The last interglacial period at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and an estimate of late Quaternary tectonic uplift rate in a strike-slip regime

Science.gov (United States)

Schweig, E. S.; Muhs, D. R.; Simmons, K. R.; Halley, R. B.

2015-12-01

Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is an area dominated by a strike-slip tectonic regime and is therefore expected to have very low Quaternary uplift rates. We tested this hypothesis by study of an unusually well preserved emergent reef terrace around the bay. Up to 12 m of unaltered, growth-position reef corals are exposed at about 40 sections examined around ˜40 km of coastline. Maximum reef elevations in the protected, inner part of the bay are ˜11-12 m, whereas outer-coast shoreline angles of wave-cut benches are as high as ˜14 m. Fifty uranium-series analyses of unrecrystallized corals from six localities yield ages ranging from ˜134 ka to ˜115 ka, when adjusted for small biases due to slightly elevated initial 234U/238U values. Thus, ages of corals correlate this reef to the peak of the last interglacial period, marine isotope stage (MIS) 5.5. Previously, we dated the Key Largo Limestone to the same high-sea stand in the tectonically stable Florida Keys. Estimates of paleo-sea level during MIS 5.5 in the Florida Keys are ~6.6 to 8.3 m above present. Assuming a similar paleo-sea level in Cuba, this yields a long-term tectonic uplift rate of 0.04-0.06 m/ka over the past ~120 ka. This estimate supports the hypothesis that the tectonic uplift rate should be low in this strike-slip regime. Nevertheless, on the southeast coast of Cuba, east of our study area, we have observed flights of multiple marine terraces, suggesting either (1) a higher uplift rate or (2) an unusually well-preserved record of pre-MIS 5.5 terraces not observed at Guantanamo Bay.

Magma storage in a strike-slip caldera.

Science.gov (United States)

Saxby, J; Gottsmann, J; Cashman, K; Gutiérrez, E

2016-07-22

Silicic calderas form during explosive volcanic eruptions when magma withdrawal triggers collapse along bounding faults. The nature of specific interactions between magmatism and tectonism in caldera-forming systems is, however, unclear. Regional stress patterns may control the location and geometry of magma reservoirs, which in turn may control the spatial and temporal development of faults. Here we provide new insight into strike-slip volcano-tectonic relations by analysing Bouguer gravity data from Ilopango caldera, El Salvador, which has a long history of catastrophic explosive eruptions. The observed low gravity beneath the caldera is aligned along the principal horizontal stress orientations of the El Salvador Fault Zone. Data inversion shows that the causative low-density structure extends to ca. 6 km depth, which we interpret as a shallow plumbing system comprising a fractured hydrothermal reservoir overlying a magmatic reservoir with vol% exsolved vapour. Fault-controlled localization of magma constrains potential vent locations for future eruptions.

Role of N-S strike-slip faulting in structuring of north-eastern Tunisia; geodynamic implications

Science.gov (United States)

Arfaoui, Aymen; Soumaya, Abdelkader; Ben Ayed, Noureddine; Delvaux, Damien; Ghanmi, Mohamed; Kadri, Ali; Zargouni, Fouad

2017-05-01

Three major compressional events characterized by folding, thrusting and strike-slip faulting occurred in the Eocene, Late Miocene and Quaternary along the NE Tunisian domain between Bou Kornine-Ressas-Msella and Cap Bon Peninsula. During the Plio-Quaternary, the Grombalia and Mornag grabens show a maximum of collapse in parallelism with the NNW-SSE SHmax direction and developed as 3rd order distensives zones within a global compressional regime. Using existing tectonic and geophysical data supplemented by new fault-kinematic observations, we show that Cenozoic deformation of the Mesozoic sedimentary sequences is dominated by first order N-S faults reactivation, this sinistral wrench system is responsible for the formation of strike-slip duplexes, thrusts, folds and grabens. Following our new structural interpretation, the major faults of N-S Axis, Bou Kornine-Ressas-Messella (MRB) and Hammamet-Korbous (HK) form an N-S first order compressive relay within a left lateral strike-slip duplex. The N-S master MRB fault is dominated by contractional imbricate fans, while the parallel HK fault is characterized by a trailing of extensional imbricate fans. The Eocene and Miocene compression phases in the study area caused sinistral strike-slip reactivation of pre-existing N-S faults, reverse reactivation of NE-SW trending faults and normal-oblique reactivation of NW-SE faults, creating a NE-SW to N-S trending system of east-verging folds and overlaps. Existing seismic tomography images suggest a key role for the lithospheric subvertical tear or STEP fault (Slab Transfer Edge Propagator) evidenced below this region on the development of the MRB and the HK relay zone. The presence of extensive syntectonic Pliocene on top of this crustal scale fault may be the result of a recent lithospheric vertical kinematic of this STEP fault, due to the rollback and lateral migration of the Calabrian slab eastward.

Crimea-Kopet Dagh zone of concentrated orogenic deformations as a transregional late collisional right-lateral strike-slip fault

Science.gov (United States)

Patina, I. S.; Leonov, Yu. G.; Volozh, Yu. A.; Kopp, M. L.; Antipov, M. P.

2017-07-01

It is shown that the Crimea, Caucasus, and Kopet Dagh fold systems make up a single whole unified by a lithospheric strike-slip fault zone of concentrated dislocations. The strike-slip fault that dissects the sedimentary cover and consolidated crust is rooted in subcrustal layers of the mantle. The notions about strike-slip dislocations in the structure of the Crimea-Kopet Dagh System are considered. Comparative analysis of structure, age, and amplitude of strike-slip fault segments is carried out. The effect of strike-slip faulting on the deep-seated and near-surface structure of the Earth's crust is considered. Based on estimation of strike-slip offsets, the paleogeography of Paleogene basins is refined; their initial contours, which have been disturbed and fragmented by slipping motion strike-slip displacement, have been reconstructed.

Evidence for slip partitioning and bimodal slip behavior on a single fault: Surface slip characteristics of the 2013 Mw7.7 Balochistan, Pakistan earthquake

Science.gov (United States)

Barnhart, William; Briggs, Richard; Reitman, Nadine G.; Gold, Ryan D.; Hayes, Gavin

2015-01-01

Deformation is commonly accommodated by strain partitioning on multiple, independent strike-slip and dip-slip faults in continental settings of oblique plate convergence. As a corollary, individual faults tend to exhibit one sense of slip – normal, reverse, or strike-slip – until whole-scale changes in boundary conditions reactivate preexisting faults in a new deformation regime. In this study, we show that a single continental fault may instead partition oblique strain by alternatively slipping in a strike-slip or a dip-slip sense during independent fault slip events. We use 0.5 m resolution optical imagery and sub-pixel correlation analysis of the 200+ km 200+km"> 2013 Mw7.7 Balochistan, Pakistan earthquake to document co-seismic surface slip characteristics and Quaternary tectonic geomorphology along the causative Hoshab fault. We find that the 2013 earthquake, which involved a ∼6:1 strike-slip to dip-slip ratio, ruptured a structurally segmented fault. Quaternary geomorphic indicators of gross fault-zone morphology reveal both reverse-slip and strike-slip deformation in the rupture area of the 2013 earthquake that varies systematically along fault strike despite nearly pure strike-slip motion in 2013. Observations of along-strike variations in range front relief and geomorphic offsets suggest that the Hoshab fault accommodates a substantial reverse component of fault slip in the Quaternary, especially along the southern section of the 2013 rupture. We surmise that Quaternary bimodal slip along the Hoshab fault is promoted by a combination of the arcuate geometry of the Hoshab fault, the frictional weakness of the Makran accretionary prism, and time variable loading conditions from adjacent earthquakes and plate interactions.

The Role of Near-Fault Relief in Creating and Maintaining Strike-Slip Landscape Features

Science.gov (United States)

Harbert, S.; Duvall, A. R.; Tucker, G. E.

2016-12-01

Geomorphic landforms, such as shutter ridges, offset river terraces, and deflected stream channels, are often used to assess the activity and slip rates of strike-slip faults. However, in some systems, such as parts of the Marlborough Fault System (South Island, NZ), an active strike-slip fault does not leave a strong landscape signature. Here we explore the factors that dampen or enhance the landscape signature of strike-slip faulting using the Channel-Hillslope Integrated Landscape Development model (CHILD). We focus on variables affecting the length of channel offsets, which enhance the signature of strike-slip motion, and the frequency of stream captures, which eliminate offsets and reduce this signature. We model a strike-slip fault that passes through a mountain ridge, offsetting streams that drain across this fault. We use this setup to test the response of channel offset length and capture frequency to fault characteristics, such as slip rate and ratio of lateral to vertical motion, and to landscape characteristics, such as relief contrasts controlled by erodibility. Our experiments show that relief downhill of the fault, whether generated by differential uplift across the fault or by an erodibility contrast, has the strongest effect on offset length and capture frequency. This relief creates shutter ridges, which block and divert streams while being advected along a fault. Shutter ridges and the streams they divert have long been recognized as markers of strike-slip motion. Our results show specifically that the height of shutter ridges is most responsible for the degree to which they create long channel offsets by preventing stream captures. We compare these results to landscape metrics in the Marlborough Fault System, where shutter ridges are common and often lithologically controlled. We compare shutter ridge length and height to channel offset length in order to assess the influence of relief on offset channel features in a real landscape. Based on our

Strike-slip faults offshore southern Taiwan: implications for the oblique arc-continent collision processes

Science.gov (United States)

Fuh, Shi-Chie; Liu, Char-Shine; Lundberg, Neil; Reed, Donald L.

1997-06-01

Taiwan is the site of present-day oblique arc-continent collision between the Luzon arc of the Philippine Sea plate and the Chinese continental margin. The major structural pattern revealed from marine geophysical studies in the area offshore southern Taiwan is that of a doubly-vergent orogenic belt, bounded by significant zones of thrusting on the west and east of the submarine accretionary wedge. Due to the oblique collision process, strike-slip faults could play an important role in this convergent domain. Topographic lineaments revealed from new digital bathymetry data and seismic reflection profiles confirm the existence of three sets of strike-slip faults in the collision-subduction zone offshore southern Taiwan: the N-S-trending left-lateral strike-slip faults within the Luzon volcanic arc, the NE-SW-trending right-lateral strike-slip faults across the accretionary wedge, and the NNE-SSW-trending left-lateral strike-slip faults lie in the frontal portion of the accretionary wedge. These strike-slip faults overprint pre-existing folds and thrusts and may convert into oblique thrusts or thrusts as the forearc blocks accrete to the mountain belt. A bookshelf rotation model is used to explain the observed geometrical relationships of these strike-slip fault systems. Based on this model, the counter-clockwise rotation of the forearc blocks in the area offshore southern Taiwan could have caused extrusion of the accretionary wedge material into the forearc basin. The originally continuous forearc basin is thus deformed into several closed and separate proto-collisional basins such as the Southern Longitudinal Trough and Taitung Trough. A tectonic evolution model which emphasizes on the development of various structures at different stages of the oblique arc-continent collision for the Taiwan mountain belt is proposed.

Source study of the Jan Mayen transform fault strike-slip earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Pérez, Q.; Ottemöller, L.

2014-07-01

Seismic source parameters of oceanic transform zone earthquakes have been relatively poorly studied. Previous studies showed that this type of earthquakes has unique characteristics such as not only the relatively common occurrence of slow events with weak seismic radiation at high frequencies but also the occurrence of some events that have high apparent stress indicating strong high frequency radiation. We studied 5 strike-slip earthquakes in the Jan Mayen fracture zone with magnitudes in the range of 5.9 centroid time delay compared to other oceanic transform fault earthquakes.

Onset of aseismic creep on major strike-slip faults

KAUST Repository

Çakir, Ziyadin

2012-10-02

Time series analysis of spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data, GPS measurements, and fi eld observations reveal that the central section of the Izmit (Turkey) fault that slipped with a supershear rupture velocity in the A.D. 1999, Mw7.4, Izmit earthquake began creeping aseismically following the earthquake. Rapid initial postseismic afterslip decayed logarithmically with time and appears to have reached a steady rate comparable to the preearthquake full fault-crossing rate, suggesting that it may continue for decades and possibly until late in the earthquake cycle. If confi rmed by future monitoring, these observations identify postseismic afterslip as a mechanism for initiating creep behavior along strike-slip faults. Long-term afterslip and/or creep has signifi cant implications for earthquake cycle models, recurrence intervals of large earthquakes, and accordingly, seismic hazard estimation along mature strike-slip faults, in particular for Istanbul which is believed to lie adjacent to a seismic gap along the North Anatolian fault in the Sea of Marmara. © 2012 Geological Society of America.

Onset of aseismic creep on major strike-slip faults

KAUST Repository

Ç akir, Ziyadin; Ergintav, Semih; Ö zener, Haluk; Doǧan, Uǧur; Akoglu, Ahmet; Meghraoui, Mustapha; Reilinger, Robert E.

2012-01-01

Time series analysis of spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data, GPS measurements, and fi eld observations reveal that the central section of the Izmit (Turkey) fault that slipped with a supershear rupture velocity in the A.D. 1999, Mw7.4, Izmit earthquake began creeping aseismically following the earthquake. Rapid initial postseismic afterslip decayed logarithmically with time and appears to have reached a steady rate comparable to the preearthquake full fault-crossing rate, suggesting that it may continue for decades and possibly until late in the earthquake cycle. If confi rmed by future monitoring, these observations identify postseismic afterslip as a mechanism for initiating creep behavior along strike-slip faults. Long-term afterslip and/or creep has signifi cant implications for earthquake cycle models, recurrence intervals of large earthquakes, and accordingly, seismic hazard estimation along mature strike-slip faults, in particular for Istanbul which is believed to lie adjacent to a seismic gap along the North Anatolian fault in the Sea of Marmara. © 2012 Geological Society of America.

Pseudodynamic Source Characterization for Strike-Slip Faulting Including Stress Heterogeneity and Super-Shear Ruptures

KAUST Repository

Mena, B.; Dalguer, L. A.; Mai, Paul Martin

2012-01-01

. (2004), we propose new relationships for PD models for moderate‐to‐large strike‐slip earthquakes that include local supershear rupture speed due to stress heterogeneities. We conduct dynamic rupture simulations using stochastic initial stress

Assemblage of strike-slip faults and tectonic extension and ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

12

the formation, evolution and distribution of these strike-slip faults have important. 80 ...... function of coal-derived gas study for natural gas industry development in China; .... Bohai-Zhangjiakou seismotectonic zone based on 3D visco-elastic ...

Finite element models of earthquake cycles in mature strike-slip fault zones

Science.gov (United States)

Lynch, John Charles

The research presented in this dissertation is on the subject of strike-slip earthquakes and the stresses that build and release in the Earth's crust during earthquake cycles. Numerical models of these cycles in a layered elastic/viscoelastic crust are produced using the finite element method. A fault that alternately sticks and slips poses a particularly challenging problem for numerical implementation, and a new contact element dubbed the "Velcro" element was developed to address this problem (Appendix A). Additionally, the finite element code used in this study was bench-marked against analytical solutions for some simplified problems (Chapter 2), and the resolving power was tested for the fault region of the models (Appendix B). With the modeling method thus developed, there are two main questions posed. First, in Chapter 3, the effect of a finite-width shear zone is considered. By defining a viscoelastic shear zone beneath a periodically slipping fault, it is found that shear stress concentrates at the edges of the shear zone and thus causes the stress tensor to rotate into non-Andersonian orientations. Several methods are used to examine the stress patterns, including the plunge angles of the principal stresses and a new method that plots the stress tensor in a manner analogous to seismic focal mechanism diagrams. In Chapter 4, a simple San Andreas-like model is constructed, consisting of two great earthquake producing faults separated by a freely-slipping shorter fault. The model inputs of lower crustal viscosity, fault separation distance, and relative breaking strengths are examined for their effect on fault communication. It is found that with a lower crustal viscosity of 1018 Pa s (in the lower range of estimates for California), the two faults tend to synchronize their earthquake cycles, even in the cases where the faults have asymmetric breaking strengths. These models imply that postseismic stress transfer over hundreds of kilometers may play a

Faulting mechanisms and stress regime at the European HDR site of Soultz-sous-Forets, France

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuenot, Nicolas; Charlety, Jean; Haessler, Henri; Dorbath, Louis

2006-01-01

The state of stress and its implications for shear on fault planes during fluid injection are crucial issues for the HDR (Hot Dry Rock) or EGS (Enhanced or Engineered Geothermal System) concept. This is especially true for hydraulic stimulation experiments, aimed at enhancing the connectivity of a borehole to the natural fracture network, since they tend to induce the shearing of fractures, which is controlled by the local stress regime. During the 2000 and 2003 stimulation tests at Soultz-sous-Forets, France, about 10,000 microearthquakes were located with a surface seismological network. Hundreds of double-couple (DC) focal mechanisms were automatically determined from first-motion polarities using the FPFIT program [Reasenberg, P.A., Oppenheimer, D., 1985. FPFIT, FPPLOT and FPPAGE: Fortran computer programs for calculating and displaying earthquake fault-plane solutions. US Geological Survey Open-File Report 85-739, 25 pp.]. The majority of these mechanisms indicate normal-faulting movement with a more or less pronounced strike-slip component. Some quasi-pure strike-slip events also occurred, especially in the deeper part of the stimulated rock volume, at more than 5 km depth. Although we found a double-couple solution for all events, we tried to observe and quantify the proportion of the non-double-couple (NDC) component in the seismic moment tensor for several microseisms from the 2003 data. The study shows that the NDC is higher for the events in the vicinity of the injection well than for the events far from the well. We used the method of Rivera and Cisternas [Rivera, L., Cisternas, A., 1990. Stress tensor and fault-plane solutions for a population of earthquakes. Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 80, 600-614.] to perform the inversion of the deviatoric part of the stress tensor from P-wave polarities. This method was applied to different datasets from the 2000 test, taken from the shallower and deeper parts of the stimulated region. The results show a stable

Faulting mechanisms and stress regime at the European HDR site of Soultz-sous-Forets, France

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cuenot, Nicolas; Charlety, Jean; Haessler, Henri [Institut de Physique du Globe de Strasbourg, Ecole et Observatoire des Sciences de la Terre (IPGS-EOST), 5 rue Rene Descartes, 67084 Strasbourg Cedex (France); Dorbath, Louis [Institut de Physique du Globe de Strasbourg, Ecole et Observatoire des Sciences de la Terre (IPGS-EOST), 5 rue Rene Descartes, 67084 Strasbourg Cedex (France); Institut de Recherche pour le Developpement, Laboratoire des Mecanismes et Transferts en Geologie (IRD, LMTG), 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse (France)

2006-10-15

The state of stress and its implications for shear on fault planes during fluid injection are crucial issues for the HDR (Hot Dry Rock) or EGS (Enhanced or Engineered Geothermal System) concept. This is especially true for hydraulic stimulation experiments, aimed at enhancing the connectivity of a borehole to the natural fracture network, since they tend to induce the shearing of fractures, which is controlled by the local stress regime. During the 2000 and 2003 stimulation tests at Soultz-sous-Forets, France, about 10,000 microearthquakes were located with a surface seismological network. Hundreds of double-couple (DC) focal mechanisms were automatically determined from first-motion polarities using the FPFIT program [Reasenberg, P.A., Oppenheimer, D., 1985. FPFIT, FPPLOT and FPPAGE: Fortran computer programs for calculating and displaying earthquake fault-plane solutions. US Geological Survey Open-File Report 85-739, 25 pp.]. The majority of these mechanisms indicate normal-faulting movement with a more or less pronounced strike-slip component. Some quasi-pure strike-slip events also occurred, especially in the deeper part of the stimulated rock volume, at more than 5 km depth. Although we found a double-couple solution for all events, we tried to observe and quantify the proportion of the non-double-couple (NDC) component in the seismic moment tensor for several microseisms from the 2003 data. The study shows that the NDC is higher for the events in the vicinity of the injection well than for the events far from the well. We used the method of Rivera and Cisternas [Rivera, L., Cisternas, A., 1990. Stress tensor and fault-plane solutions for a population of earthquakes. Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am. 80, 600-614.] to perform the inversion of the deviatoric part of the stress tensor from P-wave polarities. This method was applied to different datasets from the 2000 test, taken from the shallower and deeper parts of the stimulated region. The results show a stable

Analogue modelling on the interaction between shallow magma intrusion and a strike-slip fault: Application on the Middle Triassic Monzoni Intrusive Complex (Dolomites, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Michail, Maria; Coltorti, Massimo; Gianolla, Piero; Riva, Alberto; Rosenau, Matthias; Bonadiman, Costanza; Galland, Olivier; Guldstrand, Frank; Thordén Haug, Øystein; Rudolf, Michael; Schmiedel, Tobias

2017-04-01

The southwestern part of the Dolomites in Northern Italy has undergone a short-lived Ladinian (Middle Triassic) tectono-magmatic event, forming a series of significant magmatic features. These intrusive bodies deformed and metamorphosed the Permo-Triassic carbonate sedimentary framework. In this study we focus on the tectono-magmatic evolution of the shallow shoshonitic Monzoni Intrusive Complex of this Ladinian event (ca 237 Ma), covering an area of 20 km^2. This NW-SE elongated intrusive structure (5 km length) shows an orogenic magmatic affinity which is in contrast to the tectonic regime at the time of intrusion. Strain analysis shows anorogenic transtensional displacement in accordance with the ENE-WSW extensional pattern in the central Dolomites during the Ladinian. Field interpretations led to a detailed description of the regional stratigraphic sequence and the structural features of the study area. However, the geodynamic context of this magmatism and the influence of the inherited strike-slip fault on the intrusion, are still in question. To better understand the specific natural prototype and the general mechanisms of magma emplacement in tectonically active areas, we performed analogue experiments defined by, but not limited to, first order field observations. We have conducted a systematic series of experiments in different tectonic regimes (static conditions, strike-slip, transtension). We varied the ratio of viscous to brittle stresses between magma and country rock, by injecting Newtonian fluids both of high and low viscosity (i.e. silicone oil/vegetable oil) into granular materials of varying cohesion (sand, silica flour, glass beads). The evolving surface and side view of the experiments were monitored by photogrammetric techniques for strain analyses and topographic evolution. In our case, the combination of the results from field and analogue experiments brings new insights regarding the tectonic regime, the geometry of the intrusive body, and

High tsunami frequency as a result of combined strike-slip faulting and coastal landslides

Science.gov (United States)

Hornbach, Matthew J.; Braudy, Nicole; Briggs, Richard W.; Cormier, Marie-Helene; Davis, Marcy B.; Diebold, John B.; Dieudonne, Nicole; Douilly, Roby; Frohlich, Cliff; Gulick, Sean P.S.; Johnson, Harold E.; Mann, Paul; McHugh, Cecilia; Ryan-Mishkin, Katherine; Prentice, Carol S.; Seeber, Leonardo; Sorlien, Christopher C.; Steckler, Michael S.; Symithe, Steeve Julien; Taylor, Frederick W.; Templeton, John

2010-01-01

Earthquakes on strike-slip faults can produce devastating natural hazards. However, because they consist predominantly of lateral motion, these faults are rarely associated with significant uplift or tsunami generation. And although submarine slides can generate tsunami, only a few per cent of all tsunami are believed to be triggered in this way. The 12 January Mw 7.0 Haiti earthquake exhibited primarily strike-slip motion but nevertheless generated a tsunami. Here we present data from a comprehensive field survey that covered the onshore and offshore area around the epicentre to document that modest uplift together with slope failure caused tsunamigenesis. Submarine landslides caused the most severe tsunami locally. Our analysis suggests that slide-generated tsunami occur an order-of-magnitude more frequently along the Gonave microplate than global estimates predict. Uplift was generated because of the earthquake's location, where the Caribbean and Gonave microplates collide obliquely. The earthquake also caused liquefaction at several river deltas that prograde rapidly and are prone to failure. We conclude that coastal strike-slip fault systems such as the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault produce relief conducive to rapid sedimentation, erosion and slope failure, so that even modest predominantly strike-slip earthquakes can cause potentially catastrophic slide-generated tsunami - a risk that is underestimated at present.

Strike-slip linked core complexes: A new kinematic model of basement rock exhumation in a crustal-scale fault system

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Sven Erik; Passchier, Cees; Abu-Alam, Tamer; Stüwe, Kurt

2014-05-01

Metamorphic core complexes usually develop as extensional features during continental crustal thinning, such as the Basin and Range and the Aegean Terrane. The Najd fault system in Saudi Arabia is a 2000 km-long and 400 km-wide complex network of crustal-scale strike-slip shear zones in a Neoproterozoic collision zone. Locally, the anastomosing shear zones lead to exhumation of lower crustal segments and represent a new kinematic model for the development of core complexes. We report on two such structures: the Qazaz complex in Saudi Arabia and the Hafafit complex in Egypt. The 15 km-wide Qazaz complex is a triangular dome of gently dipping mylonitic foliations within the 140 km-long sinistral strike-slip Qazaz mylonite zone. The gneissic dome consists of high-grade rocks, surrounded by low-grade metasediments and metavolcanics. The main SE-trending strike-slip Qazaz shear zone splits southwards into two branches around the gneiss dome: the western branch is continuous with the shallow dipping mylonites of the dome core, without overprinting, and changes by more than 90 degrees from a NS-trending strike-slip zone to an EW-trending 40 degree south-dipping detachment that bounds the gneiss dome to the south. The eastern SE-trending sinistral strike-slip shear zone branch is slightly younger and transects the central dome fabrics. The gneiss dome appears to have formed along a jog in the strike-slip shear zone during 40 km of horizontal strike-slip motion, which caused local exhumation of lower crustal rocks by 25 km along the detachment. The eastern shear zone branch formed later during exhumation, transacted the gneiss dome and offset the two parts by another 70 km. The Hafafit core complex in Egypt is of similar shape and size to the Qazaz structure, but forms the northern termination of a sinistral strike-slip zone that is at least 100 km in length. This zone may continue into Saudi Arabia as the Ajjaj shear zone for another 100 km. The NW trending strike slip

The rupture process of the Manjil, Iran earthquake of 20 june 1990 and implications for intraplate strike-slip earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Choy, G.L.; Zednik, J.

1997-01-01

of activity the aftershock zone expands and appears to cluster about the geomorphic and geologic features several tens of kilometres from the rupture zone. The activity is interpreted as a regional response to quasistatic stress migration along zones of tectonic weakness. The radiated energy of the main shock and the estimate of seismic moment yields an apparent stress of 20 bars. High apparent stress may be typical of strike slip earthquakes occurring in intracontinental environments undergoing continental collision.

The cenozoic strike-slip faults and TTHE regional crust stability of Beishan area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo Zhaojie; Zhang Zhicheng; Zhang Chen; Liu Chang; Zhang Yu; Wang Ju; Chen Weiming

2008-01-01

The remote sensing images and geological features of Beishan area indicate that the Altyn Tagh fault, Sanweishan-Shuangta fault, Daquan fault and Hongliuhe fault are distributed in Beishan area from south to north. The faults are all left-lateral strike-slip faults with trending of NE40-50°, displaying similar distribution pattern. The secondary branch faults are developed at the end of each main strike-slip fault with nearly east to west trending form dendritic oblique crossings at the angle of 30-50°. Because of the left-lateral slip of the branch faults, the granites or the blocks exposed within the branch faults rotate clockwisely, forming 'Domino' structures. So the structural style of Beishan area consists of the Altyn Tagh fault, Sanweishan-Shuangta fault, Daquan fault, Hongliuhe fault and their branch faults and rotational structures between different faults. Sedimentary analysis on the fault valleys in the study area and ESR chronological test of fault clay exhibit that the Sanweishan-Shuangta fault form in the late Pliocene (N2), while the Daquan fault displays formation age of l.5-1.2 Ma, and the activity age of the relevant branch faults is Late Pleistocene (400 ka). The ages become younger from the Altyn Tagh fault to the Daquan fault and strike-slip faults display NW trending extension, further revealing the lateral growth process of the strike-slip boundary at the northern margin during the Cenozoic uplift of Tibetan Plateau. The displacement amounts on several secondary faults caused by the activities of the faults are slight due to the above-mentioned structural distribution characteristics of Beishan area, which means that this area is the most stable active area with few seismic activities. We propose the main granitic bodies in Beishan area could be favorable preselected locations for China's high level radioactive waste repository. (authors)

San Andreas-sized Strike-slip Fault on Europa

Science.gov (United States)

1998-01-01

subsequent tidal stress causes it to move lengthwise in one direction. Then tidal forces close the fault again, preventing the area from moving back to its original position. Daily tidal cycles produce a steady accumulation of lengthwise offset motions. Here on Earth, unlike Europa, large strike-slip faults like the San Andreas are set in motion by plate tectonic forces. North is to the top of the picture and the sun illuminates the surface from the top. The image, centered at 66 degrees south latitude and 195 degrees west longitude, covers an area approximately 300 by 203 kilometers(185 by 125 miles). The pictures were taken on September 26, 1998by Galileo's solid-state imaging system. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at URL http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at URL http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/sepo

Strike-slip tectonics and Quaternary basin formation along the Vienna Basin fault system inferred from Bouguer gravity derivatives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Salcher, B. C.; Meurers, B.; Smit, J.; Decker, K.; HöLzel, M.; Wagreich, M.

2012-01-01

The Vienna Basin at the transition between the Alpine and Carpathian belt hosts a number of large Pleistocene sub-basins forming along an active continental scale strike-slip fault (Vienna Basin strike-slip fault). We utilize first-order derivatives from industrial Bouguer gravity data to unravel

Right-lateral shear and rotation as the explanation for strike-slip faulting in eastern Tibet

Science.gov (United States)

England, Philip; Molnar, Peter

1990-01-01

Bounds are placed here on the rate of rotation proposed by Cobbold and Davy (1988) for the major strike-slip faults in the eastern Tibetan Plateau. It is also concluded here that the image of lateral transport on such faults, known also as continental escape, extrusion, or expulsion, is an illusion, and that instead the left-lateral slip on east-striking plates in eastern Tibet is a manifestation of north-striking right-lateral simple shear. If this conclusion is correct, the east-striking left-lateral faults and the crustal blocks between them are rotating clockwise at 1-2 deg/Myr, the east-west dimension of eastern Tibet is shortening at 10-20 mm/yr, and little material is moving eastward out of India's path into Eursasia by left-lateral simple shear.

Evolution of strike-slip fault systems and associated geomorphic structures. Model test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ueta, Keichi

2003-01-01

Sandbox experiments were performed to investigate evolution of fault systems and its associated geomorphic structures caused by strike-slip motion on basement faults. A 200 cm long, 40 cm wide, 25 cm high sandbox was used in a strike-slip fault model test. Computerized X-ray tomography applied to the sandbox experiments made it possible to analyze the kinematic evaluation, as well as the three-dimensional geometry, of the faults. The deformation of the sand pack surface was analyzed by use of a laser method 3D scanner, which is a three-dimensional noncontact surface profiling instrument. A comparison of the experimental results with natural cases of active faults reveals the following: In the left-lateral strike-slip fault experiments, the deformation of the sand pack with increasing basement displacement is observed as follows. 1) In three dimensions, the right-stepping shears that have a cirque'/'shell'/'shipbody' shape develop on both sides of the basement fault. The shears on one side of the basement fault join those on the other side, resulting in helicoidal shaped shear surfaces. Shears reach the surface of the sand near or above the basement fault and en echelon Riedel shears are observed at the surface of the sand. The region between two Riedels is always an up-squeezed block. 2) lower-angle shears generally branch off from the first Riedel shears. 3) Pressure ridges develop within the zone defined by the right-stepping helicoidal shaped lower-angle shears. 4) Grabens develop between the pressure ridges. 5) Y-shears offset the pressure ridges. 6) With displacement concentrated on the central throughgoing fault zone, a liner trough developed directly above the basement fault. R1 shear and P foliation are observed in the liner trough. Such evolution of the shears and its associated structures in the fault model tests agrees well with that of strike-slip fault systems and its associated geomorphic structures. (author)

An improved particle population balance equation in the continuum-slip regime

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Xie Mingliang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available An improved moment model is proposed to solve the population balance equation for Brownian coagulation in the continuum-slip regime, and it reduces to a known one in open literature when the non-linear terms in the slip correction factor are ignored. The present model shows same asymptotic behavior as that in the continuum regime.

Linear stability analysis of laminar flow near a stagnation point in the slip flow regime

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Essaghir, E.; Oubarra, A.; Lahjomri, J.

2017-12-01

The aim of the present contribution is to analyze the effect of slip parameter on the stability of a laminar incompressible flow near a stagnation point in the slip flow regime. The analysis is based on the traditional normal mode approach and assumes parallel flow approximation. The Orr-Sommerfeld equation that governs the infinitesimal disturbance of stream function imposed to the steady main flow, which is an exact solution of the Navier-Stokes equation satisfying slip boundary conditions, is obtained by using the powerful spectral Chebyshev collocation method. The results of the effect of slip parameter K on the hydrodynamic characteristics of the base flow, namely the velocity profile, the shear stress profile, the boundary layer, displacement and momentum thicknesses are illustrated and discussed. The numerical data for these characteristics, as well as those of the eigenvalues and the corresponding wave numbers recover the results of the special case of no-slip boundary conditions. They are found to be in good agreement with previous numerical calculations. The effects of slip parameter on the neutral curves of stability, for two-dimensional disturbances in the Reynolds-wave number plane, are then obtained for the first time in the slip flow regime for stagnation point flow. Furthermore, the evolution of the critical Reynolds number against the slip parameter is established. The results show that the critical Reynolds number for instability is significantly increased with the slip parameter and the flow turn out to be more stable when the effect of rarefaction becomes important.

Strike-slip pull-apart process and emplacement of Xiangshan uranium-producing volcanic basin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiu Aijin; Guo Lingzhi; Shu Liangshu

2001-01-01

Xiangshan volcanic basin is one of the famous uranium-producing volcanic basins in China. Emplacement mechanism of Xiangshan uranium-producing volcanic basin is discussed on the basis of the latest research achievements of deep geology in Xiangshan area and the theory of continental dynamics. The study shows that volcanic activity in Xiangshan volcanic basin may be divided into two cycles, and its emplacement is controlled by strike-ship pull-apart process originated from the deep regional faults. Volcanic apparatus in the first cycle was emplaced in EW-trending structure activated by clockwise strike-slipping of NE-trending deep fault, forming the EW-trending fissure-type volcanic effusion belt. Volcanic apparatus in the second cycle was emplaced at junction points of SN-trending pull-apart structure activated by sinistral strike-slipping of NE-trending deep faults and EW-trending basement faults causing the center-type volcanic magma effusion and extrusion. Moreover, the formation mechanism of large-rich uranium deposits is discussed as well

Effect of inherited structures on strike-slip plate boundaries: insight from analogue modelling of the central Levant Fracture System, Lebanon

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Ghalayini, Ramadan; Daniel, Jean-Marc; Homberg, Catherine; Nader, Fadi

2015-04-01

Analogue sandbox modeling is a tool to simulate deformation style and structural evolution of sedimentary basins. The initial goal is to test what is the effect of inherited and crustal structures on the propagation, evolution, and final geometry of major strike-slip faults at the boundary between two tectonic plates. For this purpose, we have undertaken a series of analogue models to validate and reproduce the structures of the Levant Fracture System, a major NNE-SSW sinistral strike-slip fault forming the boundary between the Arabian and African plates. Onshore observations and recent high quality 3D seismic data in the Levant Basin offshore Lebanon demonstrated that Mesozoic ENE striking normal faults were reactivated into dextral strike-slip faults during the Late Miocene till present day activity of the plate boundary which shows a major restraining bend in Lebanon with a ~ 30°clockwise rotation in its trend. Experimental parameters consisted of a silicone layer at the base simulating the ductile crust, overlain by intercalated quartz sand and glass sand layers. Pre-existing structures were simulated by creating a graben in the silicone below the sand at an oblique (>60°) angle to the main throughgoing strike-slip fault. The latter contains a small stepover at depth to create transpression during sinistral strike-slip movement and consequently result in mountain building similarly to modern day Lebanon. Strike-slip movement and compression were regulated by steady-speed computer-controlled engines and the model was scanned using a CT-scanner continuously while deforming to have a final 4D model of the system. Results showed that existing normal faults were reactivated into dextral strike-slip faults as the sinistral movement between the two plates accumulated. Notably, the resulting restraining bend is asymmetric and segmented into two different compartments with differing geometries. One compartment shows a box fold anticline, while the second shows an

Strike-Slip Fault Deformation and Its Control in Hydrocarbon Trapping in Ketaling Area, Jambi Subbasin, Indonesia

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Ramadhan, Aldis; Badai Samudra, Alexis; Jaenudin; Puji Lestari, Enik; Saputro, Julian; Sugiono; Hirosiadi, Yosi; Amrullah, Indi

2018-03-01

Geologically, Ketaling area consists of a local high considered as flexure margin of Tempino-Kenali Asam Deep in west part and graben in east part also known as East Ketaling Deep. Numerous proven plays were established in Ketaling area with reservoir in early Miocene carbonate and middle Miocene sand. This area underwent several major deformations. Faults are developed widely, yet their geometrical features and mechanisms of formation remained so far indistinct, which limited exploration activities. With new three-dimensional seismic data acquired in 2014, this area evidently interpreted as having strike-slip mechanism. The objective of this study is to examine characteristic of strike slip fault and its affect to hydrocarbon trapping in Ketaling Area. Structural pattern and characteristic of strike slip fault deformation was examined with integration of normal seismic with variance seismic attribute analysis and the mapping of Syn-rift to Post-rift horizon. Seismic flattening on 2D seismic cross section with NW-SE direction is done to see the structural pattern related to horst (paleohigh) and graben. Typical flower structure, branching strike-slip fault system and normal fault in synrift sediment clearly showed in section. An echelon pattern identified from map view as the result of strike slip mechanism. Detail structural geology analysis show the normal fault development which has main border fault in the southern of Ketaling area dipping to the Southeast-East with NE-SW lineament. These faults related to rift system in Ketaling area. NW-SE folds with reactive NE-SW fault which act as hydrocarbon trapping in the shallow zone. This polyphase tectonic formed local graben, horst and inverted structure developed a good kitchen area (graben) and traps (horst, inverted structure). Subsequently, hydrocarbon accumulation potentials such as basement fractures, inverted syn-rift deposit and shallow zone are very interesting to explore in this area.

