite from the Sierra Nevada batholith, for Pelona schist from the San Andreas fault zone in southern California, and for Berea sandstone from Berea, Ohio, under a variety of triaxial stress states. The finer fractions of the gouge derived from granodiorite and schist are consistent with either a self-similar or a logarithmic normal distribution, whereas the gouge from sandstone is not. Sandstone gouges are texturally similar to the disaggregated protolith, with comminution limited to the polycrystalline fragments and dominantly calcite cement. All three rock types produced significantly less gouge at higher confining pressures, but only the granodiorite showed a significant reduction in particle size with increased confining pressure. Comparison with natural gouges showed that gouges in crystalline rocks from the San Andreas fault zone also tend to be described by either a self-similar or log-normal particle distribution, with a significant reduction in particle size with increased confining pressure (depth). Natural gouges formed in porous sandstone do not follow either a self-similar or a log-normal distribution. Rather, these are represented by mixed log-normal distributions. These textural characteristics are interpreted in terms of the suppression of axial microfracturing by confining pressure and the accommodation of finite strain by scale-independent comminution.     

Water-rock interactions in fault gouge

Measurements were made of the amounts of D,¹⁸O, and H₂O⁺ in fault gouge collected over a depth of 400 m in the San Andreas fault of California. The amounts and isotopic compositions of the pore fluids, also analyzed, suggest that formation waters from adjacent Franciscan rocks have migrated into the gouge and mixed with local meteoric water. Thus the gouge is an open system permeable to fluid flow. This permeability has important implications concerning heat flow along the fault zone.Analyses of the fault gouge itself give information on the amounts, timing, and conditions of formation of the clay minerals.Stable-isotope analyses of materials from fault zones are good indicators of water-rock interactions that bear importantly on processes taking place in seismically active regions.     

K-Ar dating of extensional fault gouge from the Yi-Shu segment of the Tan-Lu fault zone

Two grabens were developed in the Yi-Shu segment of the Tan-Lu fault zone (TLFZ) during its exten-sional activities, and are now confined by four major NNE-trending normal faults and filled with Creta-ceous sediments. These faults were developed due to their reactivities, containing gouge and cutting the graben sediments. Detailed fieldwork demonstrates that the faults experienced sinistral transten-sional moment related to regional NE-SW extension during the reactivity. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of ...     

龙门山灌县—安县断裂带断层泥低磁化率的矿物、化学响应和蠕滑作用环境

断层带内的流体不仅可以通过水岩反应改变断裂岩的矿物组成和化学成分,从而导致化学性质和物理性质的变化,而且可以影响或控制断裂带的变形行为.断裂带中岩石磁学特征是由特定化学环境下磁性矿物的种类和含量所决定的,因此,从矿物学和地球化学角度探讨断裂岩的磁性变化,对揭示断层的变形行为和环境具有一定的指示作用.本文以汶川科钻WFSD-3P钻孔中龙门山灌县—安县断裂带断裂岩为研究对象,运用高分辨率磁化率测试、XRD矿物成分半定量分析、XRF元素扫描以及不同价态Fe元素含量分析等多种方法开展断层磁学变化和变形环境的研究.磁化率测试结果表明灌县—安县断裂带断层泥的磁化率值普遍低于对应的围岩磁化率平均值.结合前人研究成果表明造成该断层泥低磁化率异常的原因是在间震期的长期流体作用下,铁磁性矿物（例如磁铁矿）转变成顺磁性矿物（铁硫化物、菱铁矿或含铁的黏土矿物）.新生铁硫化物和含铁黏土矿物是在间震期缓慢形成的,而黏土矿物含量的增加弱化了断层强度,促进断层蠕滑,这说明断层泥低磁化率异常可能指示了该断裂在间震期长期缓慢活动,即为蠕滑变形.断层泥中黄铁矿的发育和高Fe²⁺和S元素、低Fe³⁺的特征显示灌县—安县断裂作用环境通常是在低温、还原环境中进行的.这些结果与低磁化率值的相关性暗示断层泥低磁化率异常可能对活动断层的低温还原环境具有指示意义.

