Significance of strain localization and fracturing in relation to hydrothermal mineralization at Mount Isa, Australia

The rheology of layered meta-sedimentary rocks, and their orientation and position relative to major fault systems were the key controls on Proterozoic hydrothermal copper mineralization at Mount Isa, Australia. Compositional layering in the host rock partitioned mechanical behavior and strain, leading to selective permeability generation and the focusing of fluid flow. Shale layers preferentially failed by plastic shearing, whereas meta-siltstones remained elastic or failed in tension depending on magnitude of deformation and fluid pressure. Numerical simulations support the hypothesis that the orientation of layering and the proximity to major fault systems controlled fracturing and permeability increase in the Urquhart shale. The dilating shale provided a pathway for an upward-flowing, reduced basement fluid, from which quartz was precipitated during cooling. During a later event, the reactivation of steep structures provided access to surface derived oxidized metal-bearing brine, causing the precipitation of dolomite followed by chalcopyrite ore in the brecciated silicified shale.     

The effects of strain rate and saturation on a micro-cracked marble

It is well known rock masses contain several types of weakness planes varying from micro-fissure to fault in size. The fracture frequency, degree of saturation and time are the basic rock parameters affecting its behaviour. However, in most cases, it is practically difficult to test heavily fractured rock in laboratory environment. In this study, the effects of micro cracks, strain rate and water saturation on strength are discussed using a small-scale physical experiments. It is attempted to detach the grain boundaries of coarse-grained rock specimens of the Mu?la marble by thermal treatment that would serve as a small-scale physical simulation of fractures in rock masses and enable a discussion of the variations in time dependent mechanical behaviour. An experimental study was conducted on marble specimens induced thermally by micro-cracks in different frequencies. The thermal treatment periods being 24 h in inert atmospheric condition were varied for each test specimen except categories A and G. Effective porosity increased up to 2.4% after the last thermal cycle of category F. Then conventional compression tests with different strain rates were carried out using a servo-controlled testing machine on both dry and saturated specimens. It is concluded that both lowering strain rates and increasing porosity related with thermally induced micro cracks have important effects on strength and failure path. The progressive failure entirely occurs along the grain boundaries fissured by cyclical treatment and inter-granular deformation depends upon degree of thermal influence. The small-scaled laboratory model enabled to demonstrate that parameters such as joint frequency, time and saturation have a significant effect on mechanical behaviour of rock masses.     

青藏高原及邻区现今地应变率场的计算及其结果的地球动力学意义

许多研究人员利用GPS测量的速度资料计算了地应变率场，但其结果差异较大. 本文将地质统计学中的Kriging方法引入到GPS观测的速度场研究中, 通过Kriging插值得到青藏高原及邻区均匀网格节点上的速度值，然后运用有限单元中形函数(Lagrange插值函数)的求导方法，计算每个网格单元积分点处的地应变率分量，从而获得青藏高原及邻区的地应变率场的分布. 计算结果显示，青藏高原主体处在南北向受挤压、东西向被拉张的应变状态之中，但高原东部地区则正好相反，即南北向拉张、东西向出现挤压. 青藏高原及邻区主应变率的方位与震源机制解中P轴、T轴的方向基本一致；最大主压应变率的高值区分布在喜马拉雅主边界冲断带及附近地区，高原内部出现主张应变率大于压应变率的现象，且高原内部处在拉张应变状态. 面膨胀率结果也表明，喜马拉雅山及附近地区为面收缩区，而高原内部其他地区主要为膨胀区；最大剪应变率分布清晰地显示出青藏高原周边的主要断裂带轮廓. 文中的应变率计算结果预示青藏高原及周边地区现今的地应变与较长期的地质活动之间有一定的继承关系.     

华北地区近期地壳水平运动与应力应变场特征

利用华北GPS监测网 1 992年、1 995年、1 996年的观测资料 ,应用最小二乘配置给出了华北地区相对水平位移场、应变场的分布图像 .经初步研究表明 :华北地区 1 992-1 995年间的水平位移和应变场表现为整体性不均匀的压性运动 ,1 995- 1 996年测区东部仍以水平压性运动为主 ,但测区西部则主要表现为张性运动 .水平运动 （方向、大小 ）发生显著变化和应变高值区的地带主要位于块体边界带和主要断裂带附近 .燕山断块南边界的北东向断裂存在着较显著的左旋运动 .区内最大剪应变、面膨胀的高值区在天津、北京、唐山一带 .结合非连续变形数值分析方法 （DDA）初步分析认为 ,1 992- 1 995年GPS观测结果显示的华北地区存在东、西部构造应力作用的明显差别 ,华北东部以东西向压应力作用为主 ,而西部的南北向构造应力作用又明显大于东部 .     

脆性材料强破裂前兆的初步研究

本文依据现有的实验结果初步研究脆性材料在破坏孕育过程中发生的强破裂的前兆特征.以应变(形变)突变、破裂弹性波限幅等物理变化特征确定强破裂;研究总结了不同试样、两种加载方式的破坏试验中的多个强破裂的前兆特征变化:一类为包括定点和场的应变变化特征,另一类为包括声发射率(破裂频度)、b值、波谱及微破裂时空分布等的声发射变化....     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987110000393

Wide-open V-shaped conjugate strike-slip faults in Asia are typically related to extrusion tectonics. However, the tectonic model based on the slip-line theory of plasticity has some critical problems associated with it. The conjugate sets of slip-lines in plane deformation, according to the theory of plasticity should be normal to each another but, in reality, the angles between the conjugate strike-slip faults, which are regarded as slip-lines in extrusion tectonics in the eastern Mediterranean, Tibet-middle Asia, China and the Indochina Peninsular regions, are always more than 90° (on average 110°) in the direction of contraction. Another problem is that the slip-line theory fails to explain how, in some cases, e.g., in the Anatolian area in the eastern Mediterranean, the extrusion rate is much higher than the indent rate. The two major problems are easy to solve in terms of the Maximum-Effective-Moment (MEM) Criterion that predicts that orientations of the shear zones are theoretically at an angle of 54.7° and practically at angles of 55°±10° with the σ1- or contractional direction. The orientations of the strike-slip faults that accommodate extrusion tectonics are, therefore, fundamentally controlled by the MEM Criterion. When extrusion is along the MEM-orientations, the extruding rate is normally higher than the indenting rate.     