The use of Stress Tensor Discriminator Faults in separating heterogeneous fault-slip data with best-fit stress inversion methods. II. Compressional stress regimes

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Tranos, Markos D.

2018-02-01

Synthetic heterogeneous fault-slip data as driven by Andersonian compressional stress tensors were used to examine the efficiency of best-fit stress inversion methods in separating them. Heterogeneous fault-slip data are separated only if (a) they have been driven by stress tensors defining 'hybrid' compression (R constitute a necessary discriminatory tool for the establishment and comparison of two compressional stress tensors determined by a best-fit stress inversion method. The best-fit stress inversion methods are not able to determine more than one 'real' compressional stress tensor, as far as the thrust stacking in an orogeny is concerned. They can only possibly discern stress differences in the late-orogenic faulting processes, but not between the main- and late-orogenic stages.

Late Pleistocene-Holocene Activity of the Strike-slip Xianshuihe Fault Zone, Tibetan Plateau, Inferred from Tectonic Landforms

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Lin, A.; Yan, B.

2017-12-01

Knowledges on the activity of the strike-slip fault zones on the Tibetan Plateau have been promoted greatly by the interpretation of remote sensing images (Molnar and Tapponnier, 1975; Tapponnier and Molnar, 1977). The active strike-slip Xianshuihe-Xiaojiang Fault System (XXFS), with the geometry of an arc projecting northeastwards, plays an important role in the crustal deformation of the Tibetan Plateau caused by the continental collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates. The Xianshuihe Fault Zone (XFZ) is located in the central segment of the XXFS and extends for 370 km, with a maximum sinistral offset of 60 km since 13‒5 Ma. In this study, we investigated the tectonic landforms and slip rate along the central segment of the left-lateral strike-slip XFZ. Field investigations and analysis of ttectonic landforms show that horizontal offset has been accumulated on the topographical markers of different scales that developed since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The central segment of the XFZ is composed of three major faults: Yalahe, Selaha, and Zheduotang faults showing a right-stepping echelon pattern, that is characterized by systematical offset of drainages, alluvial fans and terrace risers with typical scissoring structures, indicating a structural feature of left-lateral strike-slip fault. Based on the offset glacial morphology and radiocarbon dating ages, we estimate the Late Pleistocene-Holocene slip rate to be 10 mm/yr for the central segment of the XFZ, which is consistent with that estimated from the GPS observations and geological evidence as reported previously. Across the central segment of the XFZ, the major Selaha and Zheduotang faults participate a slip rate of 5.8 mm/yr and 3.4 mm/yr, respectively. Detailed investigations of tectonic landforms are essential for the understanding the activity of active faults. Our findings suggest that the left-lateral slipping of the XFZ partitions the deformation of eastward extrusion and northeastward

Geometry and kinematics of adhesive wear in brittle strike-slip fault zones

Science.gov (United States)

Swanson, Mark T.

2005-05-01

Detailed outcrop surface mapping in Late Paleozoic cataclastic strike-slip faults of coastal Maine shows that asymmetric sidewall ripouts, 0.1-200 m in length, are a significant component of many mapped faults and an important wall rock deformation mechanism during faulting. The geometry of these structures ranges from simple lenses to elongate slabs cut out of the sidewalls of strike-slip faults by a lateral jump of the active zone of slip during adhesion along a section of the main fault. The new irregular trace of the active fault after this jump creates an indenting asperity that is forced to plow through the adjoining wall rock during continued adhesion or be cut off by renewed motion along the main section of the fault. Ripout translation during adhesion sets up the structural asymmetry with trailing extensional and leading contractional ends to the ripout block. The inactive section of the main fault trace at the trailing end can develop a 'sag' or 'half-graben' type geometry due to block movement along the scallop-shaped connecting ramp to the flanking ripout fault. Leading contractional ramps can develop 'thrust' type imbrication and forces the 'humpback' geometry to the ripout slab due to distortion of the inactive main fault surface by ripout translation. Similar asymmetric ripout geometries are recognized in many other major crustal scale strike-slip fault zones worldwide. Ripout structures in the 5-500 km length range can be found on the Atacama fault system of northern Chile, the Qujiang and Xiaojiang fault zones in western China, the Yalakom-Hozameen fault zone in British Columbia and the San Andreas fault system in southern California. For active crustal-scale faults the surface expression of ripout translation includes a coupled system of extensional trailing ramps as normal oblique-slip faults with pull-apart basin sedimentation and contractional leading ramps as oblique thrust or high angle reverse faults with associated uplift and erosion. The

Effects of Strike-Slip Fault Segmentation on Earthquake Energy and Seismic Hazard

Science.gov (United States)

Madden, E. H.; Cooke, M. L.; Savage, H. M.; McBeck, J.

2014-12-01

Many major strike-slip faults are segmented along strike, including those along plate boundaries in California and Turkey. Failure of distinct fault segments at depth may be the source of multiple pulses of seismic radiation observed for single earthquakes. However, how and when segmentation affects fault behavior and energy release is the basis of many outstanding questions related to the physics of faulting and seismic hazard. These include the probability for a single earthquake to rupture multiple fault segments and the effects of segmentation on earthquake magnitude, radiated seismic energy, and ground motions. Using numerical models, we quantify components of the earthquake energy budget, including the tectonic work acting externally on the system, the energy of internal rock strain, the energy required to overcome fault strength and initiate slip, the energy required to overcome frictional resistance during slip, and the radiated seismic energy. We compare the energy budgets of systems of two en echelon fault segments with various spacing that include both releasing and restraining steps. First, we allow the fault segments to fail simultaneously and capture the effects of segmentation geometry on the earthquake energy budget and on the efficiency with which applied displacement is accommodated. Assuming that higher efficiency correlates with higher probability for a single, larger earthquake, this approach has utility for assessing the seismic hazard of segmented faults. Second, we nucleate slip along a weak portion of one fault segment and let the quasi-static rupture propagate across the system. Allowing fractures to form near faults in these models shows that damage develops within releasing steps and promotes slip along the second fault, while damage develops outside of restraining steps and can prohibit slip along the second fault. Work is consumed in both the propagation of and frictional slip along these new fractures, impacting the energy available

Analogue Modeling of Oblique Convergent Strike-Slip Faulting and Application to The Seram Island, Eastern Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benyamin Sapiie

2014-12-01

Full Text Available DOI:10.17014/ijog.v1i3.189Sandbox experiment is one of the types of analogue modeling in geological sciences in which the main purpose is simulating deformation style and structural evolution of the sedimentary basin.  Sandbox modeling is one of the effective ways in conducting physically modeling and evaluates complex deformation of sedimentary rocks. The main purpose of this paper is to evaluate structural geometry and deformation history of oblique convergent deformation using of integrated technique of analogue sandbox modeling applying to deformation of Seram Fold-Thrust-Belt (SFTB in the Seram Island, Eastern Indonesia. Oblique convergent strike-slip deformation has notoriously generated area with structural complex geometry and pattern resulted from role of various local parameters that control stress distributions. Therefore, a special technique is needed for understanding and solving such problem in particular to relate 3D fault geometry and its evolution. The result of four case (Case 1 to 4 modeling setting indicated that two of modeling variables clearly affected in our sandbox modeling results; these are lithological variation (mainly stratigraphy of Seram Island and pre-existing basement fault geometry (basement configuration. Lithological variation was mainly affected in the total number of faults development.  On the other hand, pre-existing basement fault geometry was highly influenced in the end results particularly fault style and pattern as demonstrated in Case 4 modeling.  In addition, this study concluded that deformation in the Seram Island is clearly best described using oblique convergent strike-slip (transpression stress system.

Evidence of extensional and strike-slip deformation in the offshore Gökova-Kos area affected by the July 2017 Mw6.6 Bodrum-Kos earthquake, eastern Aegean Sea

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Ocakoğlu, Neslihan; Nomikou, Paraskevi; İşcan, Yeliz; Loreto, Maria Filomena; Lampridou, Danai

2018-01-01

The interpretation of new multichannel seismic profiles and previously published high-resolution swath and seismic reflection data from the Gökova Gulf and southeast of Kos Island in the eastern Aegean Sea revealed new morphotectonic features related to the July 20, 2017 Mw6.6 Bodrum-Kos earthquake offshore between Kos Island and the Bodrum Peninsula. The seafloor morphology in the northern part of the gulf is characterized by south-dipping E-W-oriented listric normal faults. These faults bend to a ENE-WSW direction towards Kos Island, and then extend parallel to the southern coastline. A left-lateral SW-NE strike-slip fault zone is mapped with segments crossing the Gökova Gulf from its northern part to south of Kos Island. This fault zone intersects and displaces the deep basins in the gulf. The basins are thus interpreted as the youngest deformed features in the study area. The strike-slip faults also produce E-W-oriented ridges between the basin segments, and the ridge-related vertical faults are interpreted as reverse faults. This offshore study reveals that the normal and strike-slip faults are well correlated with the focal mechanism solutions of the recent earthquake and general seismicity of the Gökova Gulf. Although the complex morphotectonic features could suggest that the area is under a transtensional regime, kinematic elements normally associated with a transtensional system are missing. At present, the Gökova Gulf is experiencing strike-slip motion with dominant extensional deformation, rather than transtensional deformation.

Evidence of extensional and strike-slip deformation in the offshore Gökova-Kos area affected by the July 2017 Mw6.6 Bodrum-Kos earthquake, eastern Aegean Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Ocakoğlu, Neslihan; Nomikou, Paraskevi; İşcan, Yeliz; Loreto, Maria Filomena; Lampridou, Danai

2018-06-01

The interpretation of new multichannel seismic profiles and previously published high-resolution swath and seismic reflection data from the Gökova Gulf and southeast of Kos Island in the eastern Aegean Sea revealed new morphotectonic features related to the July 20, 2017 Mw6.6 Bodrum-Kos earthquake offshore between Kos Island and the Bodrum Peninsula. The seafloor morphology in the northern part of the gulf is characterized by south-dipping E-W-oriented listric normal faults. These faults bend to a ENE-WSW direction towards Kos Island, and then extend parallel to the southern coastline. A left-lateral SW-NE strike-slip fault zone is mapped with segments crossing the Gökova Gulf from its northern part to south of Kos Island. This fault zone intersects and displaces the deep basins in the gulf. The basins are thus interpreted as the youngest deformed features in the study area. The strike-slip faults also produce E-W-oriented ridges between the basin segments, and the ridge-related vertical faults are interpreted as reverse faults. This offshore study reveals that the normal and strike-slip faults are well correlated with the focal mechanism solutions of the recent earthquake and general seismicity of the Gökova Gulf. Although the complex morphotectonic features could suggest that the area is under a transtensional regime, kinematic elements normally associated with a transtensional system are missing. At present, the Gökova Gulf is experiencing strike-slip motion with dominant extensional deformation, rather than transtensional deformation.

The significance of strike-slip faulting in the basement of the Zagros fold and thrust belt

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hessami, K.; Koyi, H.A.; Talbot, C.J. [Uppsala University (Sweden). Institute of Earth Sciences

2000-01-01

Lateral offsets in the pattern of seismicity along the Zagros fold and thrust belt indicate that transverse faults segmenting the Arabian basement are active deep-seated strike-slip faults. The dominant NW-SE trending features of the belt have undergone repeated horizontal displacements along these transverse faults. These reactivated basement faults, which are inherited from the Pan-African construction phase, controlled both deposition of the Phanerozoic cover before Tertiary-Recent deformation of the Zagros and probably the entrapment of hydrocarbons on the NE margin of Arabia and in the Zagros area. We have used observations of faulting recognized on Landsat satellite images, in conjunction with the spatial distribution of earthquakes and their focal mechanism solutions, to infer a tectonic model for the Zagros basement. Deformation in the NW Zagros appears to be concentrated on basement thrusts and a few widely-spaced north-south trending strike-slip faults which separate major structural segments. In the SE Zagros, two main structural domains can be distinguished. A domain of NNW-trending right-lateral faults in the northern part of the SE Zagros implies that fault-bounded blocks are likely to have rotated anticlockwise about vertical axes relative to both Arabia and Central Iran. In contrast, the predominance of NNE-trending left-lateral faults in the southern part of the SE Zagros implies that fault-bounded blocks may have rotated clockwise about vertical axes. We propose a tectonic model in which crustal blocks bounded by strike-slip faults in a zone of simple shear rotate about vertical axes relative to both Arabia and Central Iran. The presence of domains of strike-slip and thrust faulting in the Zagros basement suggest that some of the convergence between Arabia and Central Iran is accommodated by rotation and possible lateral movement of crust along the belt by strike-slip faults, as well as by obvious crustal shortening and thickening along thrust

The 2012 Strike-slip Earthquake Sequence in Black Sea and its Link to the Caucasus Collision Zone

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Tseng, T. L.; Hsu, C. H.; Legendre, C. P.; Jian, P. R.; Huang, B. S.; Karakhanian, A.; Chen, C. W.

2016-12-01

The Black Sea formed as a back-arc basin in Late Cretaceous to Paleogene with lots of extensional features. However, the Black Sea is now tectonically stable and absent of notable earthquakes except for the coastal region. In this study we invert regional waveforms of a new seismic array to constrain the focal mechanisms and depths of the 2012/12/23 earthquake sequence occurred in northeastern Black Sea basin that can provide unique estimates on the stress field in the region. The results show that the focal mechanisms for the main shock and 5 larger aftershocks are all strike-slip faulting and resembling with each other. The main rupture fall along the vertical dipping, NW-SE trending sinistral fault indicated by the lineation of most aftershocks. The fault strike and aftershock distribution are both consistent with the Shatsky Ridge, which is continental in nature but large normal faults was created by previous subsidence. The occurrence of 2012 earthquakes can be re-activated, as strike-slip, on one of the pre-existing normal fault cutting at depth nearly 20-30 km in the extended crust. Some of the aftershocks, including a larger one occurred 5 days later, are distributed toward NE direction 20 km away from main fault zone. Those events might be triggered by the main shock along a conjugate fault, which is surprisingly at the extension of proposed transform fault perpendicular to the rift axis of eastern Black Sea Basin. The focal mechanisms also indicate that the maximum compression in northeast Black Sea is at E-W direction, completely different from the N-S compression in the Caucasus and East Turkey controlled by Arabia-Eurasia collision. The origin of E-W maximum compression is probably the same as the secondary stress inferred from earthquakes in Racha region of the Greater Caucasus.

Stress and slip partitioning during oblique rifting: comparison between data from the Main Ethiopian Rift and laboratory experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Corti, G.; Philippon, M.; Sani, F.; Keir, D.

2012-04-01

Oblique rifting in the central and northern Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) has resulted in a complex structural pattern characterized by two differently oriented fault systems: a set of NE-SW-trending boundary faults and a system of roughly NNE-SSW-oriented fault swarms affecting the rift floor (Wonji faults). Boundary faults formed oblique to the regional extension vector, likely as a result of the oblique reactivation of a pre-existing deep-seated rheological anisotropy, whereas internal Wonji faults developed sub-orthogonal to the stretching direction. Previous works have successfully reconciled this rift architecture and fault distribution with the long-term plate kinematics; however, at a more local scale, fault-slip and earthquake data reveal significant variations in the orientation the minimum principal stress and related fault-slip direction across the rift valley. Whereas fault measurements indicate a roughly N95°E extension on the axial Wonji faults, a N105°E to N110°E directed minimum principal stress is observed along boundary faults. Both fault-slip data and analysis of seismicity indicate a roughly pure dip-slip motion on the boundary faults, despite their orientation (oblique to the regional extension vector) should result in an oblique displacement. To shed light on the process driving the variability of data derived from fault-slip (and seismicity) analysis we present crustal-scale analogue models of oblique rifting, deformed in a large-capacity centrifuge by using materials and boundary conditions described in several previous modeling works. As in these previous works, the experiments show the diachronous activation of two fault systems, boundary and internal, whose pattern strikingly resemble that observed in previous lithospheric-scale modeling, as well as that described in the MER. Internal faults arrange in two different, en-echelon segments connected by a transfer zone where strike-slip displacement dominates. Whereas internal faults develop

The morphology of strike-slip faults - Examples from the San Andreas Fault, California

Science.gov (United States)

Bilham, Roger; King, Geoffrey

1989-01-01

The dilatational strains associated with vertical faults embedded in a horizontal plate are examined in the framework of fault kinematics and simple displacement boundary conditions. Using boundary element methods, a sequence of examples of dilatational strain fields associated with commonly occurring strike-slip fault zone features (bends, offsets, finite rupture lengths, and nonuniform slip distributions) is derived. The combinations of these strain fields are then used to examine the Parkfield region of the San Andreas fault system in central California.

Active stress from earthquake focal mechanisms along the Padan-Adriatic side of the Northern Apennines (Italy), with considerations on stress magnitudes and pore-fluid pressures

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Boncio, Paolo; Bracone, Vito

2009-10-01

The active tectonic regime along the outer Northern Apennines (Padan-Adriatic area) is a matter of debate. We analyse the active tectonic regime by systematically inverting earthquake focal mechanisms in terms of their driving stress field, comparing two different stress inversion methods. Earthquakes within the area often deviate from Andersonian conditions, being characterized by reverse or transpressional slip on high-angle faults even if the regime is almost purely thrust faulting (e.g. Reggio Emilia 1996 and Faenza 2000 earthquakes). We analyse the stress conditions at faulting for the Reggio Emilia and Faenza earthquakes in order to infer the stress magnitudes and the possible role of fluid pressures. The stress analysis defines a consistent pattern of sub-horizontal active deviatoric compression arranged nearly perpendicular to the eastern front of the Padan-Adriatic fold-and-thrust system, independent of the stress inversion method used. The results are consistent with active compression operating within the Padan-Adriatic belt. The stress field is thrust faulting (sub-vertical σ3), except for the Cesena-Forlì and Ancona areas, where a strike-slip regime (sub-vertical or steeply-plunging σ2) operates. The strike-slip regimes are interpreted as being caused by the superposition of local tensional stresses due to oroclinal bending (i.e. rotations of the belt about vertical axes) on the regional compressional stress field. Kinematic complexities characterize the 1996 Reggio Emilia seismic sequence. The distribution of these complexities is not random, suggesting that they are due to local variations of the regional stress field within the unfaulted rocks surrounding the coseismic rupture. The stress conditions at faulting for the Reggio Emilia 1996 and Faenza 2000 earthquakes, coupled with the observation that seismicity in the Padan-Adriatic area often occurs in swarms, suggest that high pore-fluid pressures (Pf ≥ 70% of the lithostatic load) operate

Using an Earthquake Simulator to Model Tremor Along a Strike Slip Fault

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Cochran, E. S.; Richards-Dinger, K. B.; Kroll, K.; Harrington, R. M.; Dieterich, J. H.

2013-12-01

We employ the earthquake simulator, RSQSim, to investigate the conditions under which tremor occurs in the transition zone of the San Andreas fault. RSQSim is a computationally efficient method that uses rate- and state- dependent friction to simulate a wide range of event sizes for long time histories of slip [Dieterich and Richards-Dinger, 2010; Richards-Dinger and Dieterich, 2012]. RSQSim has been previously used to investigate slow slip events in Cascadia [Colella et al., 2011; 2012]. Earthquakes, tremor, slow slip, and creep occurrence are primarily controlled by the rate and state constants a and b and slip speed. We will report the preliminary results of using RSQSim to vary fault frictional properties in order to better understand rupture dynamics in the transition zone using observed characteristics of tremor along the San Andreas fault. Recent studies of tremor along the San Andreas fault provide information on tremor characteristics including precise locations, peak amplitudes, duration of tremor episodes, and tremor migration. We use these observations to constrain numerical simulations that examine the slip conditions in the transition zone of the San Andreas Fault. Here, we use the earthquake simulator, RSQSim, to conduct multi-event simulations of tremor for a strike slip fault modeled on Cholame section of the San Andreas fault. Tremor was first observed on the San Andreas fault near Cholame, California near the southern edge of the 2004 Parkfield rupture [Nadeau and Dolenc, 2005]. Since then, tremor has been observed across a 150 km section of the San Andreas with depths between 16-28 km and peak amplitudes that vary by a factor of 7 [Shelly and Hardebeck, 2010]. Tremor episodes, comprised of multiple low frequency earthquakes (LFEs), tend to be relatively short, lasting tens of seconds to as long as 1-2 hours [Horstmann et al., in review, 2013]; tremor occurs regularly with some tremor observed almost daily [Shelly and Hardebeck, 2010; Horstmann

Geologic Inheritance and Earthquake Rupture Processes: The 1905 M ≥ 8 Tsetserleg-Bulnay Strike-Slip Earthquake Sequence, Mongolia

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Jin-Hyuck; Klinger, Yann; Ferry, Matthieu; Ritz, Jean-François; Kurtz, Robin; Rizza, Magali; Bollinger, Laurent; Davaasambuu, Battogtokh; Tsend-Ayush, Nyambayar; Demberel, Sodnomsambuu

2018-02-01

In 1905, 14 days apart, two M 8 continental strike-slip earthquakes, the Tsetserleg and Bulnay earthquakes, occurred on the Bulnay fault system, in Mongolia. Together, they ruptured four individual faults, with a total length of 676 km. Using submetric optical satellite images "Pleiades" with ground resolution of 0.5 m, complemented by field observation, we mapped in detail the entire surface rupture associated with this earthquake sequence. Surface rupture along the main Bulnay fault is 388 km in length, striking nearly E-W. The rupture is formed by a series of fault segments that are 29 km long on average, separated by geometric discontinuities. Although there is a difference of about 2 m in the average slip between the western and eastern parts of the Bulnay rupture, along-fault slip variations are overall limited, resulting in a smooth slip distribution, except for local slip deficit at segment boundaries. We show that damage, including short branches and secondary faulting, associated with the rupture propagation, occurred significantly more often along the western part of the Bulnay rupture, while the eastern part of the rupture appears more localized and thus possibly structurally simpler. Eventually, the difference of slip between the western and eastern parts of the rupture is attributed to this difference of rupture localization, associated at first order with a lateral change in the local geology. Damage associated to rupture branching appears to be located asymmetrically along the extensional side of the strike-slip rupture and shows a strong dependence on structural geologic inheritance.

'Extra-regional' strike-slip fault systems in Chile and Alaska: the North Pacific Rim orogenic Stream vs. Beck's Buttress

Science.gov (United States)

Redfield, T. F.; Scholl, D. W.; Fitzgerald, P. G.

2010-12-01

The ~2000 km long Denali Fault System (DFS) of Alaska is an example of an extra-regional strike-slip fault system that terminates in a zone of widely-distributed deformation. The ~1200 km long Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault Zone (LOFZ) of Patagonia (southern Chile) is another. Both systems are active, having undergone large-magnitude seismic rupture is 2002 (DFS) and 2007 (LOFZ). Both systems appear to be long-lived: the DFS juxtaposes terranes that docked in at least early Tertiary time, whilst the central LOFZ appears to also record early Tertiary or Mesozoic deformation. Both fault systems comprise a relatively well-defined central zone where individual fault traces can be identified from topographic features or zones of deformed rock. In both cases the proximal and distal traces are much more diffuse tributary and distributary systems of individual, branching fault traces. However, since their inception the DFS and LOFZ have followed very different evolutionary paths. Copious Alaskan paleomagnetic data are consistent with vertical axis small block rotation, long-distance latitudinal translation, and a recently-postulated tectonic extrusion towards a distributary of subordinate faults that branch outward towards the Aleution subduction zone (the North Pacific Rim orogenic Stream; see Redfield et al., 2007). Paleomagnetic data from the LOFZ region are consistent with small block rotation but preclude statistically-significant latitudinal transport. Limited field data from the southernmost LOFZ suggest that high-angle normal and reverse faults dominate over oblique to strike-slip structures. Rather than the high-angle oblique 'slivering regime' of the southeasternmost DFS, the initiation of the LOFZ appears to occur across a 50 to 100 km wide zone of brittly-deformed granitic and gneissic rock characterized by bulk compression and vertical pathways of exhumation. In both cases, relative plate motions are consistent with the hypothetical style, and degree, of offset, leading

A Possible Differentially Shortened Strike-slip Plate Boundary: the Okhotsk Plate Example.

Science.gov (United States)

Hindle, D.; Egorov, V.; Mackey, K. G.; Fujita, K.

2004-12-01

The Okhotsk plate has been postulated based on a combination of GPS geodetic inversions (REVEL1), seimsicity, geologic and lineament data. Lying between the North American and Eurasian plates, its northwestern corner would appear to be undergoing compression in a scissors motion between the two bounding plates. Extrusion tectonics along multiple, large strike-slip faults within the Okhotsk plate itself have been suggested to allow the escape of material away from the apex of Eurasia-North America. The plate boundary between Okhotsk and North America has been suggested to be diffuse, based on widely scattered minor seismicity. However, the large, left lateral, Ulakhan fault has also been suggested as a candidate plate boundary. We present field geological and geomorphological evidence of the partitioning of deformation between the Ulakhan fault, and several parallel and oblique, linked faults. The Ulakhan fault strand appears to have a maximum displacement of 24 km based on river valley offsets and closing large pull apart basins. Some of the displacement from the Ulakhan fault appears relayed into the plate margin along oblique trending, thrust/oblique slip faults. Estimated shortening over these faults is equivalent to the amount of shortening relayed into the plate margin from the plate boundary. There may be several thrust/oblique slip faults along the Ulakhan fault, which leads to the interesting situation of a segmented, strike-slip plate boundary being actively shortened in a margin parallel direction. This may be the result of postulated extrusion of the Okhotsk plate due to North America/Eurasia convergence. Such a situation would have important consequences for the interpretation of GPS data in a plate tectonic context.

Transition from strike-slip faulting to oblique subduction: active tectonics at the Puysegur Margin, South New Zealand

Science.gov (United States)

Lamarche, Geoffroy; Lebrun, Jean-Frédéric

2000-01-01

South of New Zealand the Pacific-Australia (PAC-AUS) plate boundary runs along the intracontinental Alpine Fault, the Puysegur subduction front and the intraoceanic Puysegur Fault. The Puysegur Fault is located along Puysegur Ridge, which terminates at ca. 47°S against the continental Puysegur Bank in a complex zone of deformation called the Snares Zone. At Puysegur Trench, the Australian Plate subducts beneath Puysegur Bank and the Fiordland Massif. East of Fiordland and Puysegur Bank, the Moonlight Fault System (MFS) represents the Eocene strike-slip plate boundary. Interpretation of seafloor morphology and seismic reflection profiles acquired over Puysegur Bank and the Snares Zone allows study of the transition from intraoceanic strike-slip faulting along the Puysegur Ridge to oblique subduction at the Puysegur Trench and to better understand the genetic link between the Puysegur Fault and the MFS. Seafloor morphology is interpreted from a bathymetric dataset compiled from swath bathymetry data acquired during the 1993 Geodynz survey, and single beam echo soundings acquired by the NZ Royal Navy. The Snares Zone is the key transition zone from strike-slip faulting to subduction. It divides into three sectors, namely East, NW and SW sectors. A conspicuous 3600 m-deep trough (the Snares Trough) separates the NW and East sectors. The East sector is characterised by the NE termination of Puysegur Ridge into right-stepping en echelon ridges that accommodate a change of strike from the Puysegur Fault to the MFS. Between 48°S and 47°S, in the NW sector and the Snares Trough, a series of transpressional faults splay northwards from the Puysegur Fault. Between 49°50'S and 48°S, thrusts develop progressively at Puysegur Trench into a decollement. North of 48°S the Snares Trough develops between two splays of the Puysegur Fault, indicating superficial extension associated with the subsidence of Puysegur Ridge. Seismic reflection profiles and bathymetric maps show a

Influence of movement regime of stick-slip process on the size distribution of accompanying acoustic emission characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Matcharashvili, Teimuraz; Chelidze, Tamaz; Zhukova, Natalia; Mepharidze, Ekaterine; Sborshchikov, Alexander

2010-05-01

Many scientific works on dynamics of earthquake generation are devoted to qualitative and quantitative reproduction of behavior of seismic faults. Number of theoretical, numerical or physical models are already designed for this purpose. Main assumption of these works is that the correct model must be capable to reproduce power law type relation for event sizes with magnitudes greater than or equal to a some threshold value, similar to Gutenberg-Richter (GR) law for the size distribution of earthquakes. To model behavior of a seismic faults in laboratory conditions spring-block experimental systems are often used. They enable to generate stick-slip movement, intermittent behavior occurring when two solids in contact slide relative to each other driven at a constant velocity. Wide interest to such spring-block models is caused by the fact that stick-slip is recognized as a basic process underlying earthquakes generation along pre-existing faults. It is worth to mention, that in stick slip experiments reproduction of power law, in slip events size distribution, with b values close or equal to the one found for natural seismicity is possible. Stick-slip process observed in these experimental models is accompanied by a transient elastic waves propagation generated during the rapid release of stress energy in spring-block system. Oscillations of stress energy can be detected as a characteristic acoustic emission (AE). Accompanying stick slip AE is the subject of intense investigation, but many aspects of this process are still unclear. In the present research we aimed to investigate dynamics of stick slip AE in order to find whether its distributional properties obey power law. Experiments have been carried out on spring-block system consisting of fixed and sliding plates of roughly finished basalt samples. The sliding block was driven with a constant velocity. Experiments have been carried out for five different stiffness of pulling spring. Thus five different regimes

Nonlinear dynamical triggering of slow slip

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, Paul A [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Knuth, Matthew W [WISCONSIN; Kaproth, Bryan M [PENN STATE; Carpenter, Brett [PENN STATE; Guyer, Robert A [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Le Bas, Pierre - Yves [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Daub, Eric G [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Marone, Chris [PENN STATE

2010-12-10

Among the most fascinating, recent discoveries in seismology have been the phenomena of triggered slip, including triggered earthquakes and triggered-tremor, as well as triggered slow, silent-slip during which no seismic energy is radiated. Because fault nucleation depths cannot be probed directly, the physical regimes in which these phenomena occur are poorly understood. Thus determining physical properties that control diverse types of triggered fault sliding and what frictional constitutive laws govern triggered faulting variability is challenging. We are characterizing the physical controls of triggered faulting with the goal of developing constitutive relations by conducting laboratory and numerical modeling experiments in sheared granular media at varying load conditions. In order to simulate granular fault zone gouge in the laboratory, glass beads are sheared in a double-direct configuration under constant normal stress, while subject to transient perturbation by acoustic waves. We find that triggered, slow, silent-slip occurs at very small confining loads ({approx}1-3 MPa) that are smaller than those where dynamic earthquake triggering takes place (4-7 MPa), and that triggered slow-slip is associated with bursts of LFE-like acoustic emission. Experimental evidence suggests that the nonlinear dynamical response of the gouge material induced by dynamic waves may be responsible for the triggered slip behavior: the slip-duration, stress-drop and along-strike slip displacement are proportional to the triggering wave amplitude. Further, we observe a shear-modulus decrease corresponding to dynamic-wave triggering relative to the shear modulus of stick-slips. Modulus decrease in response to dynamical wave amplitudes of roughly a microstrain and above is a hallmark of elastic nonlinear behavior. We believe that the dynamical waves increase the material non-affine elastic deformation during shearing, simultaneously leading to instability and slow-slip. The inferred

Carpathian Shear Corridor – A strike-slip boundary of an extruded crustal segment

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Marko, F.; Andriessen, P.A.M.; Tomek, Č.; Bezák, V.; Fojtíková, Lucia; Bošanský, M.; Piovarči, M.; Reichenwalder, P.

703-704, APR 22 (2017), s. 119-134 ISSN 0040-1951 Grant - others:Slovak Foundation Grant(SK) VEGA 2/0188/15 Institutional support: RVO:67985891 Keywords : extrusion * Neo-alpine evolution * strike-slip faulting * uplift history * Western Carpathians Subject RIV: DC - Siesmology, Volcanology, Earth Structure OBOR OECD: Geology Impact factor: 2.693, year: 2016

Tectonic stress orientations and magnitudes, and friction of faults, deduced from earthquake focal mechanism inversions over the Korean Peninsula

Science.gov (United States)

Soh, Inho; Chang, Chandong; Lee, Junhyung; Hong, Tae-Kyung; Park, Eui-Seob

2018-05-01

We characterize the present-day stress state in and around the Korean Peninsula using formal inversions of earthquake focal mechanisms. Two different methods are used to select preferred fault planes in the double-couple focal mechanism solutions: one that minimizes average misfit angle and the other choosing faults with higher instability. We invert selected sets of fault planes for estimating the principal stresses at regularly spaced grid points, using a circular-area data-binning method, where the bin radius is optimized to yield the best possible stress inversion results based on the World Stress Map quality ranking scheme. The inversions using the two methods yield well constrained and fairly comparable results, which indicate that the prevailing stress regime is strike-slip, and the maximum horizontal principal stress (SHmax) is oriented ENE-WSW throughout the study region. Although the orientation of the stresses is consistent across the peninsula, the relative stress magnitude parameter (R-value) varies significantly, from 0.22 in the northwest to 0.89 in the southeast. Based on our knowledge of the R-values and stress regime, and using a value for vertical stress (Sv) estimated from the overburden weight of rock, together with a value for the maximum differential stress (based on the Coulomb friction of faults optimally oriented for slip), we estimate the magnitudes of the two horizontal principal stresses. The horizontal stress magnitudes increase from west to east such that SHmax/Sv ratio rises from 1.5 to 2.4, and the Shmin/Sv ratio from 0.6 to 0.8. The variation in the magnitudes of the tectonic stresses appears to be related to differences in the rigidity of crustal rocks. Using the complete stress tensors, including both orientations and magnitudes, we assess the possible ranges of frictional coefficients for different types of faults. We show that normal and reverse faults have lower frictional coefficients than strike-slip faults, suggesting that

Structural characteristics and implication on tectonic evolution of the Daerbute strike-slip fault in West Junggar area, NW China

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Kongyou; Pei, Yangwen; Li, Tianran; Wang, Xulong; Liu, Yin; Liu, Bo; Ma, Chao; Hong, Mei

2018-03-01

The Daerbute fault zone, located in the northwestern margin of the Junggar basin, in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, is a regional strike-slip fault with a length of 400 km. The NE-SW trending Daerbute fault zone presents a distinct linear trend in plain view, cutting through both the Zair Mountain and the Hala'alate Mountain. Because of the intense contraction and shearing, the rocks within the fault zone experienced high degree of cataclasis, schistosity, and mylonization, resulting in rocks that are easily eroded to form a valley with a width of 300-500 m and a depth of 50-100 m after weathering and erosion. The well-exposed outcrops along the Daerbute fault zone present sub-horizontal striations and sub-vertical fault steps, indicating sub-horizontal shearing along the observed fault planes. Flower structures and horizontal drag folds are also observed in both the well-exposed outcrops and high-resolution satellite images. The distribution of accommodating strike-slip splay faults, e.g., the 973-pluton fault and the Great Jurassic Trough fault, are in accordance with the Riedel model of simple shear. The seismic and time-frequency electromagnetic (TFEM) sections also demonstrate the typical strike-slip characteristics of the Daerbute fault zone. Based on detailed field observations of well-exposed outcrops and seismic sections, the Daerbute fault can be subdivided into two segments: the western segment presents multiple fault cores and damage zones, whereas the eastern segment only presents a single fault core, in which the rocks experienced a higher degree of rock cataclasis, schistosity, and mylonization. In the central overlapping portion between the two segments, the sediments within the fault zone are primarily reddish sandstones, conglomerates, and some mudstones, of which the palynological tests suggest middle Permian as the timing of deposition. The deformation timing of the Daerbute fault was estimated by integrating the depocenters' basinward

The 2014 Mw6.9 Gokceada and 2017 Mw6.3 Lesvos Earthquakes in the Northern Aegean Sea: The Transition from Right-Lateral Strike-Slip Faulting on the North Anatolian Fault to Extension in the Central Aegean

Science.gov (United States)

Cetin, S.; Konca, A. O.; Dogan, U.; Floyd, M.; Karabulut, H.; Ergintav, S.; Ganas, A.; Paradisis, D.; King, R. W.; Reilinger, R. E.