     

海原断裂带西段断层泥的分形研究

利用光学和电子显微镜研究了海原断裂带西段断层泥的粒径分布，５微米至１厘米的粒径段，断层泥具有自相似特征，断层面的粘滑摩擦的特征位移参数可由分维上限（约１厘米）确定。同时用分形理论分析了断层泥粒度分重量百分比的分形结构特征，探讨了粒度成分分维值与断层运动特征的关系。     

岩盐断层带黏滑及稳滑过程中声发射活动特征的初步分析

本文利用双轴摩擦实验对含水条件下岩盐断层带摩擦滑动性状进行了实验研究, 观测和分析了摩擦滑动过程中的声发射活动, 并利用扫描电镜分析了断层带的微观变形结构.结果表明, 含水岩盐断层带在伴随黏滑的速度弱化域和伴随稳定滑动的速度强化域, 摩擦过程中均产生了大量声发射事件; 黏滑过程与稳滑过程中的小声发射事件存在共同之处, 即两者均表现为能级低; 但黏滑过程中的小声发射事件的优势频率既有低频(10 kHz左右)和中频(100 kHz左右), 也有高频(370 kHz左右), 而在稳定滑动过程中, 小声发射事件的优势频率仅有低频和中频, 缺少高频事件.这种差异与两者变形主导机制的不同密切相关.在断层黏滑循环中, 接近摩擦峰值时声发射发生率明显增加, 但高频事件减少、中频和低频事件增加; 进入亚失稳阶段后, 声发射只有低频和中频信号, 几乎不再出现高频信号.这种差异与断层带变形方式的变化密切相关.

     

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 of...     

Microstructural features of fault gouges from Tianjing-shan-Xiangshan fault zone and their geological implications

Detailed observation of the microstructural features of 11 fault gouge and 3 fault breccia samples collected from Tianjingshan-Xiangshan fault zone has revealed that fault gouge can be classified into 3 types: flow banded granular gouge, foliated gouge and massive gouge. The determination of the shape preferred orientation (SPO) of survivor grains in fault gouges indicates that the foliated gouge displays a profound SPO inclined to the shear zone boundary, similar to theP-foliation; flow banded granular gouge displays a SPO parallel to the shear zone boundary, while massive fault gouge and fault breccia display a random SPO. All these fault gouges fall in different fields of shear rate ternary diagram.     

Fractal dimension of fault systems in Japan: Fractal structure in rock fracture geometry at various scales

Based on fault maps, whether or not the fracture geometry of rocks is self-similar, was examined by using a box-counting algorithm. The statistical self-similarity (fractal structure) of the fault fracture systems holds well at the scale of about 2 to 20 km. The fractal dimension in Japan varied from 1.05 to 1.60. The fractal dimension is about 1.5–1.6 at the central part of the Japan Arc, and decreases with distance from the center. At a smaller scale, the fractal structure also holds well in the rock fracture geometry. The fractal dimension of the North Izu Peninsula fault system (branching faults) is 1.49 at the scale of 0.625 to 10 km, the fractal dimension of rock fracture geometry at the scale order of 10^–1 to 10^–2 meters is about 1.49–1.61. The upper limit of the fractal dimension of rock fracture geometry is about 1.6, judging from the estimation of fractal dimension on actual fracture geometry of rocks. This value may impose a restraint on modeling of faulting and the fracture process of rocks.     

甘加盆地西缘断裂带发现新活动证据

甘加盆地位于西秦岭北缘断裂带西端,盆地西缘发育了三条近南北向的断层(东支、中支、西支),表现为西高东低的弧形地貌阶梯带.基于高分辨率卫星遥感影像解译、地质地貌调查、UAV航拍测量、剖面清理与14 C测年等工作,对甘加盆地西缘断裂带进行综合研究,发现该断裂带第四纪晚期有新活动.断层新活动在地貌上表现为不同级别的断层陡坎、...