2022年1月8日青海门源MS6.9地震震前变形特征分析

2022年1月8日1时45分27秒青海海北藏族自治州门源县发生 M_S6.9地震,基于大地测量资料详细分析震源区的构造运动、应变演化以及深部变形特征,对于发震机理及震后危险性分析具有重要的意义。本文利用1991—2016、2017—2020期中国大陆地区GNSS速度场,分析了青藏高原东北缘各断裂带的运动学特征、门源地震震中和周边区域的地壳应变及其动态演化特征;结合剖面投影和非线性拟合算法,定量计算了托莱山、冷龙岭断裂的滑动速率和闭锁深度,得到以下认识:①青藏高原东北缘不同断裂带的运动学特征差异较大,整体以地壳缩短运动为主,局部区域伴随旋转运动; ②震中位于面膨胀率和最大剪应变率高值区的边缘,与前人关于强震地点的认识基本一致; ③区域应变参数的时空演化过程显示,震中附近应变特征整体变化不大,表明断层可能处在孕震晚期阶段; ④托莱山断裂带具有较高的滑动速率和闭锁深度,结合库仑应力的研究结果认为,该断裂未来一段时间的地震危险性仍值得关注。     

基于钻孔应变地震波记录确定地震面波应变震级

近年发展的高采样率的钻孔应变仪可以记录到地震波造成的水平应变,是动态库仑应力研究的重要手段.利用钻孔应变仪记录的应变地震波确定地震震级,是一个重要的科学课题.本文收集了我国10个应变台站四分量钻孔应变仪2020年1—3月记录的10 Hz采样应变地震波资料,共选出震级M≥4.0的浅源地震68个,用最小二乘法求得应变震级公式为Mε=lg E max+1.65 lg(Δ)+1.43.对于6.5级以下的地震,计算得到的应变震级ε与中国地震台网中心公布的震级M CENC基本一致:M CENC=1.03ε-0.23,但本研究中的两个7级地震,应变震级出现了震级饱和现象.本文的基本结论是:应变定震级是可行的,但对于两个7级地震的饱和现象需要进一步深入研究,因为它们不但涉及震级确定,而且涉及远震动态库仑应力触发地震的研究.今后要对更多的大震钻孔应变波形记录进行分析.     

Systematic changes in orientation of linear mylonitic fabrics: An example of strain partitioning during transpressional deformation in north Golpaygan,Sanandaj–Sirjan zone,Iran

Kilometer-scale, shallowly dipping, NW-striking top-to-the NE reverse and dextral strike-slip shear zones occur in metamorphic rocks of north Golpaygan. These metamorphic rocks are exposed at the NE margin of the central part of the Sanandaj–Sirjan zone in the hinterland of the Zagros orogen. NW-striking top-to-the NE normal shear zones were also found in a small part of the study area. Structural evidence of three deformation stages were found. Pre-mylonitization metamorphic mineral growth happened during D₁. The main mylonitization event was during the D₂ deformational event, following coaxial refolding, synchronous to retrograde metamorphism of amphibolite to greenschist facies in the Late Cretaceous–Paleocene, and before D₃ folding and related mylonitization. We documented the systematic changes in the orientations of D₂ linear fabrics especially stretching lineations and superimposition relations of structures. It is concluded that the dextral strike-slip and dip-slip shear zones were coeval kinematic domains of partitioned dextral transpression. The shallowly dipping reverse and strike-slip shear zones are compatible with partitioning in a very inclined transpressional model. Fabric relations reflect that the top-to-the NE normal shear zones were not produced during deformation partitioning of inclined dextral transpression. The Late Cretaceous–Paleocene strain partitioning was followed by later N–S shortening and NE-extension in the north Golpaygan area.     

Microstructural evolution during strain localization in dolomite aggregates

Dolomite aggregates deformed by dislocation creep over a wide range of conditions (T = 700–1000 °C, effective pressure of 900 MPa, strain rates of 10⁻⁷ – 10⁻⁴/s) strain weaken by up to 75% of the peak differential stress. Microstructural study of samples shortened to different finite strains beyond the peak differential stress shows that strain becomes highly localized within shear zones by high-temperature creep processes, with no contribution of brittle cracking. At low strains (8%), dolomite deforms homogeneously by recrystallization-accommodated dislocation creep. At progressively higher sample strains, deformation is localized into narrow shear zones made up of very fine (∼3 μm) recrystallized grains and relict porphyroclasts (20–100 μm). Finely-recrystallized dolomite grains in the shear zones are largely dislocation free and localized shear is facilitated by diffusion creep. In contrast, original dolomite grains and porphyroclasts in shear zones have high dislocation densities and do not deform after shear zone formation. Calculated strain rates in the shear zones are two to three orders of magnitude faster than the imposed bulk strain rate of the samples and these strain rates are consistent with predictions of the diffusion creep flow law for fine-grained dolomite.