2017-12-01

The 2014 Mw6.9 Gokceada (strike-slip) and 2017 Mw6.3 Lesvos (normal) earthquakes represent two of the set of faults that accommodate the transition from right-lateral strike-slip faulting on the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) to normal faulting along the Gulf of Corinth. The Gokceada earthquake was a purely strike-slip event on the western extension of the NAF where it enters the northern Aegean Sea. The Lesvos earthquake, located roughly 200 km south of Gokceada, occurred on a WNW-ESE-striking normal fault. Both earthquakes respond to the same regional stress field, as indicated by their sub-parallel seismic tension axis and far-field coseismic GPS displacements. Interpretation of GPS-derived velocities, active faults, crustal seismicity, and earthquake focal mechanisms in the northern Aegean indicates that this pattern of complementary faulting, involving WNW-ESE-striking normal faults (e.g. Lesvos earthquake) and SW-NE-striking strike-slip faults (e.g. Gokceada earthquake), persists across the full extent of the northern Aegean Sea. The combination of these two "families" of faults, combined with some systems of conjugate left-lateral strike-slip faults, complement one another and culminate in the purely extensional rift structures that form the large Gulfs of Evvia and Corinth. In addition to being consistent with seismic and geodetic observations, these fault geometries explain the increasing velocity of the southern Aegean and Peloponnese regions towards the Hellenic subduction zone. Alignment of geodetic extension and seismic tension axes with motion of the southern Aegean towards the Hellenic subduction zone suggests a direct association of Aegean extension with subduction, possibly by trench retreat, as has been suggested by prior investigators.

A note on 2-D lithospheric deformation due to a blind strike-slip fault

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

mic deformation. Several researchers have devel- oped models of coseismic lithospheric deformation. Rybicki (1971) found a closed-form analytical solu- tion for the problem of a long vertical strike-slip fault in a two-layer model of the earth. Chinnery and Jovanovich (1972) extended the solution to a three-layer model.

Stress distribution of metatarsals during forefoot strike versus rearfoot strike: A finite element study.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shudong; Zhang, Yan; Gu, Yaodong; Ren, James

2017-12-01

Due to the limitations of experimental approaches, comparison of the internal deformation and stresses of the human man foot between forefoot and rearfoot landing is not fully established. The objective of this work is to develop an effective FE modelling approach to comparatively study the stresses and energy in the foot during forefoot strike (FS) and rearfoot strike (RS). The stress level and rate of stress increase in the Metatarsals are established and the injury risk between these two landing styles is evaluated and discussed. A detailed subject specific FE foot model is developed and validated. A hexahedral dominated meshing scheme was applied on the surface of the foot bones and skin. An explicit solver (Abaqus/Explicit) was used to stimulate the transient landing process. The deformation and internal energy of the foot and stresses in the metatarsals are comparatively investigated. The results for forefoot strike tests showed an overall higher average stress level in the metatarsals during the entire landing cycle than that for rearfoot strike. The increase rate of the metatarsal stress from the 0.5 body weight (BW) to 2 BW load point is 30.76% for forefoot strike and 21.39% for rearfoot strike. The maximum rate of stress increase among the five metatarsals is observed on the 1st metatarsal in both landing modes. The results indicate that high stress level during forefoot landing phase may increase potential of metatarsal injuries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inertial and stick-slip regimes of unstable adhesive tape peeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Dalbe, Marie-Julie; Villey, Richard; Ciccotti, Matteo; Santucci, Stéphane; Cortet, Pierre-Philippe; Vanel, Loïc

2016-05-18

We present an experimental characterization of the detachment front unstable dynamics observed during the peeling of pressure sensitive adhesives. We use an experimental set-up specifically designed to control the peeling angle θ and the peeled tape length L, while peeling an adhesive tape from a flat substrate at a constant driving velocity V. High-speed imaging allows us to report the evolution of the period and amplitude of the front oscillations, as well as the relative durations of their fast and slow phases, as a function of the control parameters V, L and θ. Our study shows that, as the driving velocity or the peeling angle increases, the oscillations of the peeling front progressively evolve from genuine "stick-slip" oscillations, made of alternating long stick phases and very brief slip phases, to sinusoidal oscillations of amplitude twice the peeling velocity. We propose a model which, taking into account the peeling angle-dependent kinetic energy cost to accelerate and decelerate the peeled tape, explains the transition from the "stick-slip" to the "inertial" regime of the dynamical instability. Using independent direct measurements of the effective fracture energy of the adhesive-substrate joint, we show that our model quantitatively accounts for the two regimes of the unstable dynamics.

Stress field reconstruction in an active mudslide

Science.gov (United States)

Baroň, Ivo; Kernstocková, Markéta; Melichar, Rostislav

2017-07-01

Meso-scale structures from gravitational slope deformation observed in landslides and deep-seated gravitational slope failures are very similar to those of endogenous ones. Therefore we applied palaeostress analysis of fault-slip data for reconstructing the stress field of an active mudslide in Pechgraben, Austria. This complex compound landslide has developed in clayey colluvium and shale and was activated after a certain period of dormancy in June 2013. During the active motion on June 12, 2013, 73 fault-slip traces at 9 locations were measured within the landslide body. The heterogeneous fault-slip data were processed in term of palaeostresses, the reconstructed palaeostress tensor being characterized by the orientations of the three principal stress axes and the stress ratio (which provides the shape of the stress ellipsoid). The results of the palaeostress analysis were compared to airborne laser scan digital terrain models that revealed dynamics and superficial displacements of the moving mass prior and after our survey. The results were generally in good agreement with the observed landslide displacement pattern and with the anticipated stress regime according to Mohr-Coulomb failure criteria and Anderson's theory. The compressional regime was mostly registered at the toe in areas, where a compressional stress field is expected during previous mass-movement stages, or at margins loaded by subsequent landslide bodies from above. On the other hand, extension regimes were identified at the head scarps of secondary slides, subsequently on bulged ridges at the toe and in the zone of horst-and-graben structures in the lower central part of the main landslide body, where the basal slip surface probably had locally convex character. Strike-slip regimes, as well as oblique normal or oblique reverse regimes were observed at the lateral margins of the landslide bodies. The directions of principal stresses could be used as markers of landslide movement directions

A note on 2-D lithospheric deformation due to a blind strike-slip fault

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Analytical solution for the problem of a surface-breaking long strike-slip fault in an elastic layer overlying an elastic half-space is well known. The purpose of this note is to obtain the corresponding solution for a blind fault. Since the solution is valid for arbitrary values of the fault-depth and the dip angle, the effects of these ...

Segmentation of Slow Slip Events in South Central Alaska Possibly Controlled by a Subducted Oceanic Plateau

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Haotian; Wei, Meng; Li, Duo; Liu, Yajing; Kim, YoungHee; Zhou, Shiyong

2018-01-01

Recent GPS observations show that slow slip events in south central Alaska are segmented along strike. Here we review several mechanisms that might contribute to this segmentation and focus on two: along-strike variation of slab geometry and effective normal stress. We then test them by running numerical simulations in the framework of rate-and-state friction with a nonplanar fault geometry. Results show that the segmentation is most likely related to the along-strike variation of the effective normal stress on the fault plane caused by the Yakutat Plateau. The Yakutat Plateau could affect the effective normal stress by either lowering the pore pressure in Upper Cook Inlet due to less fluids release or increasing the normal stress due to the extra buoyancy caused by the subducted Yakutat Plateau. We prefer the latter explanation because it is consistent with the relative amplitudes of the effective normal stress in Upper and Lower Cook Inlet and there is very little along-strike variation in Vp/Vs ratio in the fault zone from receiver function analysis. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that the difference in effective normal stress results from along-strike variation of pore pressure due to the uncertainties in the Vp/Vs estimates. Our work implies that a structural anomaly can have a long-lived effect on the subduction zone slip behavior and might be a driving factor on along-strike segmentation of slow slip events.

Constraining slip rates and spacings for active normal faults

Science.gov (United States)

Cowie, Patience A.; Roberts, Gerald P.

2001-12-01

Numerous observations of extensional provinces indicate that neighbouring faults commonly slip at different rates and, moreover, may be active over different time intervals. These published observations include variations in slip rate measured along-strike of a fault array or fault zone, as well as significant across-strike differences in the timing and rates of movement on faults that have a similar orientation with respect to the regional stress field. Here we review published examples from the western USA, the North Sea, and central Greece, and present new data from the Italian Apennines that support the idea that such variations are systematic and thus to some extent predictable. The basis for the prediction is that: (1) the way in which a fault grows is fundamentally controlled by the ratio of maximum displacement to length, and (2) the regional strain rate must remain approximately constant through time. We show how data on fault lengths and displacements can be used to model the observed patterns of long-term slip rate where measured values are sparse. Specifically, we estimate the magnitude of spatial variation in slip rate along-strike and relate it to the across-strike spacing between active faults.

Tectonic implications of the 2017 Ayvacık (Çanakkale) earthquakes, Biga Peninsula, NW Turkey

Science.gov (United States)

Özden, Süha; Över, Semir; Poyraz, Selda Altuncu; Güneş, Yavuz; Pınar, Ali

2018-04-01

The west to southwestward motion of the Anatolian block results from the relative motions between the Eurasian, Arabian and African plates along the right-lateral North Anatolian Fault Zone in the north and left-lateral East Anatolian Fault Zone in the east. The Biga Peninsula is tectonically influenced by the Anatolian motion originating along the North Anatolian Fault Zone which splits into two main (northern and southern) branches in the east of Marmara region: the southern branch extends towards the Biga Peninsula which is characterized by strike-slip to oblique normal faulting stress regime in the central to northern part. The southernmost part of peninsula is characterized by a normal to oblique faulting stress regime. The analysis of both seismological and structural field data confirms the change of stress regime from strike-slip character in the center and north to normal faulting character in the south of peninsula where the earthquake swarm recently occurred. The earthquakes began on 14 January 2017 (Mw: 4.4) on Tuzla Fault and migrated southward along the Kocaköy and Babakale's stepped-normal faults of over three months. The inversion of focal mechanisms yields a normal faulting stress regime with an approximately N-S (N4°E) σ3 axis. The inversion of earthquakes occurring in central and northern Biga Peninsula and the north Aegean region gives a strike-slip stress regime with approximately WNW-ESE (N85°W) σ1 and NNE-SSW (N17°E) σ3 axis. The strike-slip stress regime is attributed to westward Anatolian motion, while the normal faulting stress regime is attributed to both the extrusion of Anatolian block and the slab-pull force of the subducting African plate along the Hellenic arc.

THE ILICA BRANCH OF THE SOUTHEASTERN ESKIŞEHIR FAULT ZONE: AN ACTIVE RIGHT LATERAL STRIKE-SLIP STRUCTURE IN CENTRAL ANATOLIA, TURKEY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Korhan ESAT

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The Eskişehir Fault Zone is one of the prominent neotectonic structures of Turkey. It separates the west  Anatolian extensional province and the strike-slip induced northwest central Anatolian contractional area in the Anatolian Block. Its southeastern part is generally divided into three branches, namely the Ilıca, Yeniceoba, and Cihanbeyli from north to south, respectively. The right lateral strike-slip Ilıca branch (IB is an approximately 100-km-long fault and it is composed of several segments in a northwest-southeast direction. The slickensides, subsidiary fractures, cataclastic zone, fracture-controlled drainage pattern, right lateral stream deflections, deformation in the Quaternary unit observing in the seismic reflection sections, and seismicity of the region all indicate that the IB is an active right lateral strike-slip fault. The IB has also a regional tectonic importance as a boundary fault between the contractional and the extensional regions in central Anatolia considering that it is the southern limit of the contraction-related structures in the west-southwest of Ankara.

Fault Branching and Long-Term Earthquake Rupture Scenario for Strike-Slip Earthquake

Science.gov (United States)

Klinger, Y.; CHOI, J. H.; Vallage, A.

2017-12-01

Careful examination of surface rupture for large continental strike-slip earthquakes reveals that for the majority of earthquakes, at least one major branch is involved in the rupture pattern. Often, branching might be either related to the location of the epicenter or located toward the end of the rupture, and possibly related to the stopping of the rupture. In this work, we examine large continental earthquakes that show significant branches at different scales and for which ground surface rupture has been mapped in great details. In each case, rupture conditions are described, including dynamic parameters, past earthquakes history, and regional stress orientation, to see if the dynamic stress field would a priori favor branching. In one case we show that rupture propagation and branching are directly impacted by preexisting geological structures. These structures serve as pathways for the rupture attempting to propagate out of its shear plane. At larger scale, we show that in some cases, rupturing a branch might be systematic, hampering possibilities for the development of a larger seismic rupture. Long-term geomorphology hints at the existence of a strong asperity in the zone where the rupture branched off the main fault. There, no evidence of throughgoing rupture could be seen along the main fault, while the branch is well connected to the main fault. This set of observations suggests that for specific configurations, some rupture scenarios involving systematic branching are more likely than others.

Shear Stress-Relative Slip Relationship at Concrete Interfaces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keun-Hyeok Yang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study develops a simple and rational shear stress-relative slip model of concrete interfaces with monolithic castings or smooth construction joints. In developing the model, the initial shear cracking stress and relative slip amount at peak stress were formulated from a nonlinear regression analysis using test data for push-off specimens. The shear friction strength was determined from the generalized equations on the basis of the upper-bound theorem of concrete plasticity. Then, a parametric fitting analysis was performed to derive equations for the key parameters determining the shapes of the ascending and descending branches of the shear stress-relative slip curve. The comparisons of predictions and measurements obtained from push-off tests confirmed that the proposed model provides superior accuracy in predicting the shear stress-relative slip relationship of interfacial shear planes. This was evidenced by the lower normalized root mean square error than those in Xu et al.’s model and the CEB-FIB model, which have many limitations in terms of the roughness of the substrate surface along an interface and the magnitude of equivalent normal stress.

Dynamic Behavior of Fault Slip Induced by Stress Waves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guang-an Zhu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Fault slip burst is a serious dynamic hazard in coal mining. A static and dynamic analysis for fault slip was performed to assess the risk of rock burst. A numerical model FLAC3D was established to understand the stress state and mechanical responses of fault rock system. The results obtained from the analysis show that the dynamic behavior of fault slip induced by stress waves is significantly affected by mining depth, as well as dynamic disturbance intensity and the distance between the stope and the fault. The isolation effect of the fault is also discussed based on the numerical results with the fault angle appearing to have the strongest influence on peak vertical stress and velocity induced by dynamic disturbance. By taking these risks into account, a stress-relief technology using break-tip blast was used for fault slip burst control. This technique is able to reduce the stress concentration and increase the attenuation of dynamic load by fracturing the structure of coal and rock. The adoption of this stress-relief method leads to an effective reduction of fault slip induced rock burst (FSIRB occurrence.

The geometry of the active strike-slip El Tigre Fault, Precordillera of San Juan, Central-Western Argentina: integrating resistivity surveys with structural and geomorphological data

Science.gov (United States)

Fazzito, Sabrina Y.; Cortés, José M.; Rapalini, Augusto E.; Terrizzano, Carla M.

2013-07-01

The geometry and related geomorphological features of the right-lateral strike-slip El Tigre Fault, one of the main morphostructural discontinuities in the Central-Western Precordillera of Argentina, were investigated. Achievements of this survey include: recognition of structural and geometrical discontinuities along the fault trace, identification and classification of landforms associated with local transpressional and transtensional sectors, observation of significant changes in the fault strike and detection of right and left bends of different wavelength. In the Central Segment of the El Tigre Fault, 2D electrical resistivity tomography surveys were carried out across the fault zone. The resistivity imaging permitted to infer the orientation of the main fault surface, the presence of blind fault branches along the fault zone, tectonic tilting of the Quaternary sedimentary cover, subsurface structure of pressure ridges and depth to the water table. Based on this information, it is possible to characterize the El Tigre Fault also as an important hydro-geological barrier. Our survey shows that the main fault surface changes along different segments from a high-angle to a subvertical setting whilst the vertical-slip component is either reverse or normal, depending on the local transpressive or transtensive regime induced by major bends along the trace. These local variations are expressed as sections of a few kilometres in length with relatively homogeneous behaviour and frequently separated by oblique or transversal structures.

Evolution of the stress fields in the Zagros Foreland Folded Belt using focal mechanisms and kinematic analyses: the case of the Fars salient, Iran

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkarinejad, Khalil; Zafarmand, Bahareh; Oveisi, Behnam

2018-03-01

The NW-SE trending Zagros orogenic belt was initiated during the convergence of the Afro-Arabian continent and the Iranian microcontinent in the Late Cretaceous. Ongoing convergence is confirmed by intense seismicity related to compressional stresses collision-related in the Zagros orogenic belt by reactivation of an early extensional faulting to latter compressional segmented strike-slip and dip-slip faulting. These activities are strongly related either to the deep-seated basement fault activities (deep-seated earthquakes) underlies the sedimentary cover or gently dipping shallow-seated décollement horizon of the rheological weak rocks of the infra-Cambrian Hormuz salt. The compressional stress regimes in the different units play an important role in controlling the stress conditions between the different units within the sedimentary cover and basement. A significant set of nearly N-S trending right-lateral strike-slip faults exists throughout the study area in the Fars area in the Zagros Foreland Folded Belt. Fault-slip and focal mechanism data were analyzed using the stress inversion method to reconstruct the paleo and recent stress conditions. The results suggest that the current direction of maximum principal stress averages N19°E, with N38°E that for the past from Cretaceous to Tertiary (although a few sites on the Kar-e-Bass fault yield a different direction). The results are consistent with the collision of the Afro-Arabian continent and the Iranian microcontinent. The difference between the current and paleo-stress directions indicates an anticlockwise rotation in the maximum principle stress direction over time. This difference resulted from changes in the continental convergence path, but was also influenced by the local structural evolution, including the lateral propagation of folds and the presence of several local décollement horizons that facilitated decoupling of the deformation between the basement and the sedimentary cover. The obliquity of

Rupture model of the 2015 M7.2 Sarez, Central Pamir, earthquake and the importance of strike-slip faulting in the Pamir interior

Science.gov (United States)

Metzger, S.; Schurr, B.; Schoene, T.; Zhang, Y.; Sudhaus, H.

2016-12-01

The Pamir mountain range, located in the Northwest of the India-Asia collision zone, accommodates approximately one third of the northward advance of the Indian continent at this longitude (i.e. 34 mm/yr) mostly by shortening at its northern thrust system. Geodetic and seismic data sets reveal here a narrow zone of high deformation and M7+ earthquakes of mostly thrust type with some dextral strike-slip faulting observed, too. The Pamir interior shows sinistral strike-slip and normal faulting indicating north-south compression and east-west extension. In this tectonic setting the two largest instrumentally recorded earthquakes, the M7+ 1911 and 2015 earthquake events in the central Pamir occurred with left-lateral shear along a NE-SW rupture plane. We present the co-seismic deformation field of the 2015 earthquake observed by Radar satellite interferometry (InSAR), SAR amplitude offsets and high-rate Global Positioning System (GPS). The InSAR and offset results reveal that the earthquake created a 50 km long surface rupture with maximum left-lateral offsets of more than two meters on a yet unmapped fault trace of the Sarez Karakul Fault System (SKFS). We further derive a distributed slip-model including a thorough model parameter uncertainty study. Using a two-step approach to first find the optimal rupture geometry and then invert for slip on discrete patches, we show that a data-driven patch resolution produces yields a better representation of the near-surface slip and an increased slip precision than a uniform patch approach without increasing the number of parameters and thus calculation time. Our best-fit model yields a sub-vertical fault plane with a strike of N39.5 degrees and a rupture area of 80 x 40 km2 with a maximum slip of 2 meters in the upper 10 km of the crust near the surface rupture. The 1911 and 2015 earthquakes demonstrate the importance of sinistral strike-slip faulting on the SKFS, contributing both to shear between the western and eastern

Spatial and Temporal Variations in Slip Partitioning During Oblique Convergence Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Beyer, J. L.; Cooke, M. L.; Toeneboehn, K.

2017-12-01

Physical experiments of oblique convergence in wet kaolin demonstrate the development of slip partitioning, where two faults accommodate strain via different slip vectors. In these experiments, the second fault forms after the development of the first fault. As one strain component is relieved by one fault, the local stress field then favors the development of a second fault with different slip sense. A suite of physical experiments reveals three styles of slip partitioning development controlled by the convergence angle and presence of a pre-existing fault. In experiments with low convergence angles, strike-slip faults grow prior to reverse faults (Type 1) regardless of whether the fault is precut or not. In experiments with moderate convergence angles, slip partitioning is dominantly controlled by the presence of a pre-existing fault. In all experiments, the primarily reverse fault forms first. Slip partitioning then develops with the initiation of strike-slip along the precut fault (Type 2) or growth of a secondary reverse fault where the first fault is steepest. Subsequently, the slip on the first fault transitions to primarily strike-slip (Type 3). Slip rates and rakes along the slip partitioned faults for both precut and uncut experiments vary temporally, suggesting that faults in these slip-partitioned systems are constantly adapting to the conditions produced by slip along nearby faults in the system. While physical experiments show the evolution of slip partitioning, numerical simulations of the experiments provide information about both the stress and strain fields, which can be used to compute the full work budget, providing insight into the mechanisms that drive slip partitioning. Preliminary simulations of precut experiments show that strain energy density (internal work) can be used to predict fault growth, highlighting where fault growth can reduce off-fault deformation in the physical experiments. In numerical simulations of uncut experiments with a

Stress state and movement potential of the Kar-e-Bas fault zone, Fars, Iran

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkarinejad, Khalil; Zafarmand, Bahareh

2017-08-01

The Kar-e-Bas or Mengharak basement-inverted fault is comprised of six segments in the Zagros foreland folded belt of Iran. In the Fars region, this fault zone associated with the Kazerun, Sabz-Pushan and Sarvestan faults serves as a lateral transfer zone that accommodates the change in shortening direction from the western central to the eastern Zagros. This study evaluates the recent tectonic stress regime of the Kar-e-Bas fault zone based on inversion of earthquake focal mechanism data, and quantifies the fault movement potential of this zone based on the relationship between fault geometric characteristics and recent tectonic stress regimes. The trend and plunge of σ 1 and σ 3 are S25°W/04°-N31°E/05° and S65°E/04°-N60°W/10°, respectively, with a stress ratio of Φ = 0.83. These results are consistent with the collision direction of the Afro-Arabian continent and the Iranian microcontinent. The near horizontal plunge of maximum and minimum principle stresses and the value of stress ratio Φ indicate that the state of stress is nearly strike-slip dominated with little relative difference between the value of two principal stresses, σ 1 and σ 2. The obliquity of the maximum compressional stress into the fault trend reveals a typical stress partitioning of thrust and strike-slip motion in the Kar-e-Bas fault zone. Analysis of the movement potential of this fault zone shows that its northern segment has a higher potential of fault activity (0.99). The negligible difference between the fault-plane dips of the segments indicates that their strike is a controlling factor in the changes in movement potential.

Patellofemoral joint stress during running with alterations in foot strike pattern.

Science.gov (United States)

Vannatta, Charles Nathan; Kernozek, Thomas W

2015-05-01

This study aimed to quantify differences in patellofemoral joint stress that may occur when healthy runners alter their foot strike pattern from their habitual rearfoot strike to a forefoot strike to gain insight on the potential etiology and treatment methods of patellofemoral pain. Sixteen healthy female runners completed 20 running trials in a controlled laboratory setting under rearfoot strike and forefoot strike conditions. Kinetic and kinematic data were used to drive a static optimization technique to estimate individual muscle forces to input into a model of the patellofemoral joint to estimate joint stress during running. Peak patellofemoral joint stress and the stress-time integral over stance phase decreased by 27% and 12%, respectively, in the forefoot strike condition (P forefoot strike condition (P forefoot strike (P forefoot strike condition (P strike pattern to a forefoot strike results in consistent reductions in patellofemoral joint stress independent of changes in step length. Thus, implementation of forefoot strike training programs may be warranted in the treatment of runners with patellofemoral pain. However, it is suggested that the transition to a forefoot strike pattern should be completed in a graduated manner.

Earthquake focal mechanisms and stress orientations in the eastern Swiss Alps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marschall, I.; Deichmann, N.; Marone, F.

2013-01-01

This study presents an updated set of earthquake focal mechanisms in the Helvetic and Penninic/Austroalpine domains of the eastern Swiss Alps. In eight cases, based on high-precision relative hypocentre locations of events within individual earthquake sequences, it was possible to identify the active fault plane. Whereas the focal mechanisms in the Helvetic domain are mostly strike-slip, the Penninic/Austroalpine domain is dominated by normal-faulting mechanisms. Given this systematic difference in faulting style, an inversion for the stress field was performed separately for the two regions. The stress field in the Penninic/Austroalpine domain is characterized by extension oriented obliquely to the E-W strike of the orogen. Hence, the Penninic nappes, which were emplaced as large-scale compressional structures during the Alpine orogenesis, are now deforming in an extensional mode. This contrasts with the more compressional strike-slip regime in the Helvetic domain towards the northern Alpine front. Relative to the regional stress field seen in the northern Alpine foreland with a NNW-SSE compression and an ENE-WSW extension, the orientation of the least compressive stress in the Penninic/Austroalpine domain is rotated counter-clockwise by about 40 °C. Following earlier studies, the observed rotation of the orientation of the least compressive stress in the Penninic/Austroalpine region can be explained as the superposition of the regional stress field of the northern foreland and a uniaxial extensional stress perpendicular to the local trend of the Alpine mountain belt. (authors)

Tsunamis from strike-slip earthquakes in the Wharton Basin, northeast Indian Ocean: March 2016 Mw7.8 event and its relationship with the April 2012 Mw 8.6 event

Science.gov (United States)

Heidarzadeh, Mohammad; Harada, Tomoya; Satake, Kenji; Ishibe, Takeo; Takagawa, Tomohiro

2017-12-01

The Wharton Basin, off southwest Sumatra, ruptured to a large intraplate left-lateral strike-slip Mw 7.8 earthquake on 2016 March 2. The epicentre was located ∼800 km to the south of another similar-mechanism intraplate Mw 8.6 earthquake in the same basin on 2012 April 11. Small tsunamis from these strike-slip earthquakes were registered with maximum amplitudes of 0.5-1.5 cm on DARTs and 1-19 cm on tide gauges for the 2016 event, and the respective values of 0.5-6 and 6-40 cm for the 2012 event. By using both teleseismic body waves and tsunami observations of the 2016 event, we obtained optimum slip models with rupture velocity (Vr) in the range of 2.8-3.6 km s-1 belonging to both EW and NS faults. While the EW fault plane cannot be fully ruled out, we chose the best model as the NS fault plane with a Vr of 3.6 km s-1, a maximum slip of 7.7 m and source duration of 33 s. The tsunami energy period bands were 4-15 and 7-24 min for the 2016 and 2012 tsunamis, respectively, reflecting the difference in source sizes. Seismicity in the Wharton Basin is dominated by large strike-slip events including the 2012 (Mw 8.6 and 8.2) and 2016 (Mw 7.8) events, indicating that these events are possible tsunami sources in the Wharton Basin. Cumulative number and cumulative seismic-moment curves revealed that most earthquakes are of strike-slip mechanisms and the largest seismic-moment is provided by the strike-slip earthquakes in this basin.

Pseudodynamic Source Characterization for Strike-Slip Faulting Including Stress Heterogeneity and Super-Shear Ruptures

KAUST Repository

Mena, B.

2012-08-08

Reliable ground‐motion prediction for future earthquakes depends on the ability to simulate realistic earthquake source models. Though dynamic rupture calculations have recently become more popular, they are still computationally demanding. An alternative is to invoke the framework of pseudodynamic (PD) source characterizations that use simple relationships between kinematic and dynamic source parameters to build physically self‐consistent kinematic models. Based on the PD approach of Guatteri et al. (2004), we propose new relationships for PD models for moderate‐to‐large strike‐slip earthquakes that include local supershear rupture speed due to stress heterogeneities. We conduct dynamic rupture simulations using stochastic initial stress distributions to generate a suite of source models in the magnitude Mw 6–8. This set of models shows that local supershear rupture speed prevails for all earthquake sizes, and that the local rise‐time distribution is not controlled by the overall fault geometry, but rather by local stress changes on the faults. Based on these findings, we derive a new set of relations for the proposed PD source characterization that accounts for earthquake size, buried and surface ruptures, and includes local rise‐time variations and supershear rupture speed. By applying the proposed PD source characterization to several well‐recorded past earthquakes, we verify that significant improvements in fitting synthetic ground motion to observed ones is achieved when comparing our new approach with the model of Guatteri et al. (2004). The proposed PD methodology can be implemented into ground‐motion simulation tools for more physically reliable prediction of shaking in future earthquakes.

The role of the East Asian active margin in widespread extensional and strike-slip deformation in East Asia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schellart, Wouter P.; Lister, G. S.

2005-01-01

East Asia is a region of widespread deformation, dominated by normal and strike-slip faults. Deformation has been interpreted to result from extrusion tectonics related to the India-Eurasia collision, which started in the Early Eocene. In East and SE China, however, deformation started earlier than

Foreshocks during the nucleation of stick-slip instability

Science.gov (United States)

McLaskey, Gregory C.; Kilgore, Brian D.

2013-01-01

We report on laboratory experiments which investigate interactions between aseismic slip, stress changes, and seismicity on a critically stressed fault during the nucleation of stick-slip instability. We monitor quasi-static and dynamic changes in local shear stress and fault slip with arrays of gages deployed along a simulated strike-slip fault (2 m long and 0.4 m deep) in a saw cut sample of Sierra White granite. With 14 piezoelectric sensors, we simultaneously monitor seismic signals produced during the nucleation phase and subsequent dynamic rupture. We observe localized aseismic fault slip in an approximately meter-sized zone in the center of the fault, while the ends of the fault remain locked. Clusters of high-frequency foreshocks (Mw ~ −6.5 to −5.0) can occur in this slowly slipping zone 5–50 ms prior to the initiation of dynamic rupture; their occurrence appears to be dependent on the rate at which local shear stress is applied to the fault. The meter-sized nucleation zone is generally consistent with theoretical estimates, but source radii of the foreshocks (2 to 70 mm) are 1 to 2 orders of magnitude smaller than the theoretical minimum length scale over which earthquake nucleation can occur. We propose that frictional stability and the transition between seismic and aseismic slip are modulated by local stressing rate and that fault sections, which would typically slip aseismically, may radiate seismic waves if they are rapidly stressed. Fault behavior of this type may provide physical insight into the mechanics of foreshocks, tremor, repeating earthquake sequences, and a minimum earthquake source dimension.

Oblique strike-slip motion off the Southeastern Continental Margin of India: Implication for the separation of Sri Lanka from India

Science.gov (United States)

Desa, Maria Ana; Ismaiel, Mohammad; Suresh, Yenne; Krishna, Kolluru Sree

2018-05-01

The ocean floor in the Bay of Bengal has evolved after the breakup of India from Antarctica since the Early Cretaceous. Recent geophysical investigations including updated satellite derived gravity map postulated two phases for the tectonic evolution of the Bay of Bengal, the first phase of spreading occurred in the NW-SE direction forming its Western Basin, while the second phase occurred in the N-S direction resulting in its Eastern Basin. Lack of magnetic data along the spreading direction in the Western Basin prompted us to acquire new magnetic data along four tracks (totaling ∼3000 km) to validate the previously identified magnetic anomaly picks. Comparison of the synthetic seafloor spreading model with the observed magnetic anomalies confirmed the presence of Mesozoic anomalies M12n to M0 in the Western Basin. Further, the model suggests that this spreading between India and Antarctica took place with half-spreading rates of 2.7-4.5 cm/yr. The trend of the fracture zones in the Western Basin with respect to that of the Southeastern Continental Margin of India (SCMI) suggests that SCMI is an oblique transform margin with 37° obliquity. Further, the SCMI consists of two oblique transform segments separated by a small rift segment. The strike-slip motion along the SCMI is bounded by the rift segments of the Northeastern Continental Margin of India and the southern margin of Sri Lanka. The margin configuration and fracture zones inferred in its conjugate Western Enderby Basin, East Antarctica helped in inferring three spreading corridors off the SCMI in the Western Basin of the Bay of Bengal. Detailed grid reconstruction models traced the oblique strike-slip motion off the SCMI since M12n time. The strike-slip motion along the short northern transform segment ended by M11n time. The longer transform segment, found east of Sri Lanka lost its obliquity and became a pure oceanic transform fault by M0 time. The eastward propagation of the Africa

Structural analysis of S-wave seismics around an urban sinkhole: evidence of enhanced dissolution in a strike-slip fault zone

Science.gov (United States)

Wadas, Sonja H.; Tanner, David C.; Polom, Ulrich; Krawczyk, Charlotte M.

2017-12-01

In November 2010, a large sinkhole opened up in the urban area of Schmalkalden, Germany. To determine the key factors which benefited the development of this collapse structure and therefore the dissolution, we carried out several shear-wave reflection-seismic profiles around the sinkhole. In the seismic sections we see evidence of the Mesozoic tectonic movement in the form of a NW-SE striking, dextral strike-slip fault, known as the Heßleser Fault, which faulted and fractured the subsurface below the town. The strike-slip faulting created a zone of small blocks ( sinkholes and dissolution-induced depressions. Since the processes are still ongoing, the occurrence of a new sinkhole cannot be ruled out. This case study demonstrates how S-wave seismics can characterize a sinkhole and, together with geological information, can be used to study the processes that result in sinkhole formation, such as a near-surface fault zone located in soluble rocks. The more complex the fault geometry and interaction between faults, the more prone an area is to sinkhole occurrence.

Drag on a slip spherical particle moving in a couple stress fluid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E.A. Ashmawy

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The creeping motion of a rigid slip sphere in an unbounded couple stress fluid is investigated. The linear slip boundary condition and the vanishing couple stress condition are applied on the surface of the sphere. A simple formula for the drag force acting on a slip sphere translating in an unbounded couple stress fluid is obtained. Special cases of the deduced drag formula are concluded and compared with analogous results in the literature. The normalized drag force experienced by the fluid on the slip sphere is represented graphically and the effects of slip parameter and viscosity coefficients are discussed.

3D deformation in strike-slip systems: Analogue modelling and numerical restoration Deformación 3D en sistemas de rumbo: modelación analógica y restauración numérica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel González

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Regional and local strike-slip systems in Chile are complex and pose interesting questions, such as the interaction between strike-slip and reverse faults, how they evolve, and the relationship between shortening, rotation and uplift. Within this context, we developed a new analytical method based on analogue and numerical modelling applied to 3D, pure and transtensional-transpressional strike-slip systems. Analogue modelling results indicate that in restraining stepovers of strike-slip fault systems, where antiformal pop-up structures are usually formed, pre-existent basement structures with a high angle to the main strike-slip fault will generate a higher rotation of blocks. However, when these structures are oriented at a high angle with respect to the main stress convergence vector, the rotation will be less and therefore a higher tendency to uplift will be produced. These results were applied to NW- and SE-striking basement faults oblique to N-S mega-thrust faults in central Chile (32°-35°S, for which we propose a simultaneous development based on the analogue model results. Moreover, we propose that strike-slip movement occurred on thrust faults in central Chile. Furthermore, we performed a numerical restoration of an analogue experiment which modeled a pure strike-slip system, and concluded that the restoration is very sensitive to shortening data as well as to rotational data. These results are extremely important for future numerical and regional analysis of strike-slip systems.Los sistemas de rumbo regionales y locales en Chile son complejos y plantean interesantes preguntas, tales como la interacción entre fallas de rumbo y fallas inversas, cómo evolucionan ellas, y la relación entre acortamiento, rotación y alzamiento. En este contexto, desarrollamos un nuevo método analítico basado en modelamiento analógico y numérico de sistemas de rumbo de cizalle puro y sistemas transpresionales-trantensionales en 3D. Los resultados del

The San Andreas Fault and a Strike-slip Fault on Europa

Science.gov (United States)

1998-01-01

be filled in mostly by sedimentary and erosional material deposited from above. Comparisons between faults on Europa and Earth may generate ideas useful in the study of terrestrial faulting. One theory is that fault motion on Europa is induced by the pull of variable daily tides generated by Jupiter's gravitational tug on Europa. The tidal tension opens the fault; subsequent tidal stress causes it to move lengthwise in one direction. Then the tidal forces close the fault up again. This prevents the area from moving back to its original position. If it moves forward with the next daily tidal cycle, the result is a steady accumulation of these lengthwise offset motions. Unlike Europa, here on Earth, large strike-slip faults such as the San Andreas are set in motion not by tidal pull, but by plate tectonic forces from the planet's mantle. North is to the top of the picture. The Earth picture (left) shows a LandSat Thematic Mapper image acquired in the infrared (1.55 to 1.75 micrometers) by LandSat5 on Friday, October 20th 1989 at 10:21 am. The original resolution was 28.5 meters per picture element. The Europa picture (right)is centered at 66 degrees south latitude and 195 degrees west longitude. The highest resolution frames, obtained at 40 meters per picture element with a spacecraft range of less than 4200 kilometers (2600 miles), are set in the context of lower resolution regional frames obtained at 200 meters per picture element and a range of 22,000 kilometers (13,600 miles). The images were taken on September 26, 1998 by the Solid State Imaging (SSI) system on NASA's Galileo spacecraft. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at URL http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at URL HTTP://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/sepo

Influence of plastic slip localization on grain boundary stress fields and microcrack nucleation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sauzay, Maxime; Vor, Kokleang

2013-01-01

Slip localization is widely observed in metallic polycrystals after tensile deformation, cyclic deformation (persistent slip bands) or pre-irradiation followed by tensile deformation (channels). Such strong deformation localized in thin slip bands induces local stress concentrations in the quasi-elastic matrix around, at the intersections between slip bands and grain boundaries where microcracks are often observed. Since the work of Stroh, such stress fields have been modeled using the dislocation pile-up theory which leads to stress singularities similar to the LEFM ones. The Griffith criterion has then been widely applied, leading usually to strong underestimations of the macroscopic stress for microcrack nucleation. In fact, slip band thickness is finite: 50-1000 nm depending on material, temperature and loading conditions. Then, many slip planes are plastically activated through the thickness. Stress fields have probably been overestimated using the pile-up theory which assumes that all dislocations are located on the same atomic plane. To evaluate more realistic stress fields, crystalline finite element (FE) computations are carried out using microstructure inputs (slip band aspect ratio and spacing). Slip bands (low critical resolved shear stress) are embedded in an elastic matrix. The following results are obtained concerning grain boundary normal stress fields: - strong influence of slip band thickness close to the slip band corner, which is not accounted for by the pile-up theory. But far away, the thickness has a negligible effect and the predicted stress fields are close to the one predicted by the pile-up theory, - analytical formulae are deduced from the numerous FE computation results which allows the prediction of surface/bulk slips as well as grain boundary stress fields. Slip band plasticity parameters, slip band length and thickness, Schmid factor and remote stress are taken into account. The dependence with respect to the various parameters can

Fault-Slip Data Analysis and Cover Versus Basement Fracture Patterns - Implications for Subsurface Technical Processes in Thuringia, Germany

Science.gov (United States)

Kasch, N.; Kley, J.; Navabpour, P.; Siegburg, M.; Malz, A.

2014-12-01

Recent investigations in Thuringia, Central Germany, focus on the potential for carbon sequestration, groundwater supply and geothermal energy. We report on the results of an integrated fault-slip data analysis to characterize the geometries and kinematics of systematic fractures in contrasting basement and cover rock lithologies. The lithostratigraphy of the area comprises locally exposed crystalline rocks and intermittently overlying Permian volcanic and clastic sedimentary rocks, together referred to as basement. A Late Permian sequence of evaporites, carbonates and shale constitutes the transition to the continuous sedimentary cover of Triassic age. Major NW-SE-striking fault zones and minor NNE-SSW-striking faults affect this stratigraphic succession. These characteristic narrow deforming areas ( 15 km) non-deforming areas suggesting localized zones of mechanical weakness, which can be confirmed by the frequent reactivation of single fault strands. Along the major fault zones, the basement and cover contain dominant inclined to sub-vertical NW-SE-striking fractures. These fractures indicate successive normal, dextral strike-slip and reverse senses of slip, evidencing events of NNE-SSW extension and contraction. Another system of mostly sub-vertical NNW-SSE- and NE-SW-striking conjugate strike-slip faults mainly developed within the cover implies NNE-SSW contraction and WNW-ESE extension. Earthquake focal mechanisms and in-situ stress measurements reveal a NW-SE trend for the modern SHmax. Nevertheless, fractures and fault-slip indicators are rare in the non-deforming areas, which characterizes Thuringia as a dual domain of (1) large unfractured areas and (2) narrow zones of high potential for technical applications. Our data therefore provide a basis for estimation of slip and dilation tendency of the contrasting fractures in the basement and cover under the present-day stress field, which must be taken into account for different subsurface technical

Late Quaternary strike-slip along the Taohuala Shan-Ayouqi fault zone and its tectonic implications in the Hexi Corridor and the southern Gobi Alashan, China

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Jing-xing; Zheng, Wen-jun; Zhang, Pei-zhen; Lei, Qi-yun; Wang, Xu-long; Wang, Wei-tao; Li, Xin-nan; Zhang, Ning

2017-11-01

The Hexi Corridor and the southern Gobi Alashan are composed of discontinuous a set of active faults with various strikes and slip motions that are located to the north of the northern Tibetan Plateau. Despite growing understanding of the geometry and kinematics of these active faults, the late Quaternary deformation pattern in the Hexi Corridor and the southern Gobi Alashan remains controversial. The active E-W trending Taohuala Shan-Ayouqi fault zone is located in the southern Gobi Alashan. Study of the geometry and nature of slip along this fault zone holds crucial value for better understanding the regional deformation pattern. Field investigations combined with high-resolution imagery show that the Taohuala Shan fault and the E-W trending faults within the Ayouqi fault zone (F2 and F5) are left-lateral strike-slip faults, whereas the NW or WNW-trending faults within the Ayouqi fault zone (F1 and F3) are reverse faults. We collected Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and cosmogenic exposure age dating samples from offset alluvial fan surfaces, and estimated a vertical slip rate of 0.1-0.3 mm/yr, and a strike-slip rate of 0.14-0.93 mm/yr for the Taohuala Shan fault. Strata revealed in a trench excavated across the major fault (F5) in the Ayouqi fault zone and OSL dating results indicate that the most recent earthquake occurred between ca. 11.05 ± 0.52 ka and ca. 4.06 ± 0.29 ka. The geometry and kinematics of the Taohuala Shan-Ayouqi fault zone enable us to build a deformation pattern for the entire Hexi Corridor and the southern Gobi Alashan, which suggest that this region experiences northeastward oblique extrusion of the northern Tibetan Plateau. These left-lateral strike-slip faults in the region are driven by oblique compression but not associated with the northeastward extension of the Altyn Tagh fault.

The Damage and Geochemical Signature of a Crustal Scale Strike-Slip Fault Zone

Science.gov (United States)

Gomila, R.; Mitchell, T. M.; Arancibia, G.; Jensen Siles, E.; Rempe, M.; Cembrano, J. M.; Faulkner, D. R.

2013-12-01

Fluid-flow migration in the upper crust is strongly controlled by fracture network permeability and connectivity within fault zones, which can lead to fluid-rock chemical interaction represented as mineral precipitation in mesh veins and/or mineralogical changes (alteration) of the host rock. While the dimensions of fault damage zones defined by fracture intensity is beginning to be better understood, how such dimensions compare to the size of alteration zones is less well known. Here, we show quantitative structural and chemical analyses as a function of distance from a crustal-scale strike-slip fault in the Atacama Fault System, Northern Chile, to compare fault damage zone characteristics with its geochemical signature. The Jorgillo Fault (JF) is a ca. 18 km long NNW striking strike-slip fault cutting Mesozoic rocks with sinistral displacement of ca. 4 km. In the study area, the JF cuts through orthogranulitic and gabbroic rocks at the west (JFW) and the east side (JFE), respectively. A 200 m fault perpendicular transect was mapped and sampled for structural and XRF analyses of the core, damage zone and protolith. The core zone consists of a ca. 1 m wide cataclasite zone bounded by two fault gouge zones ca. 40 cm. The damage zone width defined by fracture density is ca. 50 m wide each side of the core. The damage zone in JFW is characterized by NW-striking subvertical 2 cm wide cataclastic rocks and NE-striking milimetric open fractures. In JFE, 1-20 mm wide chlorite, quartz-epidote and quartz-calcite veins, cut the gabbro. Microfracture analysis in JFW reveal mm-wide cataclasitic/ultracataclasitic bands with clasts of protolith and chlorite orientated subparallel to the JF in the matrix, calcite veins in a T-fractures orientation, and minor polidirectional chlorite veins. In JFE, chlorite filled conjugate fractures with syntaxial growth textures and evidence for dilational fracturing processes are seen. Closest to the core, calcite veins crosscut chlorite veins

Stress sensitivity of fault seismicity: A comparison between limited-offset oblique and major strike-slip faults

Science.gov (United States)

Parsons, T.; Stein, R.S.; Simpson, R.W.; Reasenberg, P.A.

1999-01-01

We present a new three-dimensional inventory of the southern San Francisco Bay area faults and use it to calculate stress applied principally by the 1989 M = 7.1 Loma Prieta earthquake and to compare fault seismicity rates before and after 1989. The major high-angle right-lateral faults exhibit a different response to the stress change than do minor oblique (right-lateral/thrust) faults. Seismicity on oblique-slip faults in the southern Santa Clara Valley thrust belt increased where the faults were unclamped. The strong dependence of seismicity change on normal stress change implies a high coefficient of static friction. In contrast, we observe that faults with significant offset (>50-100 km) behave differently; microseismicity on the Hayward fault diminished where right-lateral shear stress was reduced and where it was unclamped by the Loma Prieta earthquake. We observe a similar response on the San Andreas fault zone in southern California after the Landers earthquake sequence. Additionally, the offshore San Gregorio fault shows a seismicity rate increase where right-lateral/oblique shear stress was increased by the Loma Prieta earthquake despite also being clamped by it. These responses are consistent with either a low coefficient of static friction or high pore fluid pressures within the fault zones. We can explain the different behavior of the two styles of faults if those with large cumulative offset become impermeable through gouge buildup; coseismically pressurized pore fluids could be trapped and negate imposed normal stress changes, whereas in more limited offset faults, fluids could rapidly escape. The difference in behavior between minor and major faults may explain why frictional failure criteria that apply intermediate coefficients of static friction can be effective in describing the broad distributions of aftershocks that follow large earthquakes, since many of these events occur both inside and outside major fault zones.

The 2015 M7.2 Sarez, Central Pamir, Earthquake And The Importance Of Strike-Slip Faulting In The Pamir Interior: Insights From Geodesy And Field Observations

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Metzger, Sabrina; Schurr, Bernd; Ratschbacher, Lothar; Schöne, Tilo; Kufner, Sofia-Katerina; Zhang, Yong; Sudhaus, Henriette

2017-04-01

The Pamir mountain range, located in the Northwest of the India-Asia collision zone, accommodates approximately one third of the northward advance of the Indian continent at this longitude (i. e. ˜34 mm/yr) mostly by shortening at its northern thrust system. Geodetic and seismic data sets reveal here a narrow zone of high deformation and M7+ earthquakes of mostly thrust type with some dextral strike-slip faulting observed, too. The Pamir interior shows sinistral strike-slip and normal faulting indicating north-south compression and east-west extension. In this tectonic setting the two largest instrumentally recorded earthquakes, the M7+ 1911 and 2015 earthquake events in the central Pamir occurred with left-lateral shear along a NE-SW rupture plane. We present the co-seismic deformation field of the 2015 earthquake observed by radar satellite interferometry (InSAR), SAR amplitude pixel offsets and high-rate Global Positioning System (GPS). The InSAR and pixel offset results suggest a 50+ km long rupture with sinistral fault offsets at the surface of more than 2 m on a yet unmapped fault trace of the Sarez Karakul Fault System (SKFS). A distributed slip model with a data-driven slip patch resolution yields a sub-vertical fault plane with a strike of N39.5 degrees and a rupture area of ˜80 x 40 km with a maximum slip of 2 m in the upper 10 km of the crust near the surface rupture. Field observations collected some nine months after the earthquake confirm the rupture mechanism, surface trace location and fault offset measurements as constrained by geodetic data. Diffuse deformation was observed across a 1-2 km wide zone, hosting primary fractures sub-parallel to the rupture strike with offsets of 2 m and secondary, en echelon fractures including Riedel shears and hybrid fractures often related to gravitational mass movements. The 1911 and 2015 earthquakes demonstrate the importance of sinistral strike-slip faulting on the SKFS, contributing both to shear between the

Lattice Boltzmann Simulations in the Slip and Transition Flow Regime with the Peano Framework

KAUST Repository

Neumann, Philipp; Rohrmann, Till

2012-01-01

We present simulation results of flows in the finite Knudsen range, which is in the slip and transition flow regime. Our implementations are based on the Lattice Boltzmann method and are accomplished within the Peano framework. We validate our code

A bimodal temom model for particle Brownian coagulation in the continuum-slip regime

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

He Qing

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a bimodal Taylor-series expansion moment of method is proposed to deal with Brownian coagulation in the continuum-slip regime, where the non-linear terms in the Cunningham correction factor is approximated by Taylor-series expansion technology. The results show that both the number concentration and volume fraction decrease with time in the smaller mode due to the intra and inter coagulation, and the asymptotic behavior of the larger mode is as same as that in the continuum regime.

The 2015 Mw7.2 Sarez Strike-Slip Earthquake in the Pamir Interior: Response to the Underthrusting of India's Western Promontory

Science.gov (United States)

Metzger, Sabrina; Schurr, Bernd; Ratschbacher, Lothar; Sudhaus, Henriette; Kufner, Sofia-Katerina; Schöne, Tilo; Zhang, Yong; Perry, Mason; Bendick, Rebecca

2017-11-01

The Pamir orogen, Central Asia, is the result of the ongoing northward advance of the Indian continent causing shortening inside Asia. Geodetic and seismic data place the most intense deformation along the northern rim of the Pamir, but the recent 7 December 2015, Mw7.2 Sarez earthquake occurred in the Pamir's interior. We present a distributed slip model of this earthquake using coseismic geodetic data and postseismic field observations. The earthquake ruptured an ˜80 km long, subvertical, sinistral fault consisting of three right-stepping segments from the surface to ˜30 km depth with a maximum slip of three meters in the upper 10 km of the crust. The coseismic slip model agrees well with en échelon secondary surface breaks that are partly influenced by liquefaction-induced mass movements. These structures reveal up to 2 m of sinistral offset along the northern, low-offset segment of modeled rupture. The 2015 event initiated close to the presumed epicenter of the 1911 Mw˜7.3 Lake Sarez earthquake, which had a similar strike-slip mechanism. These earthquakes highlight the importance of NE trending sinistral faults in the active tectonics of the Pamir. Strike-slip deformation accommodates shear between the rapidly northward moving eastern Pamir and the Tajik basin in the west and is part of the westward (lateral) extrusion of thickened Pamir plateau crust into the Tajik basin. The Sarez-Karakul fault system and the two large Sarez earthquakes likely are crustal expressions of the underthrusting of the northwestern leading edge of the Indian mantle lithosphere beneath the Pamir.

Three-dimensional shuffling of horses in a strike-slip duplex: an example from the Lambertville sill, New Jersey

Science.gov (United States)

Laney, Stephen E.; Gates, Alexander E.

1996-06-01

Detailed analysis of a dextral strike-slip duplex within the relatively isotropic rocks of the Lambertville sill, New Jersey indicates that horses have experienced vertical, horizontal and oblique movements resulting from extrusional shuffling within a restraining bend. This is the first documentation of the three-dimensional movement of horses within a strike-slip duplex. Deformation within the duplex shows a complex system of early synthetic fractures and reverse faults followed by antithetic fractures which dissect previously continuous slab-shaped horses into diamond-shaped lenses. Most faults are oblique slip. Antithetic fault movements and clockwise rigid rotation of horses dominate the south half of the duplex and synthetic movements and counterclockwise rotations dominate the north half. Slickenline plunges on curved horse-bounding fault surfaces within the duplex range from nearly horizontal to 40° resulting in both lateral movements (middle) to normal movements (tails) on a single horse. Curved slickensides commonly have opposite senses of movement on either side of individual horses indicating relative emergence or submergence. Such a geometry could also result from a group of horses moving in the same oblique direction but at different rates. These complex extrusional-type movements were observed in both cross-sectional and plan views. The net result of the movements is a contraction or flattening of the duplex normal to the bounding faults. The horses shifted to accommodate this flattening as overall displacement was transferred between the bounding faults along curved internal faults.

Consistent lattice Boltzmann modeling of low-speed isothermal flows at finite Knudsen numbers in slip-flow regime: Application to plane boundaries.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Goncalo; Semiao, Viriato

2017-07-01

The first nonequilibrium effect experienced by gaseous flows in contact with solid surfaces is the slip-flow regime. While the classical hydrodynamic description holds valid in bulk, at boundaries the fluid-wall interactions must consider slip. In comparison to the standard no-slip Dirichlet condition, the case of slip formulates as a Robin-type condition for the fluid tangential velocity. This makes its numerical modeling a challenging task, particularly in complex geometries. In this work, this issue is handled with the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), motivated by the similarities between the closure relations of the reflection-type boundary schemes equipping the LBM equation and the slip velocity condition established by slip-flow theory. Based on this analogy, we derive, as central result, the structure of the LBM boundary closure relation that is consistent with the second-order slip velocity condition, applicable to planar walls. Subsequently, three tasks are performed. First, we clarify the limitations of existing slip velocity LBM schemes, based on discrete analogs of kinetic theory fluid-wall interaction models. Second, we present improved slip velocity LBM boundary schemes, constructed directly at discrete level, by extending the multireflection framework to the slip-flow regime. Here, two classes of slip velocity LBM boundary schemes are considered: (i) linear slip schemes, which are local but retain some calibration requirements and/or operation limitations, (ii) parabolic slip schemes, which use a two-point implementation but guarantee the consistent prescription of the intended slip velocity condition, at arbitrary plane wall discretizations, further dispensing any numerical calibration procedure. Third and final, we verify the improvements of our proposed slip velocity LBM boundary schemes against existing ones. The numerical tests evaluate the ability of the slip schemes to exactly accommodate the steady Poiseuille channel flow solution, over

Consistent lattice Boltzmann modeling of low-speed isothermal flows at finite Knudsen numbers in slip-flow regime: Application to plane boundaries

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Goncalo; Semiao, Viriato

2017-07-01

The first nonequilibrium effect experienced by gaseous flows in contact with solid surfaces is the slip-flow regime. While the classical hydrodynamic description holds valid in bulk, at boundaries the fluid-wall interactions must consider slip. In comparison to the standard no-slip Dirichlet condition, the case of slip formulates as a Robin-type condition for the fluid tangential velocity. This makes its numerical modeling a challenging task, particularly in complex geometries. In this work, this issue is handled with the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), motivated by the similarities between the closure relations of the reflection-type boundary schemes equipping the LBM equation and the slip velocity condition established by slip-flow theory. Based on this analogy, we derive, as central result, the structure of the LBM boundary closure relation that is consistent with the second-order slip velocity condition, applicable to planar walls. Subsequently, three tasks are performed. First, we clarify the limitations of existing slip velocity LBM schemes, based on discrete analogs of kinetic theory fluid-wall interaction models. Second, we present improved slip velocity LBM boundary schemes, constructed directly at discrete level, by extending the multireflection framework to the slip-flow regime. Here, two classes of slip velocity LBM boundary schemes are considered: (i) linear slip schemes, which are local but retain some calibration requirements and/or operation limitations, (ii) parabolic slip schemes, which use a two-point implementation but guarantee the consistent prescription of the intended slip velocity condition, at arbitrary plane wall discretizations, further dispensing any numerical calibration procedure. Third and final, we verify the improvements of our proposed slip velocity LBM boundary schemes against existing ones. The numerical tests evaluate the ability of the slip schemes to exactly accommodate the steady Poiseuille channel flow solution, over

Spatial variations of current tectonic stress field and its relationship to the structure and rheology of lithosphere around the Bohai Sea, North China

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xianrui; Wang, Jie; Zeng, Zuoxun; Dai, Qingqin

2017-05-01

The tectonic stress field in the middle-upper crust is closely related to the structure and rheology of the lithosphere. To determine the stress field in the deep crust, we inversed the focal mechanism solutions (FMSs) of 62 earthquakes that occurred between 2009 and 2015 in the Bohai Sea and its surrounding areas using broadband seismic waveforms collected from 140 stations. We then derived the tectonic stress field using the software SATSI (Spatial And Temporal Stress Inversion) based on the damped linear inversion method. The inversion results show that both the maximum (σ1) and minimum (σ3) principle stress axes throughout the entire region are nearly horizontal except in the Tangshan and Haicheng areas, suggesting that the study area is predominantly under a strike-slip faulting stress regime. The σ1 and σ3 axes are found to be oriented in the NEE-SWW or nearly E-W and NNW-SSE or nearly S-N directions, respectively. These results indicate that the stress field in the North China Craton is controlled by the combined effects of the Pacific Plate westward subduction and the India-Eurasia Plate collision. However, localized normal faulting stress regimes (where the vertical stress σv ≈ σ1) are observed in the Tangshan and Haicheng areas, where low viscosity bodies (LVBs) were identified using geophysical data. Based on the analysis of focal mechanism solutions, active faults and lithosphere rheology characteristics in the Tangshan and Haicheng areas, we speculate that the anomalous stress regime is caused by the local extension resulting from the movement of strike-slip faults under the action of the regional stress field. The existence of LVB may indicate weakness in the crust that favors the accumulation of tectonic stress and triggers large earthquakes.

Inferences about the local stress field from focal mechanisms: Applications to earthquakes in the southern Great Basin of Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harmsen, S.C.; Rogers, A.M.

1986-01-01

Focal mechanisms determined from regional-network earthquake data or aftershock field investigation often contain members ranging from strike slip to normal slip in extensional tectonic environments or from strike slip to thrust slip in compressional environments. Although the coexistence of normal and strike-slip faulting has suggested to some investigators that the maximum and intermediate principal stresses are of approximately equal magnitude, several have asserted that the directions of principle stresses can or must interchange to accommodate both types of mechanisms (Zoback and Zoback 1980b; Vetter and Ryall, 1983). A Coulomb-Navier criterion of slip is invoked to demonstrate that both types of mechanisms, as well as oblique members having preferred nodal-plane dips intermediate between those of the strike-slip and normal mechanisms, may be observed in a region where the stress field, resolved into principal components, is axially symmetric. The proximate coexistence of earthquakes having diverse focal mechanisms could be interpreted as evidence for an approximately axially symmetric stress field in a region where optimally oriented planes of weakness are known to exist in the host rock. 10 refs., 6 figs

SLOW SLIP EVENTS: PARAMETERS, CONDITIONS OF OCCURRENCE, AND FUTURE RESEARCH PROSPECTS

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G. G. Kocharyan

2014-01-01

propagation along the fault strike are variable from a few hundred metres to 20–30 km/day. Slip velocities tend to decrease with scale (Fig. 7.Various slip modes were realized in laboratory experiments with slider model. Main specific features of slow slip along faults were simulated in the laboratory conditions. Possibilities for implementation of different deformation regimes were mainly determined by structure of simulated fault gouge. At equal Coulombic strength, small variations of structural characteristics, such as granulometric composition, grain shape, presence of fluid and its viscosity, may critically impact the deformation mode (Fig. 12.As evidenced by the data consolidated and analysed in this article, conditionally stable regimes of deformation of crustal discontinuities are a common phenomenon. Studies of such transitional deformation regimes seem promising for establishment of regularities in generation and evolution of dynamic events, such earthquakes, tectonic rock bursts, and slope events.

Effects of Foot Strike and Step Frequency on Achilles Tendon Stress During Running.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyght, Michael; Nockerts, Matthew; Kernozek, Thomas W; Ragan, Robert

2016-08-01

Achilles tendon (AT) injuries are common in runners. The AT withstands high magnitudes of stress during running which may contribute to injury. Our purpose was to examine the effects of foot strike pattern and step frequency on AT stress and strain during running utilizing muscle forces based on a musculoskeletal model and subject-specific ultrasound-derived AT cross-sectional area. Nineteen female runners performed running trials under 6 conditions, including rearfoot strike and forefoot strike patterns at their preferred cadence, +5%, and -5% preferred cadence. Rearfoot strike patterns had less peak AT stress (P forefoot strike pattern. A reduction in peak AT stress and strain were exhibited with a +5% preferred step frequency relative to the preferred condition using a rearfoot (P forefoot (P=.005) strike pattern. Strain rate was not different (P > .05) between step frequencies within each foot strike condition. Our results suggest that a rearfoot pattern may reduce AT stress, strain, and strain rate. Increases in step frequency of 5% above preferred frequency, regardless of foot strike pattern, may also lower peak AT stress and strain.

Variations in strength and slip rate along the san andreas fault system.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, C H; Wesnousky, S G

1992-04-03

Convergence across the San Andreas fault (SAF) system is partitioned between strike-slip motion on the vertical SAF and oblique-slip motion on parallel dip-slip faults, as illustrated by the recent magnitude M(s) = 6.0 Palm Springs, M(s) = 6.7 Coalinga, and M(s) = 7.1 Loma Prieta earthquakes. If the partitioning of slip minimizes the work done against friction, the direction of slip during these recent earthquakes depends primarily on fault dip and indicates that the normal stress coefficient and frictional coefficient (micro) vary among the faults. Additionally, accounting for the active dip-slip faults reduces estimates of fault slip rates along the vertical trace of the SAF by about 50 percent in the Loma Prieta and 100 percent in the North Palm Springs segments.

Effects of Slip Planes on Stresses in MICE Coupling Solenoid Coil Assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Li; Pan, Heng; Wu, Hong; Guo, XingLong; Cheng, Y.; Green, Michael A.

2010-01-01

The MICE superconducting coupling solenoid magnet is made from copper matrix Nb-Ti conductors with inner radius of 750 mm, length of 285 mm and thickness of 110.4 mm at room temperature. The coil is to be wound on a mandrel made of aluminum. The peak magnetic field on the conductor is about 7.3 T when fully charged at 210 A. High magnetic field and large size make the stress inside the coupling coil assembly relatively high during cool down and full energizing. The shear stress between coil winding and aluminum casing may cause premature quench. To avoid quench potential induced by stress, slip planes were designed for the coil assembly. In this paper, FE models with and without slip planes for it have been developed to simulate the stresses during the process including winding, cooling down and charging. The stress distribution in the coil assembly with and without slip planes was investigated. The results show that slip planes with low friction coefficients can improve the stress condition in the coil, especially reduce the shear stress largely so that improve the stability.

Surface Rupture Effects on Earthquake Moment-Area Scaling Relations

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Yingdi; Ampuero, Jean-Paul; Miyakoshi, Ken; Irikura, Kojiro

2017-09-01

Empirical earthquake scaling relations play a central role in fundamental studies of earthquake physics and in current practice of earthquake hazard assessment, and are being refined by advances in earthquake source analysis. A scaling relation between seismic moment ( M 0) and rupture area ( A) currently in use for ground motion prediction in Japan features a transition regime of the form M 0- A 2, between the well-recognized small (self-similar) and very large (W-model) earthquake regimes, which has counter-intuitive attributes and uncertain theoretical underpinnings. Here, we investigate the mechanical origin of this transition regime via earthquake cycle simulations, analytical dislocation models and numerical crack models on strike-slip faults. We find that, even if stress drop is assumed constant, the properties of the transition regime are controlled by surface rupture effects, comprising an effective rupture elongation along-dip due to a mirror effect and systematic changes of the shape factor relating slip to stress drop. Based on this physical insight, we propose a simplified formula to account for these effects in M 0- A scaling relations for strike-slip earthquakes.

The Trans-Rocky Mountain Fault System - A Fundamental Precambrian Strike-Slip System

Science.gov (United States)

Sims, P.K.

2009-01-01

Recognition of a major Precambrian continental-scale, two-stage conjugate strike-slip fault system - here designated as the Trans-Rocky Mountain fault system - provides new insights into the architecture of the North American continent. The fault system consists chiefly of steep linear to curvilinear, en echelon, braided and branching ductile-brittle shears and faults, and local coeval en echelon folds of northwest strike, that cut indiscriminately across both Proterozoic and Archean cratonic elements. The fault system formed during late stages of two distinct tectonic episodes: Neoarchean and Paleoproterozoic orogenies at about 2.70 and 1.70 billion years (Ga). In the Archean Superior province, the fault system formed (about 2.70-2.65 Ga) during a late stage of the main deformation that involved oblique shortening (dextral transpression) across the region and progressed from crystal-plastic to ductile-brittle deformation. In Paleoproterozoic terranes, the fault system formed about 1.70 Ga, shortly following amalgamation of Paleoproterozoic and Archean terranes and the main Paleoproterozoic plastic-fabric-producing events in the protocontinent, chiefly during sinistral transpression. The postulated driving force for the fault system is subcontinental mantle deformation, the bottom-driven deformation of previous investigators. This model, based on seismic anisotropy, invokes mechanical coupling and subsequent shear between the lithosphere and the asthenosphere such that a major driving force for plate motion is deep-mantle flow.

Analysis of the growth of strike-slip faults using effective medium theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aydin, A.; Berryman, J.G.

2009-10-15

Increases in the dimensions of strike-slip faults including fault length, thickness of fault rock and the surrounding damage zone collectively provide quantitative definition of fault growth and are commonly measured in terms of the maximum fault slip. The field observations indicate that a common mechanism for fault growth in the brittle upper crust is fault lengthening by linkage and coalescence of neighboring fault segments or strands, and fault rock-zone widening into highly fractured inner damage zone via cataclastic deformation. The most important underlying mechanical reason in both cases is prior weakening of the rocks surrounding a fault's core and between neighboring fault segments by faulting-related fractures. In this paper, using field observations together with effective medium models, we analyze the reduction in the effective elastic properties of rock in terms of density of the fault-related brittle fractures and fracture intersection angles controlled primarily by the splay angles. Fracture densities or equivalent fracture spacing values corresponding to the vanishing Young's, shear, and quasi-pure shear moduli were obtained by extrapolation from the calculated range of these parameters. The fracture densities or the equivalent spacing values obtained using this method compare well with the field data measured along scan lines across the faults in the study area. These findings should be helpful for a better understanding of the fracture density/spacing distribution around faults and the transition from discrete fracturing to cataclastic deformation associated with fault growth and the related instabilities.

Paleomagnetic and structural evidence for oblique slip in a fault-related fold, Grayback monocline, Colorado

Science.gov (United States)

Tetreault, J.; Jones, C.H.; Erslev, E.; Larson, S.; Hudson, M.; Holdaway, S.

2008-01-01

Significant fold-axis-parallel slip is accommodated in the folded strata of the Grayback monocline, northeastern Front Range, Colorado, without visible large strike-slip displacement on the fold surface. In many cases, oblique-slip deformation is partitioned; fold-axis-normal slip is accommodated within folds, and fold-axis-parallel slip is resolved onto adjacent strike-slip faults. Unlike partitioning strike-parallel slip onto adjacent strike-slip faults, fold-axis-parallel slip has deformed the forelimb of the Grayback monocline. Mean compressive paleostress orientations in the forelimb are deflected 15??-37?? clockwise from the regional paleostress orientation of the northeastern Front Range. Paleomagnetic directions from the Permian Ingleside Formation in the forelimb are rotated 16??-42?? clockwise about a bedding-normal axis relative to the North American Permian reference direction. The paleostress and paleomagnetic rotations increase with the bedding dip angle and decrease along strike toward the fold tip. These measurements allow for 50-120 m of fold-axis-parallel slip within the forelimb, depending on the kinematics of strike-slip shear. This resolved horizontal slip is nearly equal in magnitude to the ???180 m vertical throw across the fold. For 200 m of oblique-slip displacement (120 m of strike slip and 180 m of reverse slip), the true shortening direction across the fold is N90??E, indistinguishable from the regionally inferred direction of N90??E and quite different from the S53??E fold-normal direction. Recognition of this deformational style means that significant amounts of strike slip can be accommodated within folds without axis-parallel surficial faulting. ?? 2008 Geological Society of America.

High Frequency Near-Field Ground Motion Excited by Strike-Slip Step Overs

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Feng; Wen, Jian; Chen, Xiaofei

2018-03-01

We performed dynamic rupture simulations on step overs with 1-2 km step widths and present their corresponding horizontal peak ground velocity distributions in the near field within different frequency ranges. The rupture speeds on fault segments are determinant in controlling the near-field ground motion. A Mach wave impact area at the free surface, which can be inferred from the distribution of the ratio of the maximum fault-strike particle velocity to the maximum fault-normal particle velocity, is generated in the near field with sustained supershear ruptures on fault segments, and the Mach wave impact area cannot be detected with unsustained supershear ruptures alone. Sub-Rayleigh ruptures produce stronger ground motions beyond the end of fault segments. The existence of a low-velocity layer close to the free surface generates large amounts of high-frequency seismic radiation at step over discontinuities. For near-vertical step overs, normal stress perturbations on the primary fault caused by dipping structures affect the rupture speed transition, which further determines the distribution of the near-field ground motion. The presence of an extensional linking fault enhances the near-field ground motion in the extensional regime. This work helps us understand the characteristics of high-frequency seismic radiation in the vicinities of step overs and provides useful insights for interpreting the rupture speed distributions derived from the characteristics of near-field ground motion.

Holocene paleoearthquakes on the strike-slip Porters Pass Fault, Canterbury, New Zealand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howard, M.; Nicol, A.; Campbell, J.; Pettinga, J.R.

2005-01-01

The Porters Pass Fault comprises a series of discontinuous Holocene active traces which extend for c. 40 km between the Rakaia and Waimakariri Rivers in the foothills of the Southern Alps. There have been no historical earthquakes on the Porters Pass Fault (i.e., within the last 150 yr), and the purpose of this paper is to establish the timing and magnitudes of displacements on the fault at the ground surface during Holocene paleoearthquakes. Displaced geomorphic features (e.g., relict streams, stream channels, and ridge crests), measured using either tape measure (n = 20) or surveying equipment (n = 5), range from 5.5 to 33 m right lateral strike slip and are consistent with six earthquakes characterised by slip per event of c. 5-7 m. The timing of these earthquakes is constrained by radiocarbon dates from four trenches excavated across the fault and two auger sites from within swamps produced by ponding of drainage along the fault scarp. These data indicate markedly different Holocene earthquake histories along the fault length separated by a behavioural segment boundary near Lake Coleridge. On the eastern segment at least six Holocene earthquakes were identified at 8400-9000, 5700-6700, 4500-6000, 2300-2500, 800-1100, and 500-600 yr BP, producing an average recurrence interval of c. 1500 yr. On the western segment of the fault in the Rakaia River valley, a single surface-rupturing earthquake displaced Acheron Advance glacial deposits (c.10,000-14,000 yr in age) and may represent the southward continuation of the 2300-2500 yr event identified on the eastern segment. These data suggest Holocene slip rates of 3.2-4.1 mm/yr and 0.3-0.9 mm/yr on the eastern and western sections of the fault, respectively. Displacement and timing data suggest that earthquakes ruptured the western segment of the fault in no more than one-sixth of cases and that for a sample period of 10,000 yr the recurrence intervals were not characteristic. (auth). 45 refs., 10 figs., 3 tabs

NW transverse fault system in Southern Bogota, Colombia: New seismologic and structural evidences derived from focal mechanisms and stress field determination

Science.gov (United States)

Angel Amaya, J.; Fierro Morales, J.; Ordoñez Potes, M.; Blanco, M.

2012-12-01

We present new seismological, morphotectonic and structural data of the Southern Bogota area. The goals of the study were to characterize the NW transverse fault system and to evaluate its effect on seismic wave's generation and propagation. The data set included epicenters of the RSNC (Red Sismologica Nacional de Colombia) catalog over the period 1993-2012, historical description of seismic events (period 1644-1921), structural field data (scale 1:100000) and remote sensors interpretation. The methodology included the structural analysis of over 476 faults having a known sense of offset by using a least squares iterative inversion outlined by Angelier (1984) to determinate the mean deviatoric principal stress tensor. Preliminary conclusions showed that both propagation medium and direction are determined by the structural and mechanic conditions of the Southern Bogota Shear Zone (SBSZ) defined by Fierro & Angel, (2008) as a NW-SE oblique-slip fault zone within sinistral and normal regimes. Based on both data sources (focal mechanism and field structural data) we attempted to reconstruct the stress field starting with a strike slip faulting stress regime (S2 vertical), the solution yielded a ENE-WSW orientation for horizontal principal stress (S1). It is hypothesized that the NW oblique-slip fault zone may generate and/or propagate seismic waves, as a local source, implying local hazard to Bogota the capital city of Colombia with over 8 million habitants.

The role of post-collisional strike-slip tectonics in the geological evolution of the late Neoproterozoic volcano-sedimentary Guaratubinha Basin, southern Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Barão, Leonardo M.; Trzaskos, Barbara; Vesely, Fernando F.; de Castro, Luís Gustavo; Ferreira, Francisco J. F.; Vasconcellos, Eleonora M. G.; Barbosa, Tiago C.

2017-12-01

The Guaratubinha Basin is a late Neoproterozoic volcano-sedimentary basin included in the transitional-stage basins of the South American Platform. The aim of this study is to investigate its tectonic evolution through a detailed structural analysis based on remote sensing and field data. The structural and aerogeophysics data indicate that at least three major deformational events affected the basin. Event E1 caused the activation of the two main basin-bounding fault zones, the Guaratubinha Master Fault and the Guaricana Shear Zone. These structures, oriented N20-45E, are associated with well-defined right-lateral to oblique vertical faults, conjugate normal faults and vertical flow structures. Progressive transtensional deformation along the two main fault systems was the main mechanism for basin formation and the deposition of thick coarse-grained deposits close to basin-borders. The continuous opening of the basin provided intense intermediate and acid magmatism as well as deposition of volcaniclastic sediments. Event E2 characterizes generalized compression, recorded as minor thrust faults with tectonic transport toward the northwest and left-lateral activation of the NNE-SSW Palmital Shear Zone. Event E3 is related to the Mesozoic tectonism associated with the South Atlantic opening, which generated diabase dykes and predominantly right-lateral strike-slip faults oriented N10-50W. Its rhomboidal geometry with long axis parallel to major Precambrian shear zones, the main presence of high-angle, strike-slip or oblique faults, the asymmetric distribution of geological units and field evidence for concomitant Neoproterozoic magmatism and strike-slip movements are consistent with pull-apart basins reported in the literature.

The 2005 - 2007 Bala (Ankara, central Turkey) earthquakes: a case study for strike-slip fault terminations

OpenAIRE

Esat, K.; Çivgin, B.; Kaypak, B.; Isik, V.; Ecevitoglu, B.; Seyitoglu, G.

2014-01-01

An intense seismic activity has been observed after the Bala (Ankara, NW central Turkey) earthquakes (30 July 2005: Mw=5.3, 20 December 2007: Mw=5.4, and 26 December 2007: Mw=5.3), continuing up to the present. The epicenters and the focal mechanism solutions of the earthquakes indicate that the right lateral strike-slip Afşar fault, trending N55-60°W, is responsible for the main shocks. The Afşar fault is thought to be the NW continuation of the Tuzgölü fault zone, which is one of the main n...

Analogue modelling of a reactivated, basement controlled strike-slip zone, Sierra de Albarracín, Spain: application of sandbox modelling to polyphase deformation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Merten, S.; Smit, W.G.; Nieuwland, D.A.; Rondeel, H.E.

2006-01-01

This paper presents the results of an analogue modelling study on the reactivation of Riedel shears generated by basement-induced sinistral strike-slip faulting. It is based on a natural example in the Sierra de Albarracín, Iberian Range (Spain). The area has a polyphase deformation history, defined

The Evolution from Late Miocene West Salton Detachment Faulting to Cross-Cutting Pleistocene Oblique Strike-Slip Faults in the SW Salton Trough, Southern California

OpenAIRE

Steely, Alexander N.

2006-01-01

Field studies in the southwest Salton Trough between Yaqui Ridge and Borrego Mountain show that the West Salton detachment fault was active during the Pliocene and may have initiated during the latest Miocene. At Yaqui Ridge dominantly east-directed extension is recorded by slickenlines on the NW-striking detachment fault, and shows that the fault is actually a low-angle dextral oblique strike-slip fault. Crustal inheritance is responsible for the position of the fault at Yaqui Ridge, which r...

Structural analysis of S-wave seismics around an urban sinkhole: evidence of enhanced dissolution in a strike-slip fault zone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. H. Wadas

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In November 2010, a large sinkhole opened up in the urban area of Schmalkalden, Germany. To determine the key factors which benefited the development of this collapse structure and therefore the dissolution, we carried out several shear-wave reflection-seismic profiles around the sinkhole. In the seismic sections we see evidence of the Mesozoic tectonic movement in the form of a NW–SE striking, dextral strike-slip fault, known as the Heßleser Fault, which faulted and fractured the subsurface below the town. The strike-slip faulting created a zone of small blocks ( < 100 m in size, around which steep-dipping normal faults, reverse faults and a dense fracture network serve as fluid pathways for the artesian-confined groundwater. The faults also acted as barriers for horizontal groundwater flow perpendicular to the fault planes. Instead groundwater flows along the faults which serve as conduits and forms cavities in the Permian deposits below ca. 60 m depth. Mass movements and the resulting cavities lead to the formation of sinkholes and dissolution-induced depressions. Since the processes are still ongoing, the occurrence of a new sinkhole cannot be ruled out. This case study demonstrates how S-wave seismics can characterize a sinkhole and, together with geological information, can be used to study the processes that result in sinkhole formation, such as a near-surface fault zone located in soluble rocks. The more complex the fault geometry and interaction between faults, the more prone an area is to sinkhole occurrence.

(Plio-)Pleistocene alluvial-lacustrine basin infill evolution in a strike-slip active zone (Northern Andes, Western-Central Cordilleras, Colombia)

OpenAIRE

SUTER, F.; NEUWERTH, R.; GORIN, G.; GUZMÁN, C.

2009-01-01

The (Plio)-Pleistocene Zarzal Formation was deposited in the Cauca Depression and Quindío-Risaralda Basin between the Western and Central Cordilleras (Northern Andes). This area is structurally located on the transcurrent Romeral Fault System (RFS). Because of the interaction between the Nazca plate and the Chocó-Panamá block (an active indenter), the RFS strike-slip component changes direction around the study zone (dextral in the south, senestral in the north). Zarzal sediments are the olde...

Lattice Boltzmann Simulation of the Hydrodynamic Entrance Region of Rectangular Microchannels in the Slip Regime

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niya Ma

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Developing a three-dimensional laminar flow in the entrance region of rectangular microchannels has been investigated in this paper. When the hydrodynamic development length is the same magnitude as the microchannel length, entrance effects have to be taken into account, especially in relatively short ducts. Simultaneously, there are a variety of non-continuum or rarefaction effects, such as velocity slip and temperature jump. The available data in the literature appearing on this issue is quite limited, the available study is the semi-theoretical approximate model to predict pressure drop of developing slip flow in rectangular microchannels with different aspect ratios. In this paper, we apply the lattice Boltzmann equation method (LBE to investigate the developing slip flow through a rectangular microchannel. The effects of the Reynolds number (1 < Re < 1000, channel aspect ratio (0 < ε < 1, and Knudsen number (0.001 < Kn < 0.1 on the dimensionless hydrodynamic entrance length, and the apparent friction factor, and Reynolds number product, are examined in detail. The numerical solution of LBM can recover excellent agreement with the available data in the literature, which proves its accuracy in capturing fundamental fluid characteristics in the slip-flow regime.

Numerical modeling of time-dependent bio-convective stagnation flow of a nanofluid in slip regime

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rakesh Kumar

Full Text Available A numerical investigation of unsteady stagnation point flow of bioconvective nanofluid due to an exponential deforming surface is made in this research. The effects of Brownian diffusion, thermophoresis, slip velocity and thermal jump are incorporated in the nanofluid model. By utilizing similarity transformations, the highly nonlinear partial differential equations governing present nano-bioconvective boundary layer phenomenon are reduced into ordinary differential system. The resultant expressions are solved for numerical solution by employing a well-known implicit finite difference approach termed as Keller-box method (KBM. The influence of involved parameters (unsteadiness, bioconvection Schmidt number, velocity slip, thermal jump, thermophoresis, Schmidt number, Brownian motion, bioconvection Peclet number on the distributions of velocity, temperature, nanoparticle and motile microorganisms concentrations, the coefficient of local skin-friction, rate of heat transport, Sherwood number and local density motile microorganisms are exhibited through graphs and tables. Keywords: Unsteadiness, Bio-convection, Slip regime, Stagnation point flow, Numerical modeling

Lifted graphene nanoribbons on gold: from smooth sliding to multiple stick-slip regimes

OpenAIRE

Gigli, Lorenzo; Manini, Nicola; Tosatti, Erio; Guerra, Roberto; Vanossi, Andrea

2018-01-01

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) physisorbed on a Au(111) surface can be picked up, lifted at one end, and made slide by means of the tip of an atomic-force microscope. The dynamical transition from smooth sliding to multiple stick-slip regimes, the pushing/pulling force asymmetry, the presence of pinning, and its origin are real frictional processes in a nutshell, in need of a theoretical description. To this purpose, we conduct classical simulations of frictional manipulations for GNRs up to 30 ...

Spatial Comparisons of Tremor and Slow Slip as a Constraint on Fault Strength in the Northern Cascadia Subduction Zone

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, K.; Schmidt, D. A.; Houston, H.

2017-12-01

We measure displacement vectors from about 50 or more PANGA 3-component GPS stations to analyze six large ETS events from 2007 - 2016 in northern Cascadia, and invert for slip on a realistic plate interface. Our previous results indicated that significant slip of up to 2 cm occurs 10 to 15 km up-dip of the western edge of tremor beneath the Olympic Peninsula. This far up-dip aseismic slip persists in several of the ETS events. We also find that this offset appears to vary along-strike with a greater offset beneath the Olympic Peninsula and up into the Strait of Juan de Fuca in comparison to lower Puget Sound. To explain this, we explore how properties (temperature and permeability) of the overlying structure may influence fault strength. In our conceptual model, the observation that slip inferred from GPS can extend updip of tremor suggests that updip of the observed edge of tremor, seismogenic patches that could produce tremor and low frequency earthquakes (LFEs) are too strong to fail from the relatively minor amount of far up-dip slow slip. This is consistent with the observation that, within the ETS zone, down-dip LFEs occur frequently, whereas up-dip LFEs occur only during the largest ETS events and are unaffected by tidal stresses until the later stages of an ETS event. This suggests that the up-dip seismogenic patches have a larger discrepancy between their strength and stress states, and therefore require larger stress perturbations (such as those from a propagating ETS slip pulse) to trigger seismic failure. We consider whether lateral variations in overlying structure may explain the along-strike variations in far up-dip aseismic slip. There is an abrupt change in lithology from the meta-sediments of the Olympic accretionary complex to the mafic basalts of the Crescent terrane. The juxtaposition of these different lithologies could potentially explain the along-strike variations in far up-dip aseismic slip. We propose to explore whether relative changes

Timing of metamorphism of the Lansang gneiss and implications for left-lateral motion along the Mae Ping (Wang Chao) strike-slip fault, Thailand

Science.gov (United States)

Palin, R. M.; Searle, M. P.; Morley, C. K.; Charusiri, P.; Horstwood, M. S. A.; Roberts, N. M. W.

2013-10-01

The Mae Ping fault (MPF), western Thailand, exhibits dominantly left-lateral strike-slip motion and stretches for >600 km, reportedly branching off the right-lateral Sagaing fault in Myanmar and extending southeast towards Cambodia. Previous studies have suggested that the fault assisted the large-scale extrusion of Sundaland that occurred during the Late Eocene-Early Oligocene, with a geological offset of ˜120-150 km estimated from displaced high-grade gneisses and granites of the Chiang Mai-Lincang belt. Exposures of high-grade orthogneiss in the Lansang National Park, part of this belt, locally contain strong mylonitic textures and are bounded by strike-slip ductile shear zones and brittle faults. Geochronological analysis of monazite from a sample of sheared biotite-K-feldspar orthogneiss suggests two episodes of crystallization, with core regions documenting Th-Pb ages between c. 123 and c. 114 Ma and rim regions documenting a significantly younger age range between c. 45-37 Ma. These data are interpreted to represent possible magmatic protolith emplacement for the Lansang orthogneiss during the Early Cretaceous, with a later episode of metamorphism occurring during the Eocene. Textural relationships provided by in situ analysis suggest that ductile shearing along the MPF occurred during the latter stages of, or after, this metamorphic event. In addition, monazite analyzed from an undeformed garnet-two-mica granite dyke intruding metamorphic units at Bhumipol Lake outside of the Mae Ping shear zone produced a Th-Pb age of 66.2 ± 1.6 Ma. This age is interpreted to date the timing of dyke emplacement, implying that the MPF cuts through earlier formed magmatic and high-grade metamorphic rocks. These new data, when combined with regional mapping and earlier geochronological work, show that neither metamorphism, nor regional cooling, was directly related to strike-slip motion.

A Physical Analog Model of Strike-Slip Faulting for Model-Based Inquiry in the Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Curren, I. S.; Glesener, G.

2013-12-01

Geoscience educators often use qualitative physical analog models to demonstrate natural processes; while these are effective teaching tools, they often neglect the fundamental scientific practices that make up the core of scientific work. Physical analog models with dynamic properties that can be manipulated and measured quantitatively in real-time, on the other hand, can give students the opportunity to explore, observe and empirically test their own ideas and hypotheses about the relevant target concepts within a classroom setting. Providing classroom content for inquiry, such as a hands-on physical analog model, which fosters students' production and refinement of their mental models in participatory and discursive activities have been argued by many education researchers to help students build a deeper understanding of science and scientific reasoning. We present a physical analog model that was originally developed by UCLA's Modeling and Educational Demonstrations Laboratory (MEDL) for the purpose of engaging students in the study of elastic rebound on a strike-slip fault; it was later modified to accommodate research of complex tectonic processes associated with strike-slip faulting, which are currently debated by scientists in both the geology and geophysics disciplines. During experimentation, it became clear that this new design could be used as a relevant resource for inquiry from which students would be able to make and discuss real-time empirical measurements and observations to help them infer causal accounts of theoretical and/or unobservable dynamic processes within the Earth's crust. In our poster session, we will: 1) demonstrate the physical analog model; 2) describe various real-time data collection tools, as well as quantitative methods students can use to process their data; and 3) describe the surficial, structural and relational similarities between the physical analog model and the target concepts intended for students to explore in the

Earthquake scaling laws for rupture geometry and slip heterogeneity

Science.gov (United States)

Thingbaijam, Kiran K. S.; Mai, P. Martin; Goda, Katsuichiro

2016-04-01

We analyze an extensive compilation of finite-fault rupture models to investigate earthquake scaling of source geometry and slip heterogeneity to derive new relationships for seismic and tsunami hazard assessment. Our dataset comprises 158 earthquakes with a total of 316 rupture models selected from the SRCMOD database (http://equake-rc.info/srcmod). We find that fault-length does not saturate with earthquake magnitude, while fault-width reveals inhibited growth due to the finite seismogenic thickness. For strike-slip earthquakes, fault-length grows more rapidly with increasing magnitude compared to events of other faulting types. Interestingly, our derived relationship falls between the L-model and W-model end-members. In contrast, both reverse and normal dip-slip events are more consistent with self-similar scaling of fault-length. However, fault-width scaling relationships for large strike-slip and normal dip-slip events, occurring on steeply dipping faults (δ~90° for strike-slip faults, and δ~60° for normal faults), deviate from self-similarity. Although reverse dip-slip events in general show self-similar scaling, the restricted growth of down-dip fault extent (with upper limit of ~200 km) can be seen for mega-thrust subduction events (M~9.0). Despite this fact, for a given earthquake magnitude, subduction reverse dip-slip events occupy relatively larger rupture area, compared to shallow crustal events. In addition, we characterize slip heterogeneity in terms of its probability distribution and spatial correlation structure to develop a complete stochastic random-field characterization of earthquake slip. We find that truncated exponential law best describes the probability distribution of slip, with observable scale parameters determined by the average and maximum slip. Applying Box-Cox transformation to slip distributions (to create quasi-normal distributed data) supports cube-root transformation, which also implies distinctive non-Gaussian slip

Depth dependent stress revealed by aftershocks

Science.gov (United States)

Narteau, C.; Shebalin, P.

2017-12-01

Aftershocks occur in response to perturbations of the state of stress induced either by earthquakes or human activities. Along major strike-slip fault segments of the San Andreas fault system, the time-delay before the onset of the power-law aftershock decay rate (the c-value) varies by three orders of magnitude in the first twenty kilometers below the surface. Despite the influence of the lithostatic stress, there is no continuous change in c-value with respect to depth. Instead, two decay phases are separated by an abrupt increase at an intermediate depth range of 2 to 5 km. This transitional regime is the only one observed in fluid-injection-induced seismic areas. This provides strong evidence for the role of fluid and a porosity reduction mechanism at depth of few kilometers in active fault zones. Aftershock statistics can then be used to predict the evolution the differential shear stress with depth until the brittle-ductile transition is reached.

The initiation and linkage of surface fractures above a buried strike ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

a buried strike-slip fault: An experimental approach. N Ghosh and A ... conditions viz., (i) heterogeneous simple shear of the cover rocks above a buried strike slip fault. (wrench .... (iii) study of fracture types in the damage zones from Gozo .... was dominant, the results may vary from a true ... For example, as shown in figure 5 ...

End Late Paleozoic tectonic stress field in the southern edge of Junggar Basin

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Wei Ju

2012-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the end Late Paleozoic tectonic stress field in the southern edge of Junggar Basin by interpreting stress-response structures (dykes, folds, faults with slickenside and conjugate joints. The direction of the maximum principal stress axes is interpreted to be NW–SE (about 325°, and the accommodated motion among plates is assigned as the driving force of this tectonic stress field. The average value of the stress index R′ is about 2.09, which indicates a variation from strike-slip to compressive tectonic stress regime in the study area during the end Late Paleozoic period. The reconstruction of the tectonic field in the southern edge of Junggar Basin provides insights into the tectonic deformation processes around the southern Junggar Basin and contributes to the further understanding of basin evolution and tectonic settings during the culmination of the Paleozoic.

Micromechanics and statistics of slipping events in a granular seismic fault model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arcangelis, L de [Department of Information Engineering and CNISM, Second University of Naples, Aversa (Italy); Ciamarra, M Pica [CNR-SPIN, Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, Universita di Napoli Federico II (Italy); Lippiello, E; Godano, C, E-mail: dearcangelis@na.infn.it [Department of Environmental Sciences and CNISM, Second University of Naples, Caserta (Italy)

2011-09-15

The stick-slip is investigated in a seismic fault model made of a confined granular system under shear stress via three dimensional Molecular Dynamics simulations. We study the statistics of slipping events and, in particular, the dependence of the distribution on model parameters. The distribution consistently exhibits two regimes: an initial power law and a bump at large slips. The initial power law decay is in agreement with the the Gutenberg-Richter law characterizing real seismic occurrence. The exponent of the initial regime is quite independent of model parameters and its value is in agreement with experimental results. Conversely, the position of the bump is solely controlled by the ratio of the drive elastic constant and the system size. Large slips also become less probable in absence of fault gouge and tend to disappear for stiff drives. A two-time force-force correlation function, and a susceptibility related to the system response to pressure changes, characterize the micromechanics of slipping events. The correlation function unveils the micromechanical changes occurring both during microslips and slips. The mechanical susceptibility encodes the magnitude of the incoming microslip. Numerical results for the cellular-automaton version of the spring block model confirm the parameter dependence observed for size distribution in the granular model.

Universal slip dynamics in metallic glasses and granular matter - linking frictional weakening with inertial effects

Science.gov (United States)

Denisov, Dmitry V.; Lőrincz, Kinga A.; Wright, Wendelin J.; Hufnagel, Todd C.; Nawano, Aya; Gu, Xiaojun; Uhl, Jonathan T.; Dahmen, Karin A.; Schall, Peter

2017-03-01

Slowly strained solids deform via intermittent slips that exhibit a material-independent critical size distribution. Here, by comparing two disparate systems - granular materials and bulk metallic glasses - we show evidence that not only the statistics of slips but also their dynamics are remarkably similar, i.e. independent of the microscopic details of the material. By resolving and comparing the full time evolution of avalanches in bulk metallic glasses and granular materials, we uncover a regime of universal deformation dynamics. We experimentally verify the predicted universal scaling functions for the dynamics of individual avalanches in both systems, and show that both the slip statistics and dynamics are independent of the scale and details of the material structure and interactions, thus settling a long-standing debate as to whether or not the claim of universality includes only the slip statistics or also the slip dynamics. The results imply that the frictional weakening in granular materials and the interplay of damping, weakening and inertial effects in bulk metallic glasses have strikingly similar effects on the slip dynamics. These results are important for transferring experimental results across scales and material structures in a single theory of deformation dynamics.

Slip Potential of Faults in the Fort Worth Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Hennings, P.; Osmond, J.; Lund Snee, J. E.; Zoback, M. D.

2017-12-01

Similar to other areas of the southcentral United States, the Fort Worth Basin of NE Texas has experienced an increase in the rate of seismicity which has been attributed to injection of waste water in deep saline aquifers. To assess the hazard of induced seismicity in the basin we have integrated new data on location and character of previously known and unknown faults, stress state, and pore pressure to produce an assessment of fault slip potential which can be used to investigate prior and ongoing earthquake sequences and for development of mitigation strategies. We have assembled data on faults in the basin from published sources, 2D and 3D seismic data, and interpretations provided from petroleum operators to yield a 3D fault model with 292 faults ranging in strike-length from 116 to 0.4 km. The faults have mostly normal geometries, all cut the disposal intervals, and most are presumed to cut into the underlying crystalline and metamorphic basement. Analysis of outcrops along the SW flank of the basin assist with geometric characterization of the fault systems. The interpretation of stress state comes from integration of wellbore image and sonic data, reservoir stimulation data, and earthquake focal mechanisms. The orientation of SHmax is generally uniform across the basin but stress style changes from being more strike-slip in the NE part of the basin to normal faulting in the SW part. Estimates of pore pressure come from a basin-scale hydrogeologic model as history-matched to injection test data. With these deterministic inputs and appropriate ranges of uncertainty we assess the conditional probability that faults in our 3D model might slip via Mohr-Coulomb reactivation in response to increases in injected-related pore pressure. A key component of the analysis is constraining the uncertainties associated with each of the principal parameters. Many of the faults in the model are interpreted to be critically-stressed within reasonable ranges of uncertainty.

Lattice Boltzmann Simulations in the Slip and Transition Flow Regime with the Peano Framework

KAUST Repository

Neumann, Philipp

2012-01-01

We present simulation results of flows in the finite Knudsen range, which is in the slip and transition flow regime. Our implementations are based on the Lattice Boltzmann method and are accomplished within the Peano framework. We validate our code by solving two- and three-dimensional channel flow problems and compare our results with respective experiments from other research groups. We further apply our Lattice Boltzmann solver to the geometrical setup of a microreactor consisting of differently sized channels and a reactor chamber. Here, we apply static adaptive grids to fur-ther reduce computational costs. We further investigate the influence of using a simple BGK collision kernel in coarse grid regions which are further away from the slip boundaries. Our results are in good agreement with theory and non-adaptive simulations, demonstrating the validity and the capabilities of our adaptive simulation software for flow problems at finite Knudsen numbers.

Influence of fault steps on rupture termination of strike-slip earthquake faults

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhengfang; Zhou, Bengang

2018-03-01

A statistical analysis was completed on the rupture data of 29 historical strike-slip earthquakes across the world. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of fault steps on the rupture termination of these events. The results show good correlations between the type and length of steps with the seismic rupture and a poor correlation between the step number and seismic rupture. For different magnitude intervals, the smallest widths of the fault steps (Lt) that can terminate the rupture propagation are variable: Lt = 3 km for Ms 6.5 6.9, Lt = 4 km for Ms 7.0 7.5, Lt = 6 km for Ms 7.5 8.0, and Lt = 8 km for Ms 8.0 8.5. The dilational fault step is easier to rupture through than the compression fault step. The smallest widths of the fault step for the rupture arrest can be used as an indicator to judge the scale of the rupture termination of seismic faults. This is helpful for research on fault segmentation, as well as estimating the magnitude of potential earthquakes, and is thus of significance for the assessment of seismic risks.

Coseismic slip in the 2010 Yushu earthquake (China, constrained by wide-swath and strip-map InSAR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Wen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available On 14 April 2010, an M_w = 6.9 earthquake occurred in the Yushu county of China, which caused ~3000 people to lose their lives. Integrated with the information from the observed surface ruptures and aftershock locations, the faulting pattern of this earthquake is derived from the descending wide-swath and ascending strip mode PALSAR data collected by ALOS satellite. We used a layered crustal model and stress drop smoothing constraint to infer the coseismic slip distribution. Our model suggests that the earthquake fault can be divided into four segments and the slip mainly occurs within the upper 12 km with a maximum slip of 2.0 m at depth of 3 km on the Jiegu segment. The rupture of the upper 12 km is dominated by left-lateral strike-slip motion. The relatively small slip along the SE region of Yushu segment suggests a slip deficit there. The inverted geodetic moment is approximately M_w = 6.9, consistent with the seismological results. The average stress drop caused by the earthquake is about 2 MPa with a maximum stress drop of 8.3 MPa. Furthermore, the calculated static Coulomb stress changes in surrounding regions show increased Coulomb stress occurred in the SE region along the Yushu segment but with less aftershock, indicating an increased seismic hazard in this region after the earthquake.

Seismic Evidence for Conjugate Slip and Block Rotation Within the San Andreas Fault System, Southern California

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholson, Craig; Seeber, Leonardo; Williams, Patrick; Sykes, Lynn R.

1986-08-01

The pattern of seismicity in southern California indicates that much of the activity is presently occurring on secondary structures, several of which are oriented nearly orthogonal to the strikes of the major through-going faults. Slip along these secondary transverse features is predominantly left-lateral and is consistent with the reactivation of conjugate faults by the current regional stress field. Near the intersection of the San Jacinto and San Andreas faults, however, these active left-lateral faults appear to define a set of small crustal blocks, which in conjunction with both normal and reverse faulting earthquakes, suggests contemporary clockwise rotation as a result of regional right-lateral shear. Other left-lateral faults representing additional rotating block systems are identified in adjacent areas from geologic and seismologic data. Many of these structures predate the modern San Andreas system and may control the pattern of strain accumulation in southern California. Geodetic and paleomagnetic evidence confirm that block rotation by strike-slip faulting is nearly ubiquitous, particularly in areas where shear is distributed, and that it accommodates both short-term elastic and long-term nonelastic strain. A rotating block model accounts for a number of structural styles characteristic of strike-slip deformation in California, including: variable slip rates and alternating transtensional and transpressional features observed along strike of major wrench faults; domains of evenly-spaced antithetic faults that terminate against major fault boundaries; continued development of bends in faults with large lateral displacements; anomalous focal mechanisms; and differential uplift in areas otherwise expected to experience extension and subsidence. Since block rotation requires a detachment surface at depth to permit rotational movement, low-angle structures like detachments, of either local or regional extent, may be involved in the contemporary strike-slip

Using regional moment tensors to constrain the kinematics and stress evolution of the 2010–2013 Canterbury earthquake sequence, South Island, New Zealand

Science.gov (United States)

Herman, Matthew W.; Herrmann, Robert B.; Benz, Harley M.; Furlong, Kevin P.

2014-01-01

On September 3, 2010, a MW 7.0 (U.S. Geological Survey moment magnitude) earthquake ruptured across the Canterbury Plains in South Island, New Zealand. Since then, New Zealand GNS Science has recorded over 10,000 aftershocks ML 2.0 and larger, including three destructive ~ MW 6.0 earthquakes near Christchurch. We treat the Canterbury earthquake sequence as an intraplate earthquake sequence, and compare its kinematics to an Andersonian model for fault slip in a uniform stress field. We determined moment magnitudes and double couple solutions for 150 earthquakes having MW 3.7 and larger through the use of a waveform inversion technique using data from broadband seismic stations on South Island, New Zealand. The majority (126) of these double couple solutions have strike-slip focal mechanisms, with right-lateral slip on ENE fault planes or equivalently left-lateral slip on SSE fault planes. The remaining focal mechanisms indicate reverse faulting, except for two normal faulting events. The strike-slip segments have compatible orientations for slip in a stress field with a horizontal σ1 oriented ~ N115°E, and horizontal σ3. The preference for right lateral strike-slip earthquakes suggests that these structures are inherited from previous stages of deformation. Reverse slip is interpreted to have occurred on previously existing structures in regions with an absence of existing structures optimally oriented for strike-slip deformation. Despite the variations in slip direction and faulting style, most aftershocks had nearly the same P-axis orientation, consistent with the regional σ1. There is no evidence for significant changes in these stress orientations throughout the Canterbury earthquake sequence.

Effective slip lengths for flows over surfaces with nanobubbles: the effects of finite slip

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hendy, S C; Lund, N J

2009-01-01

We consider effective slip lengths for flows of simple liquids over surfaces contaminated by gaseous nanobubbles. In particular, we examine whether the effects of finite slip over the liquid-bubble interface are important in limiting effective slip lengths over such surfaces. Using an expression that interpolates between the perfect slip and finite slip regimes for flow over bubbles, we conclude that for the bubble dimensions and coverages typically reported in the literature the effects of finite slip are secondary, reducing effective slip lengths by only 10%. Further, we find that nanobubbles do not significantly increase slip lengths beyond those reported for bare hydrophobic surfaces.

Acute changes in foot strike pattern and cadence affect running parameters associated with tibial stress fractures.

Science.gov (United States)

Yong, Jennifer R; Silder, Amy; Montgomery, Kate L; Fredericson, Michael; Delp, Scott L

2018-05-18

Tibial stress fractures are a common and debilitating injury that occur in distance runners. Runners may be able to decrease tibial stress fracture risk by adopting a running pattern that reduces biomechanical parameters associated with a history of tibial stress fracture. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that converting to a forefoot striking pattern or increasing cadence without focusing on changing foot strike type would reduce injury risk parameters in recreational runners. Running kinematics, ground reaction forces and tibial accelerations were recorded from seventeen healthy, habitual rearfoot striking runners while running in their natural running pattern and after two acute retraining conditions: (1) converting to forefoot striking without focusing on cadence and (2) increasing cadence without focusing on foot strike. We found that converting to forefoot striking decreased two risk factors for tibial stress fracture: average and peak loading rates. Increasing cadence decreased one risk factor: peak hip adduction angle. Our results demonstrate that acute adaptation to forefoot striking reduces different injury risk parameters than acute adaptation to increased cadence and suggest that both modifications may reduce the risk of tibial stress fractures. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Silurian to Devonian magmatism, molybdenite mineralization, regional exhumation and brittle strike-slip deformation along the Loch Shin Line, NW Scotland

OpenAIRE

Holdsworth, R.; Dempsey, E.; Selby, D.; Darling, James Richard; Feely, M.; Costanzo, A.; Strachan, Robin A; Waters, P.; Finlay, A.J.

2015-01-01

The Loch Shin Line is a geological–geophysical lineament associated with a zone of mantle-derived appinites, granites and strike-slip faulting that runs NW–SE across the Moine Nappe, northern Scotland. U–Pb zircon and Re–Os molybdenite dating of the Loch Shin and Grudie plutons, which lie immediately SW of the NW–SE Loch Shin–Strath Fleet fault system, yield c. 427–430 Ma ages that overlap within error. They also coincide with previously obtained U–Pb zircon ages for the Rogart pluton, which ...

A nonlinear least-squares inverse analysis of strike-slip faulting with application to the San Andreas fault

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Charles A.; Richardson, Randall M.

1988-01-01

A nonlinear weighted least-squares analysis was performed for a synthetic elastic layer over a viscoelastic half-space model of strike-slip faulting. Also, an inversion of strain rate data was attempted for the locked portions of the San Andreas fault in California. Based on an eigenvector analysis of synthetic data, it is found that the only parameter which can be resolved is the average shear modulus of the elastic layer and viscoelastic half-space. The other parameters were obtained by performing a suite of inversions for the fault. The inversions on data from the northern San Andreas resulted in predicted parameter ranges similar to those produced by inversions on data from the whole fault.

Estimating the Reactivation Potential of Pre-Existing Fractures in Subsurface Granitoids from Outcrop Analogues and in-Situ Stress Modeling: Implications for EGS Reservoir Stimulation with an Example from Thuringia (Central Germany)

Science.gov (United States)

Kasch, N.; Ustaszewski, K. M.; Siegburg, M.; Navabpour, P.; Hesse, G.

2014-12-01

The Mid-German Crystalline Rise (MGCR) in Thuringia (central Germany) is part of the European Variscan orogen and hosts large extents of Visean granites (c. 350 Ma), locally overlain by up to 3 km of Early Permian to Mid-Triassic volcanic and sedimentary rocks. A geothermal gradient of 36°C km-1 suggests that such subsurface granites form an economically viable hot dry rock reservoir at > 4 km depth. In order to assess the likelihood of reactivating any pre-existing fractures during hydraulic reservoir stimulation, slip and dilation tendency analyses (Morris et al. 1996) were carried out. For this purpose, we determined orientations of pre-existing fractures in 14 granite exposures along the southern border fault of an MGCR basement high. Additionally, the strike of 192 Permian magmatic dikes affecting the granite was considered. This analysis revealed a prevalence of NW-SE-striking fractures (mainly joints, extension veins, dikes and subordinately brittle faults) with a maximum at 030/70 (dip azimuth/dip). Borehole data and earthquake focal mechanisms reveal a maximum horizontal stress SHmax trending N150°E and a strike-slip regime. Effective in-situ stress magnitudes at 4.5 km depth, assuming hydrostatic conditions and frictional equilibrium along pre-existing fractures with a friction coefficient of 0.85 yielded 230 and 110 MPa for SHmax and Shmin, respectively. In this stress field, fractures with the prevailing orientations show a high tendency of becoming reactivated as dextral strike-slip faults if stimulated hydraulically. To ensure that a stimulation well creates fluid connectivity on a reservoir volume as large as possible rather than dissipating fluids along existing fractures, it should follow a trajectory at the highest possible angle to the orientation of prevailing fractures, i.e. subhorizontal and NE-SW-oriented. References: Morris, A., D. A. Ferrill, and D. B. Henderson (1996), Slip-tendency analysis and fault reactivation, Geology, 24, 275-278.

Geodynamics and Stress State of the Earth's Crust in the Greater and Lesser Caucasus (Azerbaijan) collision region

Science.gov (United States)

Babayev, Gulam; Akhmedova, Elnare; Babayev, Elvin

2017-04-01

The current study researches the present-day stress state of the Earth's crust within the territory of Azerbaijan by using the database of the international research project "World Stress Map" (WSM). The present stress state was also assessed by exploring the effects of the contemporary topographic properties of Caucasus in three-dimensional frame. Aiming to explore the relative roles of regional tectonic conditions in the definition of stress state of Greater and Lesser Caucasus, stress distribution model was developed by the earthquake data (1998-2016) and by the standard techniques of stress field calculation. The results show that the stress orientations are influenced also by the combination of topography and crust thickness distribution even at very large depth. Stress data and earthquake focal mechanisms indicate that the stress state of the Earth's crust of the Greater and Lesser Caucasus is characterized by the compression predominantly oriented across the regional strike. The model results suggest that the Lesser Caucasus and Kur depression are rotating coherently, with little or no internal deformation in a counter-clockwise rotation located near the north-eastern corner of the Black Sea. Orientation of stress axes well consistent with earthquake focal mechanisms revealed that within Upper and Lower Crusts, earthquakes are predominantly thrust-faulting with a number of normal-faulting and some strike-slip faulting. The map of the focal mechanisms and stress distribution suggests that the research area is characterized by the thrust of horizontal compression trending north-north-east in the western part of the southern Caucasus. In the western part of Azerbaijan, the compression takes place between the Main Caucasus Fault and the Kur depression, which strikes south along the northern margin of the mountain range. In addition, a clear transition from the left-lateral strike slip to the predominantly right-lateral strike slip is observed in the southern of

A Kinematic Model of Slow Slip Constrained by Tremor-Derived Slip Histories in Cascadia

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, D. A.; Houston, H.

2016-12-01

We explore new ways to constrain the kinematic slip distributions for large slow slip events using constraints from tremor. Our goal is to prescribe one or more slip pulses that propagate across the fault and scale appropriately to satisfy the observations. Recent work (Houston, 2015) inferred a crude representative stress time history at an average point using the tidal stress history, the static stress drop, and the timing of the evolution of tidal sensitivity of tremor over several days of slip. To convert a stress time history into a slip time history, we use simulations to explore the stressing history of a small locked patch due to an approaching rupture front. We assume that the locked patch releases strain through a series of tremor bursts whose activity rate is related to the stressing history. To test whether the functional form of a slip pulse is reasonable, we assume a hypothetical slip time history (Ohnaka pulse) timed with the occurrence of tremor to create a rupture front that propagates along the fault. The duration of the rupture front for a fault patch is constrained by the observed tremor catalog for the 2010 ETS event. The slip amplitude is scaled appropriately to match the observed surface displacements from GPS. Through a forward simulation, we evaluate the ability of the tremor-derived slip history to accurately predict the pattern of surface displacements observed by GPS. We find that the temporal progression of surface displacements are well modeled by a 2-4 day slip pulse, suggesting that some of the longer duration of slip typically found in time-dependent GPS inversions is biased by the temporal smoothing. However, at some locations on the fault, the tremor lingers beyond the passage of the slip pulse. A small percentage (5-10%) of the tremor appears to be activated ahead of the approaching slip pulse, and tremor asperities experience a driving stress on the order of 10 kPa/day. Tremor amplitude, rather than just tremor counts, is needed

Near N-S paleo-extension in the western Deccan region, India: Does it link strike-slip tectonics with India-Seychelles rifting?

Science.gov (United States)

Misra, Achyuta Ayan; Bhattacharya, Gourab; Mukherjee, Soumyajit; Bose, Narayan

2014-09-01

This is the first detailed report and analyses of deformation from the W part of the Deccan large igneous province (DLIP), Maharashtra, India. This deformation, related to the India-Seychelles rifting during Late Cretaceous-Early Paleocene, was studied, and the paleostress tensors were deduced. Near N-S trending shear zones, lineaments, and faults were already reported without significant detail. An E-W extension was envisaged by the previous workers to explain the India-Seychelles rift at ~64 Ma. The direction of extension, however, does not match with their N-S brittle shear zones and also those faults (sub-vertical, ~NE-SW/~NW-SE, and few ~N-S) we report and emphasize in this work. Slickenside-bearing fault planes, brittle shear zones, and extension fractures in meso-scale enabled us to estimate the paleostress tensors (directions and relative magnitudes). The field study was complemented by remote sensing lineament analyses to map dykes and shear zones. Dykes emplaced along pre-existing ~N-S to ~NE-SW/~NW-SE shears/fractures. This information was used to derive regional paleostress trends. A ~NW-SE/NE-SW minimum compressive stress in the oldest Kalsubai Subgroup and a ~N-S direction for the younger Lonavala, Wai, and Salsette Subgroups were deciphered. Thus, a ~NW/NE to ~N-S extension is put forward that refutes the popular view of E-W India-Seychelles extension. Paleostress analyses indicate that this is an oblique rifted margin. Field criteria suggest only ~NE-SW and ~NW-SE, with some ~N-S strike-slip faults/brittle shear zones. We refer this deformation zone as the "Western Deccan Strike-slip Zone" (WDSZ). The observed deformation was matched with offshore tectonics deciphered mainly from faults interpreted on seismic profiles and from magnetic seafloor spreading anomalies. These geophysical findings too indicate oblique rifting in this part of the W Indian passive margin. We argue that the Seychelles microcontinent separated from India only after much of

Fault Slip Partitioning in the Eastern California Shear Zone-Walker Lane Belt: Pliocene to Late Pleistocene Contraction Across the Mina Deflection

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, J.; Stockli, D.; Gosse, J.

2007-12-01

Two different mechanisms have been proposed for fault slip transfer between the subparallel NW-striking dextral- slip faults that dominant the Eastern California Shear Zone (ECSZ)-Walker Lane Belt (WLB). In the northern WLB, domains of sinistral-slip along NE-striking faults and clockwise block rotation within a zone of distributed deformation accommodated NW-dextral shear. A somewhat modified version of this mechanism was also proposed for the Mina deflection, southern WLB, whereby NE-striking sinistral faults formed as conjugate faults to the primary zone of NW-dextral shear; clockwise rotation of the blocks bounding the sinistral faults accommodated dextral slip. In contrast, in the northern ECSZ and Mina deflection, domains of NE-striking pure dip-slip normal faults, bounded by NW-striking dextral-slip faults, exhibited no rotation; the proposed mechanism of slip transfer was one of right-stepping, high angle normal faults in which the magnitude of extension was proportional to the amount of strike-slip motion transferred. New geologic mapping, tectonic geomorphologic, and geochronologic data from the Queen Valley area, southern Mina deflection constrain Pliocene to late Quaternary fault geometries, slip orientations, slip magnitudes, and slip rates that bear on the mechanism of fault slip transfer from the relatively narrow northern ECSZ to the broad deformation zone that defines the Mina deflection. Four different fault types and orientations cut across the Queen Valley area: (1) The NE-striking normal-slip Queen Valley fault; (2) NE-striking sinistral faults; (3) the NW-striking dextral Coyote Springs fault, which merges into (4) a set of EW-striking thrust faults. (U-Th)/He apatite and cosmogenic radionuclide data, combined with magnitude of fault offset measurements, indicate a Pliocene to late Pleistocene horizontal extension rate of 0.2-0.3 mm/yr across the Queen Valley fault. Our results, combined with published slip rates for the dextral White Mountain

Stress states in the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt from passive margin to collisional tectonic setting

Science.gov (United States)

Navabpour, Payman; Barrier, Eric

2012-12-01

The present-day Zagros fold-and-thrust belt of SW-Iran corresponds to the former Arabian passive continental margin of the southern Neo-Tethyan basin since the Permian-Triassic rifting, undergoing later collisional deformation in mid-late Cenozoic times. In this paper an overview of brittle tectonics and palaeostress reconstructions of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt is presented, based on direct stress tensor inversion of fault slip data. The results indicate that, during the Neo-Tethyan oceanic opening, an extensional tectonic regime affectedthe sedimentary cover in Triassic-Jurassic times with an approximately N-S trend of the σ3 axis, oblique to the margin, which was followed by some local changes to a NE-SW trend during Jurassic-Cretaceous times. The stress state significantly changed to thrust setting, with a NE-SW trend of the σ1 axis, and a compressional tectonic regime prevailed during the continental collision and folding of the sedimentary cover in Oligocene-Miocene times. This compression was then followed by a strike-slip stress state with an approximately N-S trend of the σ1 axis, oblique to the belt, during inversion of the inherited extensional basement structures in Pliocene-Recent times. The brittle tectonic reconstructions, therefore, highlighted major changes of the stress state in conjunction with transitions between thin- and thick-skinned structures during different extensional and compressional stages of continental deformation within the oblique divergent and convergent settings, respectively.

An experimental study of the influence of stress history on fault slip during injection of supercritical CO2

Science.gov (United States)

Cuss, Robert J.; Wiseall, Andrew C.; Tamayo-Mas, Elena; Harrington, Jon F.

2018-04-01

The injection of super-critical CO2 into a depleted reservoir will alter the pore pressure of the basin, which if sufficiently perturbed could result in fault slip. Therefore, knowledge of the acceptable pressure limits is required in order to maintain fault stability. A two-part laboratory study was conducted on fully saturated kaolinite fault gouge to investigate this issue. Previously, we showed that fault slip occurred once pore-pressure within the gouge was sufficient to overcome the normal stress acting on the fault. For kaolinite, this behaviour occurred at a pressure similar to the yield stress. The current study shows that following a slow-reduction in the maximum principal stress, as would be expected through changes in effective stress, the reactivation pressure shows a stress memory. Consequently, the pressure necessary to initiate fault slip is similar to that required at the maximum stress encountered. Therefore, fault slip is at least partially controlled by the previous maximum stress and not the current stress state. During the slow reduction in normal stress, the flow characteristics of the fault remain unchanged until pore-pressure exceeds shear stress and does not increase significantly until it exceeds normal stress. This results in fault slip, which slows the rate of flow increase as shear is an effective self-sealing mechanism. These observations lead to the conclusion that stress history is a vital parameter when considering fault stability.

Stress transfer by the 1988-1989 M=5.3 and 5.4 Lake Elsman foreshocks to the Loma Prieta fault: Unclamping at the site of peak mainshock slip

Science.gov (United States)

Perfettini, H.; Stein, R.S.; Simpson, R.; Cocco, M.

1999-01-01

We study the stress transferred by the June 27, 1988, M=5.3 and August 8, 1989, M=5.4 Lake Elsman earthquakes, the largest events to strike within 15 km of the future Loma Prieta rupture zone during 74 years before the 1989 M=6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake. We find that the first Lake Elsman event brought the rupture plane of the second event 0.3-1.6 bars (0.03-0.16 MPa) closer to Coulomb failure but that the Lake Elsman events did not bring the future Loma Prieta hypocentral zone closer to failure. Instead, the Lake Elsman earthquakes are calculated to have reduced the normal stress on (or "undamped") the Loma Prieta rupture surface by 0.5-1.0 bar (0.05-0.10 MPa) at the site where the greatest slip subsequently occurred in the Loma Prieta earthquake. This association between the sites of peak unclamping and slip suggests that the Lake Elsman events did indeed influence the Loma Prieta rupture process. Unclamping the fault would have locally lowered the resistance to sliding. Such an effect could have been enhanced if the lowered normal stress permitted fluid infusion into the undamped part of the fault. Although less well recorded, the ML=5.0 1964 and ML=5.3 1967 Corralitos events struck within 10 km of the southwest end of the future Loma Prieta rupture. No similar relationship between the normal stress change and subsequent Loma Prieta slip is observed, although the high-slip patch southwest of the Loma Prieta epicenter corresponds roughly to the site of calculated Coulomb stress increase for a low coefficient of friction. The Lake Elsman-Loma Prieta result is similar to that for the 1987 M=6.2 Elmore Ranch and M=6.7 Superstition Hills earthquakes, suggesting that foreshocks might influence the distribution of mainshock slip rather than the site of mainshock nucleation. Copyright 1999 by the American Geophysical Union.

Hematite (U-Th)/He thermochronometry constrains intraplate strike-slip faulting on the Kuh-e-Faghan Fault, central Iran

Science.gov (United States)

Calzolari, Gabriele; Rossetti, Federico; Ault, Alexis K.; Lucci, Federico; Olivetti, Valerio; Nozaem, Reza

2018-03-01

The Kuh-e-Faghan strike-slip fault system (KFF), located to the northern edge of the Lut Block in central Iran, developed through a Neogene-Quaternary pulsed history of eastward fault propagation and fault-related exhumation. This system is a consequence of the residual stresses transmitted from the Arabia-Eurasia convergent plate boundary. Here we integrate structural and textural analysis with new and previously published apatite fission-track (AFT) and apatite (U-Th)/He (apatite He) results, chlorite thermomentry, and hematite (U-Th)/He data from hematite-coated brittle fault surfaces to constrain the timing of tectonic activity and refine patterns of late Miocene-Pliocene burial and exhumation associated with the propagation of the KFF. Twenty-nine hematite (U-Th)/He (hematite He) dates from three striated hematite coated slip surfaces from the KFF fault core and damage zone yield individual dates from 12-2 Ma. Petrographic analysis and chlorite thermometry of a polyphase, fossil fluid system in the KFF fault core document that fluid circulation and mineralization transitioned from a closed system characterized by pressure solution and calcite growth to an open system characterized by hot hydrothermal (T = 239 ± 10 °C) fluids and hematite formation. Hematite microtextures and grain size analysis reveal primary and secondary syntectonic hematite fabrics, no evidence of hematite comminution and similar hematite He closure temperatures ( 60-85 °C) in each sample. Integration of these results with thermal history modeling of AFT and apatite He data shows that KFF activity in the late Miocene is characterized by an early stage of fault nucleation, fluid circulation, hematite mineralization, and eastward propagation not associated with vertical movement that lasted from 12 to 7 Ma. Hematite He, AFT, and apatite He data track a second phase of fault system activity involving fault-related exhumation initiating at 7 Ma and continuing until present time. Our new data

A recent Mw 4.3 earthquake proving activity of a shallow strike-slip fault in the northern part of the Western Desert, Egypt

Science.gov (United States)

Ezzelarab, Mohamed; Ebraheem, Mohamed O.; Zahradník, Jiří

2018-03-01

The Mw 4.3 earthquake of September 2015 is the first felt earthquake since 1900 A.D in the northern part of the Western Desert, Egypt, south of the El-Alamein City. The available waveform data observed at epicentral distances 52-391 km was collected and carefully evaluated. Nine broad-band stations were selected to invert full waveforms for the centroid position (horizontal and vertical) and for the focal mechanism solution. The first-arrival travel times, polarities and low-frequency full waveforms (0.03-0.08 Hz) are consistently explained in this paper as caused by a shallow source of the strike-slip mechanism. This finding indicates causal relation of this earthquake to the W-E trending South El-Alamein fault, which developed in Late Cretaceous as dextral strike slip fault. Recent activity of this fault, proven by the studied rare earthquake, is of fundamental importance for future seismic hazard evaluations, underlined by proximity (∼65 km) of the source zone to the first nuclear power plant planned site in Egypt. Safe exploration and possible future exploitation of hydrocarbon reserves, reported around El-Alamein fault in the last decade, cannot be made without considering the seismic potential of this fault.

Fault slip and earthquake recurrence along strike-slip faults — Contributions of high-resolution geomorphic data

KAUST Repository

Zielke, Olaf

2015-01-01

Understanding earthquake (EQ) recurrence relies on information about the timing and size of past EQ ruptures along a given fault. Knowledge of a fault\\'s rupture history provides valuable information on its potential future behavior, enabling seismic hazard estimates and loss mitigation. Stratigraphic and geomorphic evidence of faulting is used to constrain the recurrence of surface rupturing EQs. Analysis of the latter data sets culminated during the mid-1980s in the formulation of now classical EQ recurrence models, now routinely used to assess seismic hazard. Within the last decade, Light Detection and Ranging (lidar) surveying technology and other high-resolution data sets became increasingly available to tectono-geomorphic studies, promising to contribute to better-informed models of EQ recurrence and slip-accumulation patterns. After reviewing motivation and background, we outline requirements to successfully reconstruct a fault\\'s offset accumulation pattern from geomorphic evidence. We address sources of uncertainty affecting offset measurement and advocate approaches to minimize them. A number of recent studies focus on single-EQ slip distributions and along-fault slip accumulation patterns. We put them in context with paleoseismic studies along the respective faults by comparing coefficients of variation CV for EQ inter-event time and slip-per-event and find that a) single-event offsets vary over a wide range of length-scales and the sources for offset variability differ with length-scale, b) at fault-segment length-scales, single-event offsets are essentially constant, c) along-fault offset accumulation as resolved in the geomorphic record is dominated by essentially same-size, large offset increments, and d) there is generally no one-to-one correlation between the offset accumulation pattern constrained in the geomorphic record and EQ occurrence as identified in the stratigraphic record, revealing the higher resolution and preservation potential of

Stress state reconstruction and tectonic evolution of the northern slope of the Baikit anteclise, Siberian Craton, based on 3D seismic data

Science.gov (United States)

Moskalenko, A. N.; Khudoley, A. K.; Khusnitdinov, R. R.

2017-05-01

In this work, we consider application of an original method for determining the indicators of the tectonic stress fields in the northern Baikit anteclise based on 3D seismic data for further reconstruction of the stress state parameters when analyzing structural maps of seismic horizons and corresponded faults. The stress state parameters are determined by the orientations of the main stress axes and shape of the stress ellipsoid. To calculate the stress state parameters from data on the spatial orientations of faults and slip vectors, we used the algorithms from quasiprimary stress computation methods and cataclastic analysis, implemented in the software products FaultKinWin and StressGeol, respectively. The results of this work show that kinematic characteristics of faults regularly change toward the top of succession and that the stress state parameters are characterized by different values of the Lode-Nadai coefficient. Faults are presented as strike-slip faults with normal or reverse component of displacement. Three stages of formation of the faults are revealed: (1) partial inversion of ancient normal faults, (2) the most intense stage with the predominance of thrust and strike-slip faults at north-northeast orientation of an axis of the main compression, and (3) strike-slip faults at the west-northwest orientation of an axis of the main compression. The second and third stages are pre-Vendian in age and correlate to tectonic events that took place during the evolution of the active southwestern margin of the Siberian Craton.

"Virtual shear box" experiments of stress and slip cycling within a subduction interface mélange

Science.gov (United States)

Webber, Sam; Ellis, Susan; Fagereng, Åke

2018-04-01

What role does the progressive geometric evolution of subduction-related mélange shear zones play in the development of strain transients? We use a "virtual shear box" experiment, based on outcrop-scale observations from an ancient exhumed subduction interface - the Chrystalls Beach Complex (CBC), New Zealand - to constrain numerical models of slip processes within a meters-thick shear zone. The CBC is dominated by large, competent clasts surrounded by interconnected weak matrix. Under constant slip velocity boundary conditions, models of the CBC produce stress cycling behavior, accompanied by mixed brittle-viscous deformation. This occurs as a consequence of the reorganization of competent clasts, and the progressive development and breakdown of stress bridges as clasts mutually obstruct one another. Under constant shear stress boundary conditions, the models show periods of relative inactivity punctuated by aseismic episodic slip at rapid rates (meters per year). Such a process may contribute to the development of strain transients such as slow slip.

State of stress in exhumed basins and implications for fluid flow: insights from the Illizi Basin, Algeria

KAUST Repository

English, Joseph M.

2017-05-31

The petroleum prospectivity of an exhumed basin is largely dependent on the ability of pre-existing traps to retain oil and gas volumes during and after the exhumation event. Although faults may act as lateral seals in petroleum traps, they may start to become hydraulically conductive again and enable fluid flow and hydrocarbon leakage during fault reactivation. We constrain the present day in situ stresses of the exhumed Illizi Basin in Algeria and demonstrate that the primary north–south and NW–SE (vertical strike-slip) fault systems in the study area are close to critical stress (i.e. an incipient state of shear failure). By contrast, the overpressured and unexhumed Berkine Basin and Hassi Messaoud areas to the north do not appear to be characterized by critical stress conditions. We present conceptual models of stress evolution and demonstrate that a sedimentary basin with benign in situ stresses at maximum burial may change to being characterized by critical stress conditions on existing fault systems during exhumation. These models are supportive of the idea that the breaching of a closed, overpressured system during exhumation of the Illizi Basin may have been a driving mechanism for the regional updip flow of high-salinity formation water within the Ordovician reservoirs during Eocene–Miocene time. This work also has implications for petroleum exploration in exhumed basins. Fault-bounded traps with faults oriented at a high angle to the maximum principal horizontal stress direction in strike-slip or normal faulting stress regimes are more likely to have retained hydrocarbons in exhumed basins than fault-bounded traps with faults that are more optimally oriented for shear failure and therefore have a greater propensity to become critically stressed during exhumation.

Palaeopermeability anisotropies of a strike-slip fault damage zone: 3D Insights of quantitative fluid flow from µCT analysis.

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Gomila, R.; Arancibia, G.; Nehler, M.; Bracke, R.; Morata, D.

2017-12-01

Fault zones and their related structural permeability are a key aspect in the migration of fluids through the continental crust. Therefore, the estimation of the hydraulic properties (palaeopermeability conditions; k) and the spatial distribution of the fracture mesh within the damage zone (DZ) are critical in the assessment of fault zones behavior for fluids. The study of the real spatial distribution of the veinlets of the fracture mesh (3D), feasible with the use of µCT analyses, is a first order factor to unravel both, the real structural permeability conditions of a fault-zone, and the validation of previous (and classical) estimations made in 2D analyses in thin-sections. This work shows the results of a fault-related fracture mesh and its 3D spatial distribution in the damage-zone of the Jorgillo Fault (JF), an ancient subvertical left-lateral strike-slip fault exposed in the Atacama Fault System in northern Chile. The JF is a ca. 20 km long NNW-striking strike-slip fault with sinistral displacement of ca. 4 km. The methodology consisted of drilling 5 mm vertically oriented plugs at several locations within the JF damage zone. Each specimen was scanned with an X-Ray µCT scanner, to assess the fracture mesh, with a voxel resolution of ca. 4.5 µm in the 3D reconstructed data. Tensor permeability modeling, using Lattice-Boltzmann Method, through the segmented microfracture mesh show GMkmin (geometric mean values) of 2.1x10-12 and 9.8x10-13 m2, and GMkmax of 6.4x10-12 and 2.1x10-12 m2. A high degree of anisotropy of the DZ permeability tensor both sides of the JF (eastern and western side, respectively) is observed, where the k values in the kmax plane are 2.4 and 1.9 times higher than the kmin direction at the time of fracture sealing. This style of anisotropy is consistent with the obtained for bedded sandstones supporting the idea that damage zones have an analogous effect - but vertically orientated - on bulk permeability (in low porosity rocks) as

One Basin, One Stress Regime, One Orientation of Seismogenic Basement Faults, Variable Spatio-Temporal Slip Histories: Lessons from Fort Worth Basin Induced Earthquake Sequences

Science.gov (United States)

DeShon, H. R.; Brudzinski, M.; Frohlich, C.; Hayward, C.; Jeong, S.; Hornbach, M. J.; Magnani, M. B.; Ogwari, P.; Quinones, L.; Scales, M. M.; Stump, B. W.; Sufri, O.; Walter, J. I.

2017-12-01

Since October 2008, the Fort Worth basin in north Texas has experienced over 30 magnitude (M) 3.0+ earthquakes, including one M4.0. Five named earthquake sequences have been recorded by local seismic networks: DFW Airport, Cleburne-Johnson County, Azle, Irving-Dallas, and Venus-Johnson County. Earthquakes have occurred on northeast (NE)-southwest (SW) trending Precambrian basement faults and within the overlying Ellenburger limestone unit used for wastewater disposal. Focal mechanisms indicate primarily normal faulting, and stress inversions indicate maximum regional horizontal stress strikes 20-30° NE. The seismogenic sections of the faults in either the basement or within the Ellenburger appear optimally oriented for failure within the modern stress regime. Stress drop estimates range from 10 to 75 bars, with little variability between and within the named sequences, and the values are consistent with intraplate earthquake stress drops in natural tectonic settings. However, the spatio-temporal history of each sequence relative to wastewater injection data varies. The May 2015 M4.0 Venus earthquake, for example, is only the largest of what is nearly 10 years of earthquake activity on a single fault structure. Here, maximum earthquake size has increased with time and exhibits a log-linear relationship to cumulative injected volume from 5 nearby wells. At the DFW airport, where the causative well was shut-in within a few months of the initial earthquakes and soon after the well began operation, we document migration away from the injector on the same fault for nearly 6 km sporadically over 5 years. The Irving-Dallas and Azle sequences, like DFW airport, appear to have started rather abruptly with just a few small magnitude earthquakes in the weeks or months preceding the significant set of magnitude 3.5+ earthquakes associated with each sequence. There are no nearby (<10 km) injection operations to the Irving-Dallas sequence and the Azle linked wells operated for

Stick-slip friction and wear of articular joints

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Dong Woog; Banquy, Xavier; Israelachvili, Jacob N.

2013-01-01

Stick-slip friction was observed in articular cartilage under certain loading and sliding conditions and systematically studied. Using the Surface Forces Apparatus, we show that stick-slip friction can induce permanent morphological changes (a change in the roughness indicative of wear/damage) in cartilage surfaces, even under mild loading and sliding conditions. The different load and speed regimes can be represented by friction maps—separating regimes of smooth and stick-slip sliding; damage generally occurs within the stick-slip regimes. Prolonged exposure of cartilage surfaces to stick-slip sliding resulted in a significant increase of surface roughness, indicative of severe morphological changes of the cartilage superficial zone. To further investigate the factors that are conducive to stick-slip and wear, we selectively digested essential components of cartilage: type II collagen, hyaluronic acid (HA), and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Compared with the normal cartilage, HA and GAG digestions modified the stick-slip behavior and increased surface roughness (wear) during sliding, whereas collagen digestion decreased the surface roughness. Importantly, friction forces increased up to 2, 10, and 5 times after HA, GAGs, and collagen digestion, respectively. Also, each digestion altered the friction map in different ways. Our results show that (i) wear is not directly related to the friction coefficient but (ii) more directly related to stick-slip sliding, even when present at small amplitudes, and that (iii) the different molecular components of joints work synergistically to prevent wear. Our results also suggest potential noninvasive diagnostic tools for sensing stick-slip in joints. PMID:23359687

Documentation of programs that compute 1) static tilts for a spatially variable slip distribution, and 2) quasi-static tilts produced by an expanding dislocation loop with a spatially variable slip distribution

Science.gov (United States)

McHugh, Stuart

1976-01-01

The material in this report is concerned with the effects of a vertically oriented rectangular dislocation loop on the tilts observed at the free surface of an elastic half-space. Part I examines the effect of a spatially variable static strike-slip distribution across the slip surface. The tilt components as a function of distance parallel, or perpendicular, to the strike of the slip surface are displayed for different slip-versus-distance profiles. Part II examines the effect of spatially and temporally variable slip distributions across the dislocation loop on the quasi-static tilts at the free surface of an elastic half space. The model discussed in part II may be used to generate theoretical tilt versus time curves produced by creep events.

Seismic and geodetic signatures of fault slip at the Slumgullion Landslide Natural Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

Gomberg, J.; Schulz, W.; Bodin, P.; Kean, J.

2011-01-01

We tested the hypothesis that the Slumgullion landslide is a useful natural laboratory for observing fault slip, specifically that slip along its basal surface and side-bounding strike-slip faults occurs with comparable richness of aseismic and seismic modes as along crustal- and plate-scale boundaries. Our study provides new constraints on models governing landslide motion. We monitored landslide deformation with temporary deployments of a 29-element prism array surveyed by a robotic theodolite and an 88-station seismic network that complemented permanent extensometers and environmental instrumentation. Aseismic deformation observations show that large blocks of the landslide move steadily at approximately centimeters per day, possibly punctuated by variations of a few millimeters, while localized transient slip episodes of blocks less than a few tens of meters across occur frequently. We recorded a rich variety of seismic signals, nearly all of which originated outside the monitoring network boundaries or from the side-bounding strike-slip faults. The landslide basal surface beneath our seismic network likely slipped almost completely aseismically. Our results provide independent corroboration of previous inferences that dilatant strengthening along sections of the side-bounding strike-slip faults controls the overall landslide motion, acting as seismically radiating brakes that limit acceleration of the aseismically slipping basal surface. Dilatant strengthening has also been invoked in recent models of transient slip and tremor sources along crustal- and plate-scale faults suggesting that the landslide may indeed be a useful natural laboratory for testing predictions of specific mechanisms that control fault slip at all scales.

SLIP VELOCITY IN PULSED DISC AND DOUGHNUT EXTRACTION COLUMN

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Mohammad Outokesh

2011-09-01

Full Text Available In the present work, slip velocity has been measured in a 76 mm diameter pulsed disc and doughnut extraction column for four different liquid-liquid systems. The effects of operating variables including pulsation intensity and dispersed and continuous phase flow rates on slip velocity have been investigated. The existence of three different operational regimes, namely mixersettler, transition, and emulsion regimes, was observed when the energy input was changed. Empirical correlations are derived for prediction of the slip velocity in terms of operating variables, physical properties of the liquid systems, and column geometry for different regimes. Good agreement between prediction and experiments was found for all operating conditions that were investigated.

Fault structure and kinematics of the Long Valley Caldera region, California, revealed by high-accuracy earthquake hypocenters and focal mechanism stress inversions

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Prejean, Stephanie; Ellsworth, William L.; Zoback, Mark; Waldhauser, Felix

2002-01-01

We have determined high-resolution hypocenters for 45,000+ earthquakes that occurred between 1980 and 2000 in the Long Valley caldera area using a double-difference earthquake location algorithm and routinely determined arrival times. The locations reveal numerous discrete fault planes in the southern caldera and adjacent Sierra Nevada block (SNB). Intracaldera faults include a series of east/west-striking right-lateral strike-slip faults beneath the caldera's south moat and a series of more northerly striking strike-slip/normal faults beneath the caldera's resurgent dome. Seismicity in the SNB south of the caldera is confined to a crustal block bounded on the west by an east-dipping oblique normal fault and on the east by the Hilton Creek fault. Two NE-striking left-lateral strike-slip faults are responsible for most seismicity within this block. To understand better the stresses driving seismicity, we performed stress inversions using focal mechanisms with 50 or more first motions. This analysis reveals that the least principal stress direction systematically rotates across the studied region, from NE to SW in the caldera's south moat to WNW-ESE in Round Valley, 25 km to the SE. Because WNW-ESE extension is characteristic of the western boundary of the Basin and Range province, caldera area stresses appear to be locally perturbed. This stress perturbation does not seem to result from magma chamber inflation but may be related to the significant (???20 km) left step in the locus of extension along the Sierra Nevada/Basin and Range province boundary. This implies that regional-scale tectonic processes are driving seismic deformation in the Long Valley caldera.

Analytical solutions of couple stress fluid flows with slip boundary conditions

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Devakar M.

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In the present article, the exact solutions for fundamental flows namely Couette, Poiseuille and generalized Couette flows of an incompressible couple stress fluid between parallel plates are obtained using slip boundary conditions. The effect of various parameters on velocity for each problem is discussed. It is found that, for each of the problems, the solution in the limiting case as couple stresses approaches to zero is similar to that of classical viscous Newtonian fluid. The results indicate that, the presence of couple stresses decreases the velocity of the fluid.

Velocity-dependent quantum phase slips in 1D atomic superfluids.

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Tanzi, Luca; Scaffidi Abbate, Simona; Cataldini, Federica; Gori, Lorenzo; Lucioni, Eleonora; Inguscio, Massimo; Modugno, Giovanni; D'Errico, Chiara

2016-05-18

Quantum phase slips are the primary excitations in one-dimensional superfluids and superconductors at low temperatures but their existence in ultracold quantum gases has not been demonstrated yet. We now study experimentally the nucleation rate of phase slips in one-dimensional superfluids realized with ultracold quantum gases, flowing along a periodic potential. We observe a crossover between a regime of temperature-dependent dissipation at small velocity and interaction and a second regime of velocity-dependent dissipation at larger velocity and interaction. This behavior is consistent with the predicted crossover from thermally-assisted quantum phase slips to purely quantum phase slips.

Fault slip and earthquake recurrence along strike-slip faults — Contributions of high-resolution geomorphic data

KAUST Repository

Zielke, Olaf; Klinger, Yann; Arrowsmith, J. Ramon

2015-01-01

to contribute to better-informed models of EQ recurrence and slip-accumulation patterns. After reviewing motivation and background, we outline requirements to successfully reconstruct a fault's offset accumulation pattern from geomorphic evidence. We address

Comprehensive understanding of a deep transition zone from an unstable- to stable-slip regime of the megathrust interplate earthquake

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, A.; Iidaka, T.; Ikuta, R.; Yoshida, Y.; Katsumata, K.; Iwasaki, T.; Sakai, S.; Yamaoka, K.; Watanabe, T.; Kunitomo, T.; Yamazaki, F.; Tsumura, N.; Nozaki, K.; Okubo, M.; Suzuki, S.; Hirata, N.; Zhang, H.; Thurber, C. H.

2009-12-01

Most slow slips have occurred in the deep transition zone from an unstable- to stable-slip regime. Detailed knowledge about a deep transition zone is essentially important to understand the mechanism of the slow slips, and the stress concentration process to the source region of the megathrust interplate earthquake. We have conducted a very dense seismic observation in the Tokai-region from the April to the August in 2008 through a linear deployment of 75 portable stations, in Japan. The array extended from the bottom part of the source region of the Tokai earthquake to deep low-frequency earthquakes (LFE, ~ 35 km depth) including the long-term slow-slip region (~ 25 km depth). Here we present a high-resolution tomographic imaging of seismic velocities and highly-accurate hypocenters including LFEs, using first arrival data from the dense seismograph deployment. We manually picked the first arrivals of P- and S- waves from each waveform for about 700 earthquakes including about 20 LFEs observed by the dense array. Then, we applied the TomoDD-code [Zhang and Thurber, 2003] to the arrival data set, adding an accurate double-difference data estimated by a waveform cross-correlation technique. A low velocity (Vp, Vs) layer with high Poisson’s ratio is clearly imaged, and tilts to the northwestward with a low dip angle, which corresponds to the subducting oceanic crust of the Philippine Sea Slab. Although seismicity within the oceanic crust is significantly low, few earthquakes occur within the oceanic crust. The LFEs are linearly aligned along the top surface of the subducting oceanic crust at depths from 30 to 40 km. The Poisson’s ratio within the oceanic crust does not show significant depth-dependent increase beneath the linear alignment of LFEs. This result argues against a depth section of Poisson’s ratio obtained in the SW Japan [Shelly et al., 2006]. Beneath the LFEs, active cluster of slab earthquakes are horizontally distributed. At the depths greater

About the activation volume for cross-slip in Cu at high stresses

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Couteau, O.; Kruml, Tomáš; Martin, J. L.

2011-01-01

Roč. 59, 10 (2011), s. 4207-4215 ISSN 1359-6454 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20410507 Keywords : Cross-slip * Thermally activated processes * Stress relaxation technique Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 3.755, year: 2011

Evolution of regional stress state based on faulting and folding near the pit river, Shasta county, California

Science.gov (United States)

Austin, Lauren Jean

We investigate the evolution of the regional stress state near the Pit River, northern California, in order to understand the faulting style in a tectonic transition zone and to inform the hazard analysis of Fault 3432 near the Pit 3 Dam. By analyzing faults and folds preserved in and adjacent to a diatomite mine north of the Pit River, we have determined principal stress directions preserved during the past million years. We find that the stress state has evolved from predominantly normal to strike slip and most recently to reverse, which is consistent with regional structures such as the extensional Hat Creek Fault to the south and the compressional folding of Mushroom Rock to the north. South of the Pit River, we still observe normal and strike slip faults, suggesting that changes in stress state are moving from north to south through time.

Three models of labor conflict in chile: the weight of the economy, trade union organization, and work regime in illegal strike tendencies

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Rodrigo Medel Sierralta

2017-07-01

Full Text Available From the return to democracy to the present, illegal strikes have acquired a prominent role in Chile’s labor conflicts, mainly due to the fact that many more workers mobilize, compared to those who participate in legal strikes. Nevertheless, existing studies on the subject focus on descriptions and general tendencies, thus neglecting the in-depth analysis of the factors determining the specific occurrence of the extralegal strikes. Consequently, the factors that might be contributing to the possibility of illegal strikes remain unknown. If labor strikes are construed as analytical events that are fundamental in order to understand power relations in capitalist enterprises, the review of the international literature on the subject helps us solve that problem, since it proposes statistical analysis models to study the economy at the national level (economic cycles, trade union organization (membership and size of unions, and work regime (fragmentation and job insecurity, as well as a further company-level analysis of the last two models. On the basis of statistics regarding the strikes that took place in Chile between 1990 and 2015 and a binary logistic regression analysis, we analyzed the weight of each one of those statistical models separately and that of all of them taken together, in the private sector of the economy (in which it is possible to opt for one or the other strike modality in the Chilean case. The results show that the trade union organization and the work regime models have a greater power to determine illegal strikes, and that the economic model loses meaning when its variables are included in the complete model. Finally, the article presents the conclusions regarding the relevance of the distinction between legal and illegal strikes for the Chilean case, in terms of workers that not only represent subjects without rights, but also actors with a certain autonomy regarding legality. In this sense, these

Stress field of a dislocating inclined fault

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, F.; Wang, T.

1980-02-01

Analytical expressions are derived for the stress field caused by a rectangular dislocating fault of an arbitrary dip in a semi-infinite elastic medium for the case of unequal Lame constants. The results of computations for the stress fields on the ground surface of an inclined strike-slip and an inclined dip-slip fault are represented by contour maps. The effects of Poisson Ratio of the medium, the dip angle, upper and lower boundaries of the faults on the stress field at surface have been discussed. As an application, the contour maps for shear stress and hydrostatic stress of near fields of the Tonghai (1970), Haicheng (1975) and Tangshan (1976) earthquakes have been calculated and compared with the spatial distributions of strong aftershocks of these earthquakes. It is found that most of the strong aftershocks are distributed in the regions of tensional stress, where the hydrostatic stress is positive.

Relationship between large slip area and static stress drop of aftershocks of inland earthquake :Example of the 2007 Noto Hanto earthquake

Science.gov (United States)

Urano, S.; Hiramatsu, Y.; Yamada, T.

2013-12-01

The 2007 Noto Hanto earthquake (MJMA 6.9; hereafter referred to the main shock) occurred at 0:41(UTC) on March 25, 2007 at a depth of 11km beneath the west coast of Noto Peninsula, central Japan. The dominant slip of the main shock was on a reverse fault with a right-lateral slip and the large slip area was distributed from hypocenter to the shallow part on the fault plane (Horikawa, 2008). The aftershocks are distributed not only in the small slip area but also in the large slip area (Hiramatsu et al., 2011). In this study, we estimate static stress drops of aftershocks on the fault plane of the main shock. We discuss the relationship between the static stress drops of the aftershocks and the large slip area of the main shock by investigating spatial pattern of the values of the static stress drops. We use the waveform data obtained by the group for the joint aftershock observations of the 2007 Noto Hanto Earthquake (Sakai et al., 2007). The sampling frequency of the waveform data is 100 Hz or 200 Hz. Focusing on similar aftershocks reported by Hiramatsu et al. (2011), we analyze static stress drops by using the method of empirical Green's function (EGF) (Hough, 1997) as follows. The smallest earthquake (MJMA≥2.0) of each group of similar earthquakes is set to the EGF earthquake, and the largest earthquake (MJMA≥2.5) is set to the target earthquake. We then deconvolve the waveform of an interested earthquake with that of the EGF earthquake at each station and obtain the spectral ratio of the sources that cancels the propagation effects (path and site effects). Following the procedure of Yamada et al. (2010), we finally estimate static stress drops for P- and S-waves from corner frequencies of the spectral ratio by using a model of Madariaga (1976). The estimated average value of static stress drop is 8.2×1.3 MPa (8.6×2.2 MPa for P-wave and 7.8×1.3 MPa for S-wave). These values are coincident approximately with the static stress drop of aftershocks of other

Inefficient postural responses to unexpected slips during walking in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, P F; Woollacott, M H

1998-11-01

Slips account for a high percentage of falls and subsequent injuries in community-dwelling older adults but not in young adults. This phenomenon suggests that although active and healthy older adults preserve a mobility level comparable to that of young adults, these older adults may have difficulty generating efficient reactive postural responses when they slip. This study tested the hypothesis that active and healthy older adults use a less effective reactive balance strategy than young adults when experiencing an unexpected forward slip occurring at heel strike during walking. This less effective balance strategy would be manifested by slower and smaller postural responses, altered temporal and spatial organization of the postural responses, and greater upper trunk instability after the slip. Thirty-three young adults (age range=19-34 yrs, mean=25+/-4 yrs) and 32 community-dwelling older adults (age range=70-87 yrs, mean=74+/-14 yrs) participated. Subjects walked across a movable forceplate which simulated a forward slip at heel strike. Surface electromyography was recorded from bilateral leg, thigh, hip, and trunk muscles. Kinematic data were collected from the right (perturbed) side of the body. Although the predominant postural muscles and the activation sequence of these muscles were similar between the two age groups, the postural responses of older adults were of longer onset latencies, smaller magnitudes, and longer burst durations compared to young adults. Older adults also showed a longer coactivation duration for the ankle, knee, and trunk agonist/antagonist pairs on the perturbed side and for the knee agonist/antagonist pair on the nonperturbed side. Behaviorally, older adults became less stable after the slips. This was manifested by a higher incidence of being tripped (21 trials in older vs 5 trials in young adults) and a greater trunk hyperextension with respect to young adults. Large arm elevation was frequently used by older adults to assist in

Pore Pressure Evolution in Shallow Subduction Earthquake Sequences and Effects on Aseismic Slip Transients -- Numerical Modeling With Rate and State Friction

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Y.; Rice, J. R.

2005-12-01

In 3D modeling of long tectonic loading and earthquake sequences on a shallow subduction fault [Liu and Rice, 2005], with depth-variable rate and state friction properties, we found that aseismic transient slip episodes emerge spontaneously with only a simplified representation of effects of metamorphic fluid release. That involved assumption of a constant in time but uniformly low effective normal stress in the downdip region. As suggested by observations in several major subduction zones [Obara, 2002; Rogers and Dragert, 2003; Kodaira et al, 2004], the presence of fluids, possibly released from dehydration reactions beneath the seismogenic zone, and their pressurization within the fault zone may play an important role in causing aseismic transients and associated non-volcanic tremors. To investigate the effects of fluids in the subduction zone, particularly on the generation of aseismic transients and their various features, we develop a more complete physical description of the pore pressure evolution (specifically, pore pressure increase due to supply from dehydration reactions and shear heating, decrease due to transport and dilatancy during slip), and incorporate that into the rate and state based 3D modeling. We first incorporated two important factors, dilatancy and shear heating, following Segall and Rice [1995, 2004] and Taylor [1998]. In the 2D simulations (slip varies with depth only), a dilatancy-stabilizing effect is seen which slows down the seismic rupture front and can prevent rapid slip from extending all the way to the trench, similarly to Taylor [1998]. Shear heating increases the pore pressure, and results in faster coseismic rupture propagation and larger final slips. In the 3D simulations, dilatancy also stabilizes the along-strike rupture propagation of both seismic and aseismic slips. That is, aseismic slip transients migrate along the strike faster with a shorter Tp (the characteristic time for pore pressure in the fault core to re

The Implications of Strike-Slip Earthquake Source Properties on the Transform Boundary Development Process

Science.gov (United States)

Neely, J. S.; Huang, Y.; Furlong, K.

2017-12-01

Subduction-Transform Edge Propagator (STEP) faults, produced by the tearing of a subducting plate, allow us to study the development of a transform plate boundary and improve our understanding of both long-term geologic processes and short-term seismic hazards. The 280 km long San Cristobal Trough (SCT), formed by the tearing of the Australia plate as it subducts under the Pacific plate near the Solomon and Vanuatu subduction zones, shows along-strike variations in earthquake behaviors. The segment of the SCT closest to the tear rarely hosts earthquakes > Mw 6, whereas the SCT sections more than 80 - 100 km from the tear experience Mw7 earthquakes with repeated rupture along the same segments. To understand the effect of cumulative displacement on SCT seismicity, we analyze b-values, centroid-time delays and corner frequencies of the SCT earthquakes. We use the spectral ratio method based on Empirical Green's Functions (eGfs) to isolate source effects from propagation and site effects. We find high b-values along the SCT closest to the tear with values decreasing with distance before finally increasing again towards the far end of the SCT. Centroid time-delays for the Mw 7 strike-slip earthquakes increase with distance from the tear, but corner frequency estimates for a recent sequence of Mw 7 earthquakes are approximately equal, indicating a growing complexity in earthquake behavior with distance from the tear due to a displacement-driven transform boundary development process (see figure). The increasing complexity possibly stems from the earthquakes along the eastern SCT rupturing through multiple asperities resulting in multiple moment pulses. If not for the bounding Vanuatu subduction zone at the far end of the SCT, the eastern SCT section, which has experienced the most displacement, might be capable of hosting larger earthquakes. When assessing the seismic hazard of other STEP faults, cumulative fault displacement should be considered a key input in

Complex evolution of transient slip derived from precise tremor locations in western Shikoku, Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Shelly, David R.; Beroza, Gregory C.; Ide, Satoshi

2007-10-01

Transient slip events, which occur more slowly than traditional earthquakes, are increasingly being recognized as important components of strain release on faults and may substantially impact the earthquake cycle. Surface-based geodetic instruments provide estimates of the overall slip distribution in larger transients but are unable to capture the detailed evolution of such slip, either in time or in space. Accompanying some of these slip transients is a relatively weak, extended duration seismic signal, known as nonvolcanic tremor, which has recently been shown to be generated by a sequence of shear failures occurring as part of the slip event. By precisely locating the tremor, we can track some features of slip evolution with unprecedented resolution. Here, we analyze two weeklong episodes of tremor and slow slip in western Shikoku, Japan. We find that these slip transients do not evolve in a smooth and steady fashion but contain numerous subevents of smaller size and shorter duration. In addition to along-strike migration rates of ˜10 km/d observed previously, much faster migration also occurs, usually in the slab dip direction, at rates of 25-150 km/h over distances of up to ˜20 km. We observe such migration episodes in both the updip and downdip directions. These episodes may be most common on certain portions of the plate boundary that generate strong tremor in intermittent bursts. The surrounding regions of the fault may slip more continuously, driving these stronger patches to repeated failures. Tremor activity has a strong tidal periodicity, possibly reflecting the modulation of slow slip velocity by tidal stresses.

Strength evolution of simulated carbonate-bearing faults: The role of normal stress and slip velocity

Science.gov (United States)

Mercuri, Marco; Scuderi, Marco Maria; Tesei, Telemaco; Carminati, Eugenio; Collettini, Cristiano

2018-04-01

A great number of earthquakes occur within thick carbonate sequences in the shallow crust. At the same time, carbonate fault rocks exhumed from a depth plasticity). We performed friction experiments on water-saturated simulated carbonate-bearing faults for a wide range of normal stresses (from 5 to 120 MPa) and slip velocities (from 0.3 to 100 μm/s). At high normal stresses (σn > 20 MPa) fault gouges undergo strain-weakening, that is more pronounced at slow slip velocities, and causes a significant reduction of frictional strength, from μ = 0.7 to μ = 0.47. Microstructural analysis show that fault gouge weakening is driven by deformation accommodated by cataclasis and pressure-insensitive deformation processes (pressure solution and granular plasticity) that become more efficient at slow slip velocity. The reduction in frictional strength caused by strain weakening behaviour promoted by the activation of pressure-insensitive deformation might play a significant role in carbonate-bearing faults mechanics.

SAR-revealed slip partitioning on a bending fault plane for the 2014 Northern Nagano earthquake at the northern Itoigawa-Shizuoka tectonic line

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Tomokazu; Morishita, Yu; Yarai, Hiroshi

2018-05-01

By applying conventional cross-track synthetic aperture radar interferometry (InSAR) and multiple aperture InSAR techniques to ALOS-2 data acquired before and after the 2014 Northern Nagano, central Japan, earthquake, a three-dimensional ground displacement field has been successfully mapped. Crustal deformation is concentrated in and around the northern part of the Kamishiro Fault, which is the northernmost section of the Itoigawa-Shizuoka tectonic line. The full picture of the displacement field shows contraction in the northwest-southeast direction, but northeastward movement along the fault strike direction is prevalent in the northeast portion of the fault, which suggests that a strike-slip component is a significant part of the activity of this fault, in addition to a reverse faulting. Clear displacement discontinuities are recognized in the southern part of the source region, which falls just on the previously known Kamishiro Fault trace. We inverted the SAR and GNSS data to construct a slip distribution model; the preferred model of distributed slip on a two-plane fault surface shows a combination of reverse and left-lateral fault motions on a bending east-dipping fault surface with a dip of 30° in the shallow part and 50° in the deeper part. The hypocenter falls just on the estimated deeper fault plane where a left-lateral slip is inferred, whereas in the shallow part, a reverse slip is predominant, which causes surface ruptures on the ground. The slip partitioning may be accounted for by shear stress resulting from a reverse fault slip with left-lateral component at depth, for which a left-lateral slip is suppressed in the shallow part where the reverse slip is inferred. The slip distribution model with a bending fault surface, instead of a single fault plane, produces moment tensor solution with a non-double couple component, which is consistent with the seismically estimated mechanism.

Preliminary slip history of the 2002 Denali earthquake

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, C.; Helmberger, D.; Wald, D.

2002-12-01

Rapid slip histories for the 2002 Denali earthquake were derived from the IRIS global data before geologists arrived in the field. We were able to predict many of the features they observed. Three models were produced indicating a step-wise improvement in matching the waveform data applying a formalism discussed in Ji et al. (2002). The first model referred to as Phase I is essentially an automated solution where a simple fault plane (300 km long) is fixed agreeing with CMT (Harvard) solution (strike 298 dip =86) assuming the PDE epicenter. The fit to the initial P waves does not work since they do not display a strike-slip polarity pattern. Thus, to continue we added a thrusting event (Phase II) following roughly the fault geometry of the Denali fault based on DEM topography map. While this produced some improvements, major misfits still remained. Before proceeding with Phase III, we did some homework on a foreshock, the Mw=6.7 Nenana event. After modeling this strike-slip event as a distributed fault, we used this relatively simple event to calibrate paths where shifts in P-waves and SH-waves ranged up to 4 and 8 sec respectively. Applying these corrections revealed some discrepancies in the rupture initiation. To produce a consistent picture requires 4 fault segments A, B, C and D. A weak rupture may initiate on a strike-slip Denali fault branch A at a depth of 10 km where a low angle thrust fault plane B intersects A. After about 2 sec, a major event occurred on plane B (strike=221, dip=35) and dominated the rupture of next 8 sec. When rupture B reaches the surface at about 10 sec after initiation, the major portion of the Denali fault (segment C) ruptured eastward with a relatively fast velocity (3 km/sec) producing a large slip concentration (up to 9 m at a depth of 10 km). The surface slip is about 7 km at a 20 km long segment. This feature is near the intersection of the Denali fault and the Totichunda fault (branch D). The rupture on D is relatively

Earthquake Activities Along the Strike-Slip Fault System on the Thailand-Myanmar Border

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Santi Pailoplee

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the present-day seismicity along the strike-slip fault system on the Thailand-Myanmar border. Using the earthquake catalogue the earthquake parameters representing seismic activities were evaluated in terms of the possible maximum magnitude, return period and earthquake occurrence probabilities. Three different hazardous areas could be distinguished from the obtained results. The most seismic-prone area was located along the northern segment of the fault system and can generate earthquakes of magnitude 5.0, 5.8, and 6.8 mb in the next 5, 10, and 50 years, respectively. The second most-prone area was the southern segment where earthquakes of magnitude 5.0, 6.0, and 7.0 mb might be generated every 18, 60, and 300 years, respectively. For the central segment, there was less than 30 and 10% probability that 6.0- and 7.0-mb earthquakes will be generated in the next 50 years. With regards to the significant infrastructures (dams in the vicinity, the operational Wachiralongkorn dam is situated in a low seismic hazard area with a return period of around 30 - 3000 years for a 5.0 - 7.0 mb earthquake. In contrast, the Hut Gyi, Srinakarin and Tha Thung Na dams are seismically at risk for earthquakes of mb 6.4 - 6.5 being generated in the next 50 years. Plans for a seismic-retrofit should therefore be completed and implemented while seismic monitoring in this region is indispensable.

High-Precision Locations and the Stress Field from Instrumental Seismicity, Moment Tensors, and Short-Period Mechanisms through the Mina Deflection, Central Walker Lane

Science.gov (United States)

Ruhl, C. J.; Smith, K. D.

2012-12-01

The Mina Deflection (MD) region of the central Walker Lane of eastern California and western Nevada, is a complex zone of northeast-trending normal, and primarily left-lateral strike-slip to oblique-slip faulting that separates the Southern Walker Lane (SWL) from a series of east-tilted normal fault blocks in the Central Walker Lane (CWL) (Faulds and Henry, 2008; Surpless, 2008). The MD accommodates the transfer of right-lateral strike-slip motion from northwest-striking faults in the SWL to a series of left-stepping northwest-striking right-lateral strike-slip faults in the CWL, east of the Wassuk Range near Hawthorne, NV. The ~50 km wide ~80 km long right-step is a distinct transition in regional physiography that has been attributed to strain accommodation through pre-Cenozoic lithospheric structures. Several slip transfer mechanisms have been proposed within the MD, from clockwise rotation of high-angle fault blocks (Wesnousky, 2005), to low-angle displacement within the Silver Peak-Lone Mountain complex (Oldow et al., 2001), and curved fault arrays associated with localized basins and tectonic depressions (Ferranti et al., 2009). The region has been a regular source of M4+ events, the most recent being an extended sequence that included twenty-seven M 3.5+ earthquakes (largest event M 4.6) south of Hawthorne in 2011. These earthquakes (Mina, NV, and the 1932 M 7.1 Cedar Mountains earthquake east of the Pilot Mountains. Another persistent feature in the seismicity is an ~40 km long arcuate distribution of activity extending from approximately Queen Valley, north of the White Mountains, to Mono Lake that appears to reflect a southwestern boundary to northeast-striking structures in the MD. Here we develop high-precision relocations of instrumental seismicity in the MD from 1984 through 2012, including relocations of the 2004 sequence, and account for the historical seismic record. MT solutions from published reports and computed from recent M 3.5+ earthquakes as

Kinematic Analysis of Fault-Slip Data in the Central Range of Papua, Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benyamin Sapiie

2016-01-01

Full Text Available DOI:10.17014/ijog.3.1.1-16Most of the Cenozoic tectonic evolution in New Guinea is a result of obliquely convergent motion that ledto an arc-continent collision between the Australian and Pacific Plates. The Gunung Bijih (Ertsberg Mining District(GBMD is located in the Central Range of Papua, in the western half of the island of New Guinea. This study presentsthe results of detailed structural mapping concentrated on analyzing fault-slip data along a 15-km traverse of theHeavy Equipment Access Trail (HEAT and the Grasberg mine access road, providing new information concerning thedeformation in the GBMD and the Cenozoic structural evolution of the Central Range. Structural analysis indicatesthat two distinct stages of deformation have occurred since ~12 Ma. The first stage generated a series of en-echelonNW-trending (π-fold axis = 300° folds and a few reverse faults. The second stage resulted in a significant left-lateralstrike-slip faulting sub-parallel to the regional strike of upturned bedding. Kinematic analysis reveals that the areasbetween the major strike-slip faults form structural domains that are remarkably uniform in character. The changein deformation styles from contractional to a strike-slip offset is explained as a result from a change in the relativeplate motion between the Pacific and Australian Plates at ~4 Ma. From ~4 - 2 Ma, transform motion along an ~ 270°trend caused a left-lateral strike-slip offset, and reactivated portions of pre-existing reverse faults. This action had aprofound effect on magma emplacement and hydrothermal activity.

Slip flow through a converging microchannel: experiments and 3D simulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varade, Vijay; Agrawal, Amit; Pradeep, A M

2015-01-01

An experimental and 3D numerical study of gaseous slip flow through a converging microchannel is presented in this paper. The measurements reported are with nitrogen gas flowing through the microchannel with convergence angles (4°, 8° and 12°), hydraulic diameters (118, 147 and 177 µm) and lengths (10, 20 and 30 mm). The measurements cover the entire slip flow regime and a part of the continuum and transition regimes (the Knudsen number is between 0.0004 and 0.14); the flow is laminar (the Reynolds number is between 0.5 and 1015). The static pressure drop is measured for various mass flow rates. The overall pressure drop increases with a decrease in the convergence angle and has a relatively large contribution of the viscous component. The numerical solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations with Maxwell’s slip boundary condition explore two different flow behaviors: uniform centerline velocity with linear pressure variation in the initial and the middle part of the microchannel and flow acceleration with nonlinear pressure variation in the last part of the microchannel. The centerline velocity and the wall shear stress increase with a decrease in the convergence angle. The concept of a characteristic length scale for a converging microchannel is also explored. The location of the characteristic length is a function of the Knudsen number and approaches the microchannel outlet with rarefaction. These results on gaseous slip flow through converging microchannels are observed to be considerably different than continuum flow. (paper)

Fault zone architecture of a major oblique-slip fault in the Rawil depression, Western Helvetic nappes, Switzerland

Science.gov (United States)

Gasser, D.; Mancktelow, N. S.

2009-04-01

solution seams and veins and in the sandstones of coarse breccia and veins. Later, straight, sharp fault planes cross-cut all these features. In all lithologies, common veins and calcite-cemented fault rocks indicate the strong involvement of fluids during faulting. Today, the southern Rawil depression and the Rhone Valley belong to one of the seismically most active regions in Switzerland. Seismogenic faults interpreted from earthquake focal mechanisms strike ENE-WSW to WNW-ESE, with dominant dextral strike-slip and minor normal components and epicentres at depths of the current stress field inferred from the current seismicity. This implies that the same mechanisms that formed these fault zones in the past may still persist at depth. The Rezli fault zone allows the detailed study of a fossil fault zone that can act as a model for processes still occurring at deeper levels in this seismically active region.

Fretting wear behaviour of TiC/Ti(C,N)/TiN multi-layer coatings at elevated temperature in gross slip regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Hanwei; Huang Kunpeng; Zhu Minhao; Zhou Zhongrong

2005-01-01

Tic/Ti(C,N)/TiN multi-layer coatings are prepared on the 1Cr13 stainless steel substrate by the technique of Chemical Vapour Deposition, and the fretting wear behaviour of 1Cr13 stainless steel and TiC/Ti(C,N)/TiN coatings are investigated and studied controversially from 25 degree C to 400 degree C in the gross slip regime. It shows that the temperature has great influence on the fretting wear in the gross slip regime for the 1Cr13 stainless steel but little for Ti/C/Ti(C,N)/TiN multi-layer coatings. With the temperature increasing, the friction coefficient and the wear volume of the 1Cr13 alloy decreases and the wear volume of TiC/Ti(C, N)/TiN multi-layer coatings is invariant. TiC/Ti(C,N)/TiN multi-layer coatings have better wear-resistant capability than the 1Cr13 stainless steel, but the wear volume of the substrate increases greatly because of the grain-abrasion resulted from hard debris when TiC/Ti(C,N)/TiN multi-layer coatings are ground off. (authors)

Stress field of a dislocating inclined fault

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, F.; Wang, T.

1980-02-01

In this paper, analytical expressions of the stress field given rise by a rectangular dislocating fault of an arbitrary dip in a semi-infinite elastic medium for the case of unequal Lame constants are derived. The results of computations for the stress fields on the ground surface of an inclined strike-slip and an inclined dip-slip fault are represented by contour maps. The effects of the Poisson Ratio of the medium, the dip angle, upper and lower boundaries of the faults on the stress field at the surface have been discussed. As an application, the contour maps for shear stress and hydrostatic stress of near fields of the Tonghai (1970), Haicheng, (1975) and Tangshan (1976) earthquakes have been calculated and compared with the spatial distributions of strong aftershocks of these earthquakes. It is found that most of the strong aftershocks are distributed in the regions of tensional stress where the hydrostatic stress is positive.

The complex evolution of transient slip revealed by precise tremor locations in western Shikoku, Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Shelly, D. R.; Beroza, G. C.; Ide, S.

2007-12-01

Transient slow slip events are increasingly being recognized as important components of strain release on faults and may substantially impact the earthquake cycle. Surface-based geodetic instruments provide estimates of the overall slip distribution in larger transients but are unable to capture the detailed evolution of such slip, either in time or space. Accompanying some of these slip transients is a relatively weak, extended duration seismic signal, known as non-volcanic tremor, which has recently been shown to be generated by a sequence of shear failures occurring as part of the slip event. By precisely locating the tremor, we can track some features of slip evolution with unprecedented resolution. Here, we analyze two weeklong episodes of tremor and slow slip in western Shikoku, Japan. We find that these slip transients do not evolve in a smooth and steady fashion but contain numerous sub-events of smaller size and shorter duration. In addition to along-strike migration rates of about 10 km/day observed previously, much faster migration also occurs, usually in the slab dip direction, at rates of 25-150 km/hour over distances of up to 20 km. We observe such migration episodes in both the up-dip and down-dip directions. These episodes may be most common on certain portions of the plate boundary that generate strong tremor in intermittent bursts. The surrounding regions of the fault may slip more continuously, driving these stronger patches to repeated failures. Tremor activity has a strong tidal periodicity, possibly reflecting the modulation of slow slip velocity by tidal stresses.

Coseismic Slip Deficit of the 2017 Mw 6.5 Ormoc Earthquake That Occurred Along a Creeping Segment and Geothermal Field of the Philippine Fault

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Ying-Hui; Tsai, Min-Chien; Hu, Jyr-Ching; Aurelio, Mario A.; Hashimoto, Manabu; Escudero, John Agustin P.; Su, Zhe; Chen, Qiang

2018-03-01

Coseismic surface deformation imaged through interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) measurements was used to estimate the fault geometry and slip distribution of the 2017 Mw 6.5 Ormoc earthquake along a creeping segment of the Philippine Fault on Leyte Island. Our best fitting faulting model suggests that the coseismic rupture occurred on a fault plane with high dip angle of 78.5° and strike angle of 325.8°, and the estimated maximum fault slip of 2.3 m is located at 6.5 km east-northeast of the town of Kananga. The recognized insignificant slip in the Tongonan geothermal field zone implies that the plastic behavior caused by high geothermal gradient underneath the Tongonan geothermal field could prevent the coseismic failure in heated rock mass in this zone. The predicted Coulomb failure stress change shows that a significant positive Coulomb failure stress change occurred along the SE segment of central Philippine Fault with insignificant coseismic slip and infrequent aftershocks, which suggests an increasing risk for future seismic hazard.

Stress rotation across the Cascadia megathrust requires a weak subduction plate boundary at seismogenic depths

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Duo; McGuire, Jeffrey J.; Liu, Yajing; Hardebeck, Jeanne L.

2018-03-01

The Mendocino Triple Junction region is the most seismically active part of the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The northward moving Pacific plate collides with the subducting Gorda plate causing intense internal deformation within it. Here we show that the stress field rotates rapidly with depth across the thrust interface from a strike-slip regime within the subducting plate, reflecting the Pacific plate collision, to a thrust regime in the overriding plate. We utilize a dense focal mechanism dataset, including observations from the Cascadia Initiative ocean bottom seismograph experiment, to constrain the stress orientations. To quantify the implications of this rotation for the strength of the plate boundary, we designed an inversion that solves for the absolute stress tensors in a three-layer model subject to assumptions about the strength of the subducting mantle. Our results indicate that the shear stress on the plate boundary fault is likely no more than about ∼50 MPa at ∼20 km depth. Regardless of the assumed mantle strength, we infer a relatively weak megathrust fault with an effective friction coefficient of ∼0 to 0.2 at seismogenic depths. Such a low value for the effective friction coefficient requires a combination of high fluid pressures and/or fault-zone minerals with low inherent friction in the region where a great earthquake is expected in Cascadia.

Stress rotation across the Cascadia megathrust requires a weak subduction plate boundary at seismogenic depths

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Duo; McGuire, Jeffrey J.; Liu, Yajing; Hardebeck, Jeanne L.

2018-01-01

The Mendocino Triple Junction region is the most seismically active part of the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The northward moving Pacific plate collides with the subducting Gorda plate causing intense internal deformation within it. Here we show that the stress field rotates rapidly with depth across the thrust interface from a strike-slip regime within the subducting plate, reflecting the Pacific plate collision, to a thrust regime in the overriding plate. We utilize a dense focal mechanism dataset, including observations from the Cascadia Initiative ocean bottom seismograph experiment, to constrain the stress orientations. To quantify the implications of this rotation for the strength of the plate boundary, we designed an inversion that solves for the absolute stress tensors in a three-layer model subject to assumptions about the strength of the subducting mantle. Our results indicate that the shear stress on the plate boundary fault is likely no more than about ∼50 MPa at ∼20 km depth. Regardless of the assumed mantle strength, we infer a relatively weak megathrust fault with an effective friction coefficient of ∼0 to 0.2 at seismogenic depths. Such a low value for the effective friction coefficient requires a combination of high fluid pressures and/or fault-zone minerals with low inherent friction in the region where a great earthquake is expected in Cascadia.

Amorphization and Frictional Processes in Smectite-Quartz Gouge Mixtures Sheared from Sub-seismic to Seismic Slip Rates

Science.gov (United States)

Aretusini, S.; Mittempergher, S.; Spagnuolo, E.; Di Toro, G.; Gualtieri, A.; Plümper, O.

2015-12-01

Slipping zones in shallow sections of megathrusts and large landslides are often made of smectite and quartz gouge mixtures. Experiments aimed at investigating the frictional processes operating at high slip rates (>1 m/s) may unravel the mechanics of these natural phenomena. Here we present a new dataset obtained with two rotary shear apparatus (ROSA, Padua University; SHIVA, INGV-Rome). Experiments were performed at room humidity and temperature on four mixtures of smectite (Ca-Montmorillonite) and quartz with 68, 50, 25, 0 wt% of smectite. The gouges were slid for 3 m at normal stress of 5 MPa and slip rate V from 300 µm/s to 1.5 m/s. Temperature during the experiments was monitored with four thermocouples and modeled with COMSOL Multiphysics. In smectite-rich mixtures, the friction coefficient µ evolved with slip according to three slip rate regimes: in regime 1 (V0.3 m/s) µ had strong slip-weakening behavior. Instead, in quartz-rich mixtures the gouge had a monotonic slip-weakening behavior, independently of V. Temperature modelling showed that the fraction of work rate converted into heat decreased with increasing smectite content and slip rate. Quantitative X-ray powder diffraction (Rietveld method) indicates that the production of amorphous material from smectite breakdown increased with frictional work but was independent of work rate. Scanning Electron Microscopy investigation evidenced strain localization and presence of dehydrated clays for V≥0.3 m/s; instead, for V<0.3 m/s, strain was distributed and the gouge layer pervasively foliated. In conclusion, amorphization of the sheared gouges was not responsible of the measured frictional weakening. Instead, slip-weakening was concomitant to strain localization and possible vaporization of water adsorbed on smectite grain surfaces.

Sensitivity of Coulomb stress changes to slip models of source faults: A case study for the 2011 Mw 9.0 Tohoku-oki earthquake

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, J.; Xu, C.; Furlong, K.; Zhong, B.; Xiao, Z.; Yi, L.; Chen, T.

2017-12-01

Although Coulomb stress changes induced by earthquake events have been used to quantify stress transfers and to retrospectively explain stress triggering among earthquake sequences, realistic reliable prospective earthquake forecasting remains scarce. To generate a robust Coulomb stress map for earthquake forecasting, uncertainties in Coulomb stress changes associated with the source fault, receiver fault and friction coefficient and Skempton's coefficient need to be exhaustively considered. In this paper, we specifically explore the uncertainty in slip models of the source fault of the 2011 Mw 9.0 Tohoku-oki earthquake as a case study. This earthquake was chosen because of its wealth of finite-fault slip models. Based on the wealth of those slip models, we compute the coseismic Coulomb stress changes induced by this mainshock. Our results indicate that nearby Coulomb stress changes for each slip model can be quite different, both for the Coulomb stress map at a given depth and on the Pacific subducting slab. The triggering rates for three months of aftershocks of the mainshock, with and without considering the uncertainty in slip models, differ significantly, decreasing from 70% to 18%. Reliable Coulomb stress changes in the three seismogenic zones of Nanki, Tonankai and Tokai are insignificant, approximately only 0.04 bar. By contrast, the portions of the Pacific subducting slab at a depth of 80 km and beneath Tokyo received a positive Coulomb stress change of approximately 0.2 bar. The standard errors of the seismicity rate and earthquake probability based on the Coulomb rate-and-state model (CRS) decay much faster with elapsed time in stress triggering zones than in stress shadows, meaning that the uncertainties in Coulomb stress changes in stress triggering zones would not drastically affect assessments of the seismicity rate and earthquake probability based on the CRS in the intermediate to long term.

Seismicity of the 24 May 2014 Mw 7.0 Aegean Sea earthquake sequence along the North Aegean Trough

Science.gov (United States)

Görgün, Ethem; Görgün, Burçak

2015-11-01

The northern Aegean Sea was hit by a large size (Mw = 7.0) earthquake on 2014 May 24. Centroid moment tensor solutions for 40 events with moment magnitudes (Mw) between 3.3 and 7.0 are computed by applying a waveform inversion method on data from the Turkish and Greek broadband seismic networks. The time span of data covers the period between 2014 May 24 and 2014 June 26. The mainshock is a shallow focus strike-slip event at a depth of 15 km. Focal depths of aftershocks range from 6 to 30 km. The seismic moment (Mo) of the mainshock is estimated as 4.60 × 1019 Nm. The calculated rupture duration of the North Aegean Sea mainshock is 40 s. The focal mechanisms of the aftershocks are mainly strike-slip faulting with a minor normal component. The geometry of focal mechanisms reveals a strike-slip faulting regime with NE-SW trending direction of T-axis in the entire activated region. A stress tensor inversion of focal mechanism data is performed to acquire a more accurate picture of the northern Aegean Sea stress field along the North Aegean Trough. The stress tensor inversion results indicate a predominant strike-slip stress regime with a NW-SE oriented maximum principal compressive stress (σ1). In the development of the North Aegean Trough in Aegean Sea is in good agreement with the resolved stress tensors. With respect the newly determined focal mechanisms, the effect of the propagating of the North Anatolian Fault into Aegean Sea is very clearly pronounced. According to high-resolution hypocenter relocation of the North Aegean Sea seismic sequence, three main clusters are revealed. The aftershock activity in the observation period between 2014 May 24 and 2014 July 31 extends from the mainshock cluster from NE to the SW direction. Seismic cross-sections indicate that a complex pattern of the hypocenter distribution with the activation of seventeen segments. The eastern cluster is associated with a fault plane trending mainly ENE-WSW and dipping vertical, while the

Rheology of serpentinite in high-temperature and low-slip-velocity regime

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, M.; Uehara, S.; Mizoguchi, K.; Takeda, N.; Masuda, K.

2009-12-01

This study was designed to clarify the rheology of serpentinite experimentally, related both the sliding velocity and the temperature. The frictional behavior of serpentinite is of particular interest in the study of earthquake generation processes along subducting plates and transform faults. Previous studies [Reinen et al., 1991-93] revealed that the serpentinites indicated two-mechanical behaviors at velocity-step test: ‘state-variable dominated behavior’ at relatively higher velocity (0.1-10 μm/sec) and ‘flow-dominated behavior’ at lower velocity (less than 0.1 μm/sec). Such complexity on the frictional behavior could make it complicated to forecast on the slip acceleration process from the plate motion velocity to the earthquake. Even under the room-temperature condition, those multiple behavior could be observed, thus, serpentinite can be a model substance to present a new constitutive law at the brittle-ductile transition regime. We, therefore, focus to discuss the transient behaviors of serpentinite at the velocity-step test. We used a gas-medium, high-pressure, and high-temperature triaxial testing machine belonging to the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan. Sliding deformation was applied on the thin zone of the serpentinite gouge (1.0 g of almost pure antigorite powder) sandwiched between two alumina blocks with oblique surfaces at 30° to the axis. All experiments were carried out under a set of constant conditions, 100 MPa of the confining pressure (Ar-gas) and 30 MPa of the pore pressure (distilled water). The temperature conditions were varied from the room-temperature to 500° C, and three sliding velocity-regimes were adopted: low (0.0115 - 0.115 μm/sec), middle (0.115 - 1.15 μm/sec) and high (1.15 - 11.5 μm/sec) velocity regimes. In each velocity regime, the sliding velocity was increased or decreased in a stepwise fashion, and then we observed the transient behaviors until it reached the

Characterizing the potential for fault reactivation related to CO2 injection through subsurface structural mapping and stress field analysis, Wellington Field, Sumner County, KS

Science.gov (United States)

Schwab, D.; Bidgoli, T.; Taylor, M. H.

2015-12-01

South-central Kansas has experienced an unprecedented increase in seismic activity since 2013. The spatial and temporal relationship of the seismicity with brine disposal operations has renewed interest in the role of fluids in fault reactivation. This study focuses on determining the suitability of CO2 injection into a Cambro-Ordovician reservoir for long-term storage and a Mississippian reservoir for enhanced oil recovery in Wellington Field, Sumner County, Kansas. Our approach for determining the potential for induced seismicity has been to (1) map subsurface faults and estimate in-situ stresses, (2) perform slip and dilation tendency analysis to identify optimally-oriented faults relative to the estimated stress field, and (3) monitor surface deformation through cGPS data and InSAR imaging. Through the use of 3D seismic reflection data, 60 near vertical, NNE-striking faults have been identified. The faults range in length from 140-410 m and have vertical separations of 3-32m. A number of faults appear to be restricted to shallow intervals, while others clearly cut the top basement reflector. Drilling-induced tensile fractures (N=78) identified from image logs and inversion of earthquake focal mechanism solutions (N=54) are consistent with the maximum horizontal stress (SHmax) oriented ~E-W. Both strike-slip and normal-slip fault plane solutions for earthquakes near the study area suggest that SHmax and Sv may be similar in magnitude. Estimates of stress magnitudes using step rate tests (Shmin = 2666 psi), density logs (Sv = 5308 psi), and calculations from wells with drilling induced tensile fractures (SHmax = 4547-6655 psi) are determined at the gauge depth of 4869ft. Preliminary slip and dilation tendency analysis indicates that faults striking 0°-20° are stable, whereas faults striking 26°-44° may have a moderate risk for reactivation with increasing pore-fluid pressure.

Relating stick-slip friction experiments to earthquake source parameters

Science.gov (United States)

McGarr, Arthur F.

2012-01-01

Analytical results for parameters, such as static stress drop, for stick-slip friction experiments, with arbitrary input parameters, can be determined by solving an energy-balance equation. These results can then be related to a given earthquake based on its seismic moment and the maximum slip within its rupture zone, assuming that the rupture process entails the same physics as stick-slip friction. This analysis yields overshoots and ratios of apparent stress to static stress drop of about 0.25. The inferred earthquake source parameters static stress drop, apparent stress, slip rate, and radiated energy are robust inasmuch as they are largely independent of the experimental parameters used in their estimation. Instead, these earthquake parameters depend on C, the ratio of maximum slip to the cube root of the seismic moment. C is controlled by the normal stress applied to the rupture plane and the difference between the static and dynamic coefficients of friction. Estimating yield stress and seismic efficiency using the same procedure is only possible when the actual static and dynamic coefficients of friction are known within the earthquake rupture zone.

Temporal changes in stress preceding the 2004-2008 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Washington

Science.gov (United States)

Lehto, H.L.; Roman, D.C.; Moran, S.C.

2010-01-01

The 2004-2008 eruption of Mount St. Helens (MSH), Washington, was preceded by a swarm of shallow volcano-tectonic earthquakes (VTs) that began on September 23, 2004. We calculated locations and fault-plane solutions (FPS) for shallow VTs recorded during a background period (January 1999 to July 2004) and during the early vent-clearing phase (September 23 to 29, 2004) of the 2004-2008 eruption. FPS show normal and strike-slip faulting during the background period and on September 23; strike-slip and reverse faulting on September 24; and a mixture of strike-slip, reverse, and normal faulting on September 25-29. The orientation of ??1 beneath MSH, as estimated from stress tensor inversions, was found to be sub-horizontal for all periods and oriented NE-SW during the background period, NW-SE on September 24, and NE-SW on September 25-29. We suggest that the ephemeral ~90?? change in ??1 orientation was due to intrusion and inflation of a NE-SW-oriented dike in the shallow crust prior to the eruption onset. ?? 2010 Elsevier B.V.

Influence of slip-surface geometry on earth-flow deformation, Montaguto earth flow, southern Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Guerriero, L.; Coe, Jeffrey A.; Revellio, P.; Grelle, G.; Pinto, F.; Guadagno, F.

2016-01-01

We investigated relations between slip-surface geometry and deformational structures and hydrologic features at the Montaguto earth flow in southern Italy between 1954 and 2010. We used 25 boreholes, 15 static cone-penetration tests, and 22 shallow-seismic profiles to define the geometry of basal- and lateral-slip surfaces; and 9 multitemporal maps to quantify the spatial and temporal distribution of normal faults, thrust faults, back-tilted surfaces, strike-slip faults, flank ridges, folds, ponds, and springs. We infer that the slip surface is a repeating series of steeply sloping surfaces (risers) and gently sloping surfaces (treads). Stretching of earth-flow material created normal faults at risers, and shortening of earth-flow material created thrust faults, back-tilted surfaces, and ponds at treads. Individual pairs of risers and treads formed quasi-discrete kinematic zones within the earth flow that operated in unison to transmit pulses of sediment along the length of the flow. The locations of strike-slip faults, flank ridges, and folds were not controlled by basal-slip surface topography but were instead dependent on earth-flow volume and lateral changes in the direction of the earth-flow travel path. The earth-flow travel path was strongly influenced by inactive earth-flow deposits and pre-earth-flow drainages whose positions were determined by tectonic structures. The implications of our results that may be applicable to other earth flows are that structures with strikes normal to the direction of earth-flow motion (e.g., normal faults and thrust faults) can be used as a guide to the geometry of basal-slip surfaces, but that depths to the slip surface (i.e., the thickness of an earth flow) will vary as sediment pulses are transmitted through a flow.

The 12th June 2017 Mw = 6.3 Lesvos earthquake from detailed seismological observations

Science.gov (United States)

Papadimitriou, P.; Kassaras, I.; Kaviris, G.; Tselentis, G.-A.; Voulgaris, N.; Lekkas, E.; Chouliaras, G.; Evangelidis, C.; Pavlou, K.; Kapetanidis, V.; Karakonstantis, A.; Kazantzidou-Firtinidou, D.; Fountoulakis, I.; Millas, C.; Spingos, I.; Aspiotis, T.; Moumoulidou, A.; Skourtsos, E.; Antoniou, V.; Andreadakis, E.; Mavroulis, S.; Kleanthi, M.

2018-04-01

A major earthquake (Mwö=ö6.3) occurred on the 12th of June 2017 (12:28 GMT) offshore, south of the SE coast of Lesvos Island, at a depth of 13ökm, in an area characterized by normal faulting with an important strike-slip component in certain cases. Over 900 events of the sequence between 12 and 30 June 2017 were manually analyzed and located, employing an optimized local velocity model. Double-difference relocation revealed seven spatially separated groups of events, forming two linear branches, roughly aligned N130°E, compatible with the strike of known mapped faults along the southern coast of Lesvos Island. Spatiotemporal analysis indicated gradual migration of seismicity towards NW and SE from the margins of the main rupture, while a strong secondary sequence at a separate fault patch SE of the mainshock, oriented NW-SE, was triggered by the largest aftershock (Mwö=ö5.2) that occurred on 17 June. The focal mechanisms of the mainshock (φö=ö122°, δö=ö40° and λö=ö-83°) and of the major aftershocks were determined using regional moment tensor inversion. In most cases normal faulting was revealed with the fault plane oriented in a NW-SE direction, dipping SW, with the exception of the largest aftershock that was characterized by strike-slip faulting. Stress inversion revealed a complex stress field south of Lesvos, related both to normal, in an approximate E-W direction, and strike-slip faulting. All aftershocks outside the main rupture, where gradual seismicity migration was observed, are located within the positive lobes of static stress transfer determined by applying the Coulomb criterion for the mainshock. Stress loading on optimal faults under a strike-slip regime explains the occurrence of the largest aftershock and the seismicity that was triggered at the eastern patch of the rupture zone.

Repetition of large stress drop earthquakes on Wairarapa fault, New Zealand, revealed by LiDAR data

Science.gov (United States)

Delor, E.; Manighetti, I.; Garambois, S.; Beaupretre, S.; Vitard, C.

2013-12-01

We have acquired high-resolution LiDAR topographic data over most of the onland trace of the 120 km-long Wairarapa strike-slip fault, New Zealand. The Wairarapa fault broke in a large earthquake in 1855, and this historical earthquake is suggested to have produced up to 18 m of lateral slip at the ground surface. This would make this earthquake a remarkable event having produced a stress drop much higher than commonly observed on other earthquakes worldwide. The LiDAR data allowed us examining the ground surface morphology along the fault at statistical analysis of the cumulative offsets per segment reveals that the alluvial morphology has well recorded, at every step along the fault, no more than a few (3-6), well distinct cumulative slips, all lower than 80 m. Plotted along the entire fault, the statistically defined cumulative slip values document four, fairly continuous slip profiles that we attribute to the four most recent large earthquakes on the Wairarapa fault. The four slip profiles have a roughly triangular and asymmetric envelope shape that is similar to the coseismic slip distributions described for most large earthquakes worldwide. The four slip profiles have their maximum slip at the same place, in the northeastern third of the fault trace. The maximum slips vary from one event to another in the range 7-15 m; the most recent 1855 earthquake produced a maximum coseismic slip of 15 × 2 m at the ground surface. Our results thus confirm that the Wairarapa fault breaks in remarkably large stress drop earthquakes. Those repeating large earthquakes share both similar (rupture length, slip-length distribution, location of maximum slip) and distinct (maximum slip amplitudes) characteristics. Furthermore, the seismic behavior of the Wairarapa fault is markedly different from that of nearby large strike-slip faults (Wellington, Hope). The reasons for those differences in rupture behavior might reside in the intrinsic properties of the broken faults, especially

Structure of the Melajo clay near Arima, Trinidad and strike-slip motion in the El Pilar fault zone

Science.gov (United States)

Robertson, P.; Burke, K.; Wadge, G.

1985-01-01

No consensus has yet emerged on the sense, timing and amount of motion in the El Pilar fault zone. As a contribution to the study of this problem, a critical area within the zone in North Central Trinidad has been mapped. On the basis of the mapping, it is concluded that the El Pilar zone has been active in right-lateral strike-slip motion during the Pleistocene. Recognition of structural styles akin to those of the mapped area leads to the suggestion that the El Pilar zone is part of a 300 km wide plate boundary zone extending from the Orinoco delta northward to Grenada. Lateral motion of the Caribbean plate with respect to South America has been suggested to amount to 1900 km in the last 38 Ma. Part of this displacement since the Miocene can be readily accommodated within the broad zone identified here. No one fault system need account for more than a fraction of the total motion and all faults need not be active simultaneously.

The geometry of pull-apart basins in the southern part of Sumatran strike-slip fault zone

Science.gov (United States)

Aribowo, Sonny

2018-02-01

Models of pull-apart basin geometry have been described by many previous studies in a variety tectonic setting. 2D geometry of Ranau Lake represents a pull-apart basin in the Sumatran Fault Zone. However, there are unclear geomorphic traces of two sub-parallel overlapping strike-slip faults in the boundary of the lake. Nonetheless, clear geomorphic traces that parallel to Kumering Segment of the Sumatran Fault are considered as inactive faults in the southern side of the lake. I demonstrate the angular characteristics of the Ranau Lake and Suoh complex pull-apart basins and compare with pull-apart basin examples from published studies. I use digital elevation model (DEM) image to sketch the shape of the depression of Ranau Lake and Suoh Valley and measure 2D geometry of pull-apart basins. This study shows that Ranau Lake is not a pull-apart basin, and the pull-apart basin is actually located in the eastern side of the lake. Since there is a clear connection between pull-apart basin and volcanic activity in Sumatra, I also predict that the unclear trace of the pull-apart basin near Ranau Lake may be covered by Ranau Caldera and Seminung volcanic products.

Technological control of slip casting by the method of PMR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rozental', O.M.; Toropov, Yu.S.; Sobolev, A.S.; Pliner, S.Yu.; Demina, T.E.; Permikina, I.M.

1980-01-01

The method of proton magnetic resonance (PMR) is suggested for operational chemico-technological control of slip casting made of oxides of metals in the technology of technical ceramics. PMR spectra of finely dispersed slip casting made of aluminium and zirconium oxides (0.9 mol. of the ZrO 2 shake + 0.1 V 2 O 3 ) are analysed. It is shown that the quality of slip casting out of aqueous suspensions of aluminium and zirconium oxides is abruptly reduced if dP/dW (P - parameter of the PMR line shape, W - humidity) decrease. It is established that slip casting made of zirconium oxide should not be kept in the air more than 5 days, and that of aluminium oxide, more than 3 days at room temperature and should not be exposed to high (> 105 deg C) temperatures. The quality of slip casting is reduced in the regime of too energetic electrosedimentation the optimum regime of electrosedimentation is approximately 5/3 under the conditions of the above experiment

Source model and Coulomb stress change of 2017 Mw 6.5 Philippine (Ormoc) Earthquake revealed by SAR interferometry

Science.gov (United States)

Tsai, M. C.; Hu, J. C.; Yang, Y. H.; Hashimoto, M.; Aurelio, M.; Su, Z.; Escudero, J. A.

2017-12-01

Multi-sight and high spatial resolution interferometric SAR data enhances our ability for mapping detailed coseismic deformation to estimate fault rupture model and to infer the Coulomb stress change associated with a big earthquake. Here, we use multi-sight coseismic interferograms acquired by ALOS-2 and Sentinel-1A satellites to estimate the fault geometry and slip distribution on the fault plane of the 2017 Mw 6.5 Ormoc Earthquake in Leyte island of Philippine. The best fitting model predicts that the coseismic rupture occurs along a fault plane with strike of 325.8º and dip of 78.5ºE. This model infers that the rupture of 2017 Ormoc earthquake is dominated by left-lateral slip with minor dip-slip motion, consistent with the left-lateral strike-slip Philippine fault system. The fault tip has propagated to the ground surface, and the predicted coseismic slip on the surface is about 1 m located at 6.5 km Northeast of Kananga city. Significant slip is concentrated on the fault patches at depth of 0-8 km and an along-strike distance of 20 km with varying slip magnitude from 0.3 m to 2.3 m along the southwest segment of this seismogenic fault. Two minor coseismic fault patches are predicted underneath of the Tononan geothermal field and the creeping segment of the northwest portion of this seismogenic fault. This implies that the high geothermal gradient underneath of the Tongonan geothermal filed could prevent heated rock mass from the coseismic failure. The seismic moment release of our preferred fault model is 7.78×1018 Nm, equivalent to Mw 6.6 event. The Coulomb failure stress (CFS) calculated by the preferred fault model predicts significant positive CFS change on the northwest segment of the Philippine fault in Leyte Island which has coseismic slip deficit and is absent from aftershocks. Consequently, this segment should be considered to have increasing of risk for future seismic hazard.

On the initiation of sustained slip-weakening ruptures by localized stresses

KAUST Repository

Galis, Martin

2014-12-10

Numerical simulations of dynamic earthquake rupture require an artificial initiation procedure, if they are not integrated in long-term earthquake cycle simulations. A widely applied procedure involves an \\'overstressed asperity\\', a localized region stressed beyond the static frictional strength. The physical properties of the asperity (size, shape and overstress) may significantly impact rupture propagation. In particular, to induce a sustained rupture the asperity size needs to exceed a critical value. Although criteria for estimating the critical nucleation size under linear slip-weakening friction have been proposed for 2-D and 3-D problems based on simplifying assumptions, they do not provide general rules for designing 3-D numerical simulations. We conduct a parametric study to estimate parameters of the asperity that minimize numerical artefacts (e.g. changes of rupture shape and speed, artificial supershear transition, higher slip-rate amplitudes). We examine the critical size of square, circular and elliptical asperities as a function of asperity overstress and background (off-asperity) stress. For a given overstress, we find that asperity area controls rupture initiation while asperity shape is of lesser importance. The critical area obtained from our numerical results contrasts with published theoretical estimates when background stress is low. Therefore, we derive two new theoretical estimates of the critical size under low background stress while also accounting for overstress. Our numerical results suggest that setting the asperity overstress and area close to their critical values eliminates strong numerical artefacts even when the overstress is large. We also find that properly chosen asperity size or overstress may significantly shorten the duration of the initiation. Overall, our results provide guidelines for determining the size of the asperity and overstress to minimize the effects of the forced initiation on the subsequent spontaneous

Tectono-Thermal History Modeling and Reservoir Simulation Study of the Nenana Basin, Central Alaska: Implications for Regional Tectonics and Geologic Carbon Sequestration

Science.gov (United States)

Dixit, Nilesh C.

basin. Coals have significant capacity for sequestering anthropogenic CO 2 emissions and offer the benefit of enhanced coal bed methane production that can offset the costs associated with the sequestration processes. In order to do a preliminary assessment of the CO2 sequestration and coal bed methane production potential of the Nenana basin, I used available surface and subsurface data to build and simulate a reservoir model of subbituminous Healy Creek Formation coals. The petroleum exploration data were also used to estimate the state of subsurface stresses that are critical in modeling the orientation, distribution and flow behavior of natural coal fractures in the basin. The effect of uncertainties within major coal parameters on the total CO2 sequestration and coal bed methane capacity estimates were evaluated through a series of sensitivity analyses, experimental design methods and fluid flow simulations. Results suggest that the mature, unmineable Healy Creek Formation coals of the Nenana basin can sequester up to 0.41 TCF of CO2 while producing up to 0.36 TCF of CH4 at the end of 44-year forecast. However, these volumes are estimates and they are also sensitive to the well type, pattern and cap rock lithology. I used a similar workflow to evaluate the state of in situ stress in the northeastern North Slope province of Alaska. The results show two distinct stress regimes across the northeastern North Slope. The eastern Barrow Arch exhibits both strike-slip and normal stress regimes. Along the northeastern Brooks Range thrust front, an active thrust-fault regime is present at depths up to 6000 ft but changes to a strike-slip stress regime at depths greater than 6000 ft.

Identification of natural fractures and in situ stress at Rantau Dedap geothermal field

Science.gov (United States)

Artyanto, Andika; Sapiie, Benyamin; Idham Abdullah, Chalid; Permana Sidik, Ridwan

2017-12-01

Rantau Dedap Area is a geothermal field which is located in Great Sumatra Fault (GSF). The fault and fracture are main factor in the permeability of the geothermal system. However, not all faults and fractures have capability of to flow the fluids. Borehole image log is depiction of the borehole conditions, it is used to identify the natural fractures and drilling induced fracture. Both of them are used to identify the direction of the fracture, direction of maximum horizontal stress (SHmax), and geomechanics parameters. The natural fractures are the results of responses to stress on a rock and permeability which controlling factor in research area. Breakouts is found in this field as a trace of drilling induced fracture due to in situ stress work. Natural fractures are strongly clustered with true strike trending which first, second, and third major direction are N170°E - N180°E (N-S), N60°E - N70°E (NE-SW), and N310°E - N320°E (NW-SE), while the dominant dip is 80° -90°. Based on borehole breakout analysis, maximum horizontal stress orientation is identified in N162°E - N204°E (N-S) and N242°E (NE-SW) direction. It’s constantly similar with regional stress which is affected by GSF. Several parameters have been identified and analyzed are SHmax, SHmin, and Sy. It can be concluded that Rantau Dedap Geothermal Field is affected by strike-slip regime. The determination of in situ stress and natural fractures are important to study the pattern of permeability which is related to the fault in reservoir of this field.

PROCESSING OF CONCENTRATED AQUEOUS ZIRCONIA-BIOGLASS SLIPS BY SLIP CASTING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beltina Leon

2017-03-01

Full Text Available 3 mol% yttria-partially stabilized zirconia (Y-TZP powder and a sol-gel derived CaO- P₂O₅- SiO₂ (64S bioglass, were used to produce Y-TZP- bioglass slip cast compacts. The rheological properties of concentrated aqueous Y-TZP- 64S suspensions prepared with two different glass contents: 10.5 vol% and 19.9 vol%, and ammonium polyacrylate (NH₄PA as dispersant, were investigated and compared with those of Y-TZP. The density of green cast samples was related to the degree of slip dispersion. The substitution of Y-TZP by 64S glass in the mixtures resulted in greater adsorption of NH₄PA; however, the viscosity and yield stress values of Y-TZP-64S slips were higher than those of Y-TZP ones for the solid loadings studied. The increase in the glass content from 10.5 to 19.9 vol% increased the viscosity and yield stress values. The presence of 64S glass in the mixtures resulted in a less dense packing of cast samples.

Scissoring Fault Rupture Properties along the Median Tectonic Line Fault Zone, Southwest Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Ikeda, M.; Nishizaka, N.; Onishi, K.; Sakamoto, J.; Takahashi, K.

2017-12-01

The Median Tectonic Line fault zone (hereinafter MTLFZ) is the longest and most active fault zone in Japan. The MTLFZ is a 400-km-long trench parallel right-lateral strike-slip fault accommodating lateral slip components of the Philippine Sea plate oblique subduction beneath the Eurasian plate [Fitch, 1972; Yeats, 1996]. Complex fault geometry evolves along the MTLFZ. The geomorphic and geological characteristics show a remarkable change through the MTLFZ. Extensional step-overs and pull-apart basins and a pop-up structure develop in western and eastern parts of the MTLFZ, respectively. It is like a "scissoring fault properties". We can point out two main factors to form scissoring fault properties along the MTLFZ. One is a regional stress condition, and another is a preexisting fault. The direction of σ1 anticlockwise rotate from N170°E [Famin et al., 2014] in the eastern Shikoku to Kinki areas and N100°E [Research Group for Crustral Stress in Western Japan, 1980] in central Shikoku to N85°E [Onishi et al., 2016] in western Shikoku. According to the rotation of principal stress directions, the western and eastern parts of the MTLFZ are to be a transtension and compression regime, respectively. The MTLFZ formed as a terrain boundary at Cretaceous, and has evolved with a long active history. The fault style has changed variously, such as left-lateral, thrust, normal and right-lateral. Under the structural condition of a preexisting fault being, the rupture does not completely conform to Anderson's theory for a newly formed fault, as the theory would require either purely dip-slip motion on the 45° dipping fault or strike-slip motion on a vertical fault. The fault rupture of the 2013 Barochistan earthquake in Pakistan is a rare example of large strike-slip reactivation on a relatively low angle dipping fault (thrust fault), though many strike-slip faults have vertical plane generally [Avouac et al., 2014]. In this presentation, we, firstly, show deep subsurface

Mixed linear-nonlinear fault slip inversion: Bayesian inference of model, weighting, and smoothing parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Fukuda, J.; Johnson, K. M.

2009-12-01

Studies utilizing inversions of geodetic data for the spatial distribution of coseismic slip on faults typically present the result as a single fault plane and slip distribution. Commonly the geometry of the fault plane is assumed to be known a priori and the data are inverted for slip. However, sometimes there is not strong a priori information on the geometry of the fault that produced the earthquake and the data is not always strong enough to completely resolve the fault geometry. We develop a method to solve for the full posterior probability distribution of fault slip and fault geometry parameters in a Bayesian framework using Monte Carlo methods. The slip inversion problem is particularly challenging because it often involves multiple data sets with unknown relative weights (e.g. InSAR, GPS), model parameters that are related linearly (slip) and nonlinearly (fault geometry) through the theoretical model to surface observations, prior information on model parameters, and a regularization prior to stabilize the inversion. We present the theoretical framework and solution method for a Bayesian inversion that can handle all of these aspects of the problem. The method handles the mixed linear/nonlinear nature of the problem through combination of both analytical least-squares solutions and Monte Carlo methods. We first illustrate and validate the inversion scheme using synthetic data sets. We then apply the method to inversion of geodetic data from the 2003 M6.6 San Simeon, California earthquake. We show that the uncertainty in strike and dip of the fault plane is over 20 degrees. We characterize the uncertainty in the slip estimate with a volume around the mean fault solution in which the slip most likely occurred. Slip likely occurred somewhere in a volume that extends 5-10 km in either direction normal to the fault plane. We implement slip inversions with both traditional, kinematic smoothing constraints on slip and a simple physical condition of uniform stress

Earthquake source properties from instrumented laboratory stick-slip

Science.gov (United States)

Kilgore, Brian D.; McGarr, Arthur F.; Beeler, Nicholas M.; Lockner, David A.; Thomas, Marion Y.; Mitchell, Thomas M.; Bhat, Harsha S.

2017-01-01

Stick-slip experiments were performed to determine the influence of the testing apparatus on source properties, develop methods to relate stick-slip to natural earthquakes and examine the hypothesis of McGarr [2012] that the product of stiffness, k, and slip duration, Δt, is scale-independent and the same order as for earthquakes. The experiments use the double-direct shear geometry, Sierra White granite at 2 MPa normal stress and a remote slip rate of 0.2 µm/sec. To determine apparatus effects, disc springs were added to the loading column to vary k. Duration, slip, slip rate, and stress drop decrease with increasing k, consistent with a spring-block slider model. However, neither for the data nor model is kΔt constant; this results from varying stiffness at fixed scale.In contrast, additional analysis of laboratory stick-slip studies from a range of standard testing apparatuses is consistent with McGarr's hypothesis. kΔt is scale-independent, similar to that of earthquakes, equivalent to the ratio of static stress drop to average slip velocity, and similar to the ratio of shear modulus to wavespeed of rock. These properties result from conducting experiments over a range of sample sizes, using rock samples with the same elastic properties as the Earth, and scale-independent design practices.

Buried shallow fault slip from the South Napa earthquake revealed by near-field geodesy.

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, Benjamin A; Minson, Sarah E; Glennie, Craig L; Nevitt, Johanna M; Dawson, Tim; Rubin, Ron; Ericksen, Todd L; Lockner, David; Hudnut, Kenneth; Langenheim, Victoria; Lutz, Andrew; Mareschal, Maxime; Murray, Jessica; Schwartz, David; Zaccone, Dana

2017-07-01

Earthquake-related fault slip in the upper hundreds of meters of Earth's surface has remained largely unstudied because of challenges measuring deformation in the near field of a fault rupture. We analyze centimeter-scale accuracy mobile laser scanning (MLS) data of deformed vine rows within ±300 m of the principal surface expression of the M (magnitude) 6.0 2014 South Napa earthquake. Rather than assuming surface displacement equivalence to fault slip, we invert the near-field data with a model that allows for, but does not require, the fault to be buried below the surface. The inversion maps the position on a preexisting fault plane of a slip front that terminates ~3 to 25 m below the surface coseismically and within a few hours postseismically. The lack of surface-breaching fault slip is verified by two trenches. We estimate near-surface slip ranging from ~0.5 to 1.25 m. Surface displacement can underestimate fault slip by as much as 30%. This implies that similar biases could be present in short-term geologic slip rates used in seismic hazard analyses. Along strike and downdip, we find deficits in slip: The along-strike deficit is erased after ~1 month by afterslip. We find no evidence of off-fault deformation and conclude that the downdip shallow slip deficit for this event is likely an artifact. As near-field geodetic data rapidly proliferate and will become commonplace, we suggest that analyses of near-surface fault rupture should also use more sophisticated mechanical models and subsurface geomechanical tests.

Buried shallow fault slip from the South Napa earthquake revealed by near-field geodesy

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, Benjamin A.; Minson, Sarah E.; Glennie, Craig L.; Nevitt, Johanna M.; Dawson, Tim; Rubin, Ron; Ericksen, Todd L.; Lockner, David; Hudnut, Kenneth; Langenheim, Victoria; Lutz, Andrew; Mareschal, Maxime; Murray, Jessica; Schwartz, David; Zaccone, Dana

2017-01-01

Earthquake-related fault slip in the upper hundreds of meters of Earth’s surface has remained largely unstudied because of challenges measuring deformation in the near field of a fault rupture. We analyze centimeter-scale accuracy mobile laser scanning (MLS) data of deformed vine rows within ±300 m of the principal surface expression of the M (magnitude) 6.0 2014 South Napa earthquake. Rather than assuming surface displacement equivalence to fault slip, we invert the near-field data with a model that allows for, but does not require, the fault to be buried below the surface. The inversion maps the position on a preexisting fault plane of a slip front that terminates ~3 to 25 m below the surface coseismically and within a few hours postseismically. The lack of surface-breaching fault slip is verified by two trenches. We estimate near-surface slip ranging from ~0.5 to 1.25 m. Surface displacement can underestimate fault slip by as much as 30%. This implies that similar biases could be present in short-term geologic slip rates used in seismic hazard analyses. Along strike and downdip, we find deficits in slip: The along-strike deficit is erased after ~1 month by afterslip. We find no evidence of off-fault deformation and conclude that the downdip shallow slip deficit for this event is likely an artifact. As near-field geodetic data rapidly proliferate and will become commonplace, we suggest that analyses of near-surface fault rupture should also use more sophisticated mechanical models and subsurface geomechanical tests. PMID:28782026

4D stress evolution models of the San Andreas Fault System: Investigating time- and depth-dependent stress thresholds over multiple earthquake cycles

Science.gov (United States)

Burkhard, L. M.; Smith-Konter, B. R.

2017-12-01

4D simulations of stress evolution provide a rare insight into earthquake cycle crustal stress variations at seismogenic depths where earthquake ruptures nucleate. Paleoseismic estimates of earthquake offset and chronology, spanning multiple earthquakes cycles, are available for many well-studied segments of the San Andreas Fault System (SAFS). Here we construct new 4D earthquake cycle time-series simulations to further study the temporally and spatially varying stress threshold conditions of the SAFS throughout the paleoseismic record. Interseismic strain accumulation, co-seismic stress drop, and postseismic viscoelastic relaxation processes are evaluated as a function of variable slip and locking depths along 42 major fault segments. Paleoseismic earthquake rupture histories provide a slip chronology dating back over 1000 years. Using GAGE Facility GPS and new Sentinel-1A InSAR data, we tune model locking depths and slip rates to compute the 4D stress accumulation within the seismogenic crust. Revised estimates of stress accumulation rate are most significant along the Imperial (2.8 MPa/100yr) and Coachella (1.2 MPa/100yr) faults, with a maximum change in stress rate along some segments of 11-17% in comparison with our previous estimates. Revised estimates of earthquake cycle stress accumulation are most significant along the Imperial (2.25 MPa), Coachella (2.9 MPa), and Carrizo (3.2 MPa) segments, with a 15-29% decrease in stress due to locking depth and slip rate updates, and also postseismic relaxation from the El Mayor-Cucapah earthquake. Because stress drops of major strike-slip earthquakes rarely exceed 10 MPa, these models may provide a lower bound on estimates of stress evolution throughout the historical era, and perhaps an upper bound on the expected recurrence interval of a particular fault segment. Furthermore, time-series stress models reveal temporally varying stress concentrations at 5-10 km depths, due to the interaction of neighboring fault

Characterizing the Potential for Injection-Induced Fault Reactivation Through Subsurface Structural Mapping and Stress Field Analysis, Wellington Field, Sumner County, Kansas

Science.gov (United States)

Schwab, Drew R.; Bidgoli, Tandis S.; Taylor, Michael H.

2017-12-01

Kansas, like other parts of the central U.S., has experienced a recent increase in seismicity. Correlation of these events with brine disposal operations suggests pore fluid pressure increases are reactivating preexisting faults, but rigorous evaluation at injection sites is lacking. Here we determine the suitability of CO2 injection into the Cambrian-Ordovician Arbuckle Group for long-term storage and into a Mississippian reservoir for enhanced oil recovery in Wellington Field, Sumner County, Kansas. To determine the potential for injection-induced earthquakes, we map subsurface faults and estimate in situ stresses, perform slip and dilation tendency analyses to identify well-oriented faults relative to the estimated stress field, and determine the pressure changes required to induce slip at reservoir and basement depths. Three-dimensional seismic reflection data reveal 12 near-vertical faults, mostly striking NNE, consistent with nodal planes from moment tensor solutions from recent earthquakes in the region. Most of the faults cut both reservoirs and several clearly penetrate the Precambrian basement. Drilling-induced fractures (N = 40) identified from image logs and inversion of earthquake moment tensor solutions (N = 65) indicate that the maximum horizontal stress is approximately EW. Slip tendency analysis indicates that faults striking <020° are stable under current reservoir conditions, whereas faults striking 020°-049° may be prone to reactivation with increasing pore fluid pressure. Although the proposed injection volume (40,000 t) is unlikely to reactive faults at reservoir depths, high-rate injection operations could reach pressures beyond the critical threshold for slip within the basement, as demonstrated by the large number of injection-induced earthquakes west of the study area.

Recent Progress on Modeling Slip Deformation in Shape Memory Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Sehitoglu, H.; Alkan, S.

2018-03-01

This paper presents an overview of slip deformation in shape memory alloys. The performance of shape memory alloys depends on their slip resistance often quantified through the Critical Resolved Shear Stress (CRSS) or the flow stress. We highlight previous studies that identify the active slip systems and then proceed to show how non- Schmid effects can be dominant in shape memory slip behavior. The work is mostly derived from our recent studies while we highlight key earlier works on slip deformation. We finally discuss the implications of understanding the role of slip on curtailing the transformation strains and also the temperature range over which superelasticity prevails.

Recent Progress on Modeling Slip Deformation in Shape Memory Alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Sehitoglu, H.; Alkan, S.

2018-03-01

This paper presents an overview of slip deformation in shape memory alloys. The performance of shape memory alloys depends on their slip resistance often quantified through the Critical Resolved Shear Stress (CRSS) or the flow stress. We highlight previous studies that identify the active slip systems and then proceed to show how non-Schmid effects can be dominant in shape memory slip behavior. The work is mostly derived from our recent studies while we highlight key earlier works on slip deformation. We finally discuss the implications of understanding the role of slip on curtailing the transformation strains and also the temperature range over which superelasticity prevails.

Structural development and stress evolution of an arcuate fold-and-thrust system, southwestern Greater Caucasus, Republic of Georgia

Science.gov (United States)

Tibaldi, A.; Bonali, F. L.; Russo, E.; Pasquarè Mariotto, F. A.

2018-05-01

The southern front of the Greater Caucasus is quite rectilinear in plan view, with the exception of part of the Rioni Basin, where marine and continental deposits of Cretaceous-Neogene age were locally folded and uplifted; this resulted in the formation of an arcuate fold-and-thrust system that extends 45 km into the foreland. Although previous studies suggested that this system has developed only since Miocene times, our new detailed and systematic field measurements of brittle and ductile structures show a very complex history, consisting in four main phases of brittle deformation and folding, dated from Eocene to Quaternary times. We collected microtectonic data at 248 faults, and calculated the related paleostress tensors. The first two phases which we document here, predated folding and were characterised by dominant transcurrent faulting and subordinate reverse motions; the greatest principal stress σ1 was perpendicular and later parallel to the mountain belt. Afterwards, NW-SE, E-W and NE-SW trending, south-vergent asymmetrical folds started to form. In the western sector of the study area, folds are sinuous in plan view, whereas to the east they show a left-stepping, en-échelon geometry. Another two, brittle deformation phases took place after the folding, due to the activity of a set of right-lateral, strike-slip faults that strike NW-SE and NE-SW, respectively, as well as by left-lateral strike-slip faults, mostly striking NW-SE, NE-SW and NNE-SSW. These two additional phases were produced by a NE-SW to N-S trending σ1. The arcuate belt is marked by along-strike variations in the tectonic regime and deformation geometry, plus belt-parallel stretching. Based on our field data, integrated with published analogue models, we suggest a possible explanation for the Rioni structure, in terms of the oblique, asymmetric indentation of an upper crustal blocks moving to the SSW.

Stabilizing Stick-Slip Friction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Capozza, Rosario; Barel, Itay; Urbakh, Michael; Rubinstein, Shmuel M.; Fineberg, Jay

2011-01-01

Even the most regular stick-slip frictional sliding is always stochastic, with irregularity in both the intervals between slip events and the sizes of the associated stress drops. Applying small-amplitude oscillations to the shear force, we show, experimentally and theoretically, that the stick-slip periods synchronize. We further show that this phase locking is related to the inhibition of slow rupture modes which forces a transition to fast rupture, providing a possible mechanism for observed remote triggering of earthquakes. Such manipulation of collective modes may be generally relevant to extended nonlinear systems driven near to criticality.

Active stress field and seismotectonic features in Intra-Carpathian region of Romania

Science.gov (United States)

Oros, Eugen; Popa, Mihaela; Diaconescu, Mihai; Radulian, Mircea

2017-04-01

The Romanian Intra-Carpathian Region is located on the eastern half of Tisa-Dacia geodynamic block from the Neogene Carpathian-Pannonian Basin. The distribution of seismicity displays clear clusters and narrower zones with seismogenic potential confirmed by the damaging earthquakes recoded in the region, e.g. July 01, 1829 (Mw=6.2), October 10, 1834 (Mw=5.6), January 26, 1916 (Mw=6.4), July 12, 1991 (Mw=5.7), December 2, 1991 (Mw=5.5). The state of recent stress and deformation appears to be controlled by the interaction of plate-boundary and intraplate forces, which include the counterclockwise rotation and N-NE-directed indentation of the Adria microplate and buoyancy forces associated with differential topography and lithospheric heterogeneities. The stress field and tectonic regime are investigated at regional and local scales by the formal inversion of focal mechamisms. There can be observed short-scale lateral changes of i) tectonic regimes from compressive (reverse and strike-slip faultings) to pure extensive (normal faultings) and ii) variation of stress directions (SHmax) from NE-SW to EW and WNW-ESE towards Southern Carpathians and NS within Easter Carpathians. The changes in stress directions occur over a distance that is comparable to or smaller than the thickness of the lithosphere. A comparative analysis of stress tensor with GPS velocity/displacememt vectors shows variations from paralellism to orthogonality, suggesting different mechanisms of crustal deformations.The major seismic activity (Mw≥5.0) appears to be generally concentrated along the faults systems bordering de Tisa-Dacia Block, intersections of faults of different ages, internal shear zones and with the border of the former structural terrains, old rifts and neostructures.

The Impact of U.S. Export Control and Technology Transfer Regime on the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Project'A UK Perspective

OpenAIRE

David Moore; Peter Ito; Stuart Young; Kevin Burgess; Peter Antill

2011-01-01

Proceedings Paper (for Acquisition Research Program) The research assessed the international impact of the U.S. export control and technology transfer regime, with a focus on the UK experience with the U.S. requirements as they relate to the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) and the impact on logistical support for the JSF fleet. UK government and industry representatives indicated agreement with the goals of U.S. policy, skepticism regarding the impact of those policies on effective project man...

Co-seismic slip, post-seismic slip, and largest aftershock associated with the 1994 Sanriku-haruka-oki, Japan, earthquake

Science.gov (United States)

Yagi, Yuji; Kikuchi, Masayuki; Nishimura, Takuya

2003-11-01

We analyzed continuous GPS data to investigate the spatio-temporal distribution of co-seismic slip, post-seismic slip, and largest aftershock associated with the 1994 Sanriku-haruka-oki, Japan, earthquake (Mw = 7.7). To get better resolution for co-seismic and post-seismic slip distribution, we imposed a weak constraint as a priori information of the co-seismic slip determined by seismic wave analyses. We found that the post-seismic slip during 100 days following the main-shock amount to as much moment release as the main-shock, and that the sites of co-seismic slip and post-seismic slip are partitioning on a plate boundary region in complimentary fashion. The major post-seismic slip was triggered by the mainshock in western side of the co-seismic slip, and the extent of the post-seismic slip is almost unchanged with time. It rapidly developed a shear stress concentration ahead of the slip area, and triggered the largest aftershock.

Direct measurement of wall slip and slip layer thickness of non-Brownian hard-sphere suspensions in rectangular channel flows

Science.gov (United States)

Jesinghausen, Steffen; Weiffen, Rene; Schmid, Hans-Joachim

2016-09-01

Wall slip is a long-known phenomenon in the field of rheology. Nevertheless, the origin and the evolution are not completely clear yet. Regarding suspensions, the effect becomes even more complicated, because different mechanisms like pure slip or slip due to particle migration have to be taken into account. Furthermore, suspensions themselves show many flow anomalies and the isolation of slip is complicated. In order to develop working physical models, further insight is necessary. In this work, we measured experimentally the wall slip velocities of different highly filled suspensions in a rectangular slit die directly with respect to the particle concentration and the particle size. The slip velocities were obtained using a particle image velocimetry (PIV) system. The suspensions consisting of a castor oil-cinnamon oil blend and PMMA particles were matched in terms of refractive indexes to appear transparent. Hereby, possible optical path lengths larger than 15 mm were achieved. The slip velocities were found to be in a quadratic relation to the wall shear stress. Furthermore, the overall flow rate as well as the particle concentration has a direct influence on the slip. Concerning the shear stress, there seem to be two regions of slip with different physical characteristics. Furthermore, we estimated the slip layer thickness directly from the velocity profiles and propose a new interpretation. The PIV technique is used to investigate the viscosity and implicit the concentration profile in the slit die. It is shown that the particle migration process is quite fast.

3D geomechanical modeling and numerical simulation of in-situ stress fields in shale reservoirs: A case study of the lower Cambrian Niutitang formation in the Cen'gong block, South China

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jingshou; Ding, Wenlong; Yang, Haimeng; Wang, Ruyue; Yin, Shuai; Li, Ang; Fu, Fuquan

2017-08-01

An analysis of the in-situ state of stress in a shale reservoir was performed based on comprehensive information about the subsurface properties from wellbores established during the development of an oil and gas field. Industrial-level shale gas production has occurred in the Niutitang formation of the lower Cambrian Cen'gong block, South China. In this study, data obtained from hydraulic fracturing, drilling-induced fractures, borehole breakout, global positioning system (GPS), and well deviation statistics have been used to determine the orientation of the maximum horizontal principal stress. Additionally, hydraulic fracturing and multi-pole array acoustic logging (XMAC) were used to determine the vertical variations in the in-situ stress magnitude. Based on logging interpretation and mechanical experiments, the spatial distributions of mechanical parameters were obtained by seismic inversion, and a 3D heterogeneous geomechanical model was established using a finite element stress analysis approach to simulate the in-situ stress fields. The effects of depth, faults, rock mechanics, and layer variations on the principal stresses, horizontal stress difference (Δσ), horizontal stress difference coefficient (Kh), and stress type coefficient (Sp) were determined. The results show that the direction of the maximum principal stress is ESE 120°. Additionally, the development zones of natural fractures appear to correlate with regions with high principal stress differences. At depths shallower than 375 m, the stress type is mainly a thrust faulting stress regime. At depths ranging from 375 to 950 m, the stress type is mainly a strike-slip faulting stress regime. When the depth is > 950 m, the stress type is mainly a normal faulting stress regime. Depth, fault orientation, and rock mechanics all affect the type of stress. The knowledge regarding the Cen'gong block is reliable and can improve borehole stability, casing set point determination, well deployment

Misbheaving Faults: The Expanding Role of Geodetic Imaging in Unraveling Unexpected Fault Slip Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Barnhart, W. D.; Briggs, R.

2015-12-01

Geodetic imaging techniques enable researchers to "see" details of fault rupture that cannot be captured by complementary tools such as seismology and field studies, thus providing increasingly detailed information about surface strain, slip kinematics, and how an earthquake may be transcribed into the geological record. For example, the recent Haiti, Sierra El Mayor, and Nepal earthquakes illustrate the fundamental role of geodetic observations in recording blind ruptures where purely geological and seismological studies provided incomplete views of rupture kinematics. Traditional earthquake hazard analyses typically rely on sparse paleoseismic observations and incomplete mapping, simple assumptions of slip kinematics from Andersonian faulting, and earthquake analogs to characterize the probabilities of forthcoming ruptures and the severity of ground accelerations. Spatially dense geodetic observations in turn help to identify where these prevailing assumptions regarding fault behavior break down and highlight new and unexpected kinematic slip behavior. Here, we focus on three key contributions of space geodetic observations to the analysis of co-seismic deformation: identifying near-surface co-seismic slip where no easily recognized fault rupture exists; discerning non-Andersonian faulting styles; and quantifying distributed, off-fault deformation. The 2013 Balochistan strike slip earthquake in Pakistan illuminates how space geodesy precisely images non-Andersonian behavior and off-fault deformation. Through analysis of high-resolution optical imagery and DEMs, evidence emerges that a single fault map slip as both a strike slip and dip slip fault across multiple seismic cycles. These observations likewise enable us to quantify on-fault deformation, which account for ~72% of the displacements in this earthquake. Nonetheless, the spatial distribution of on- and off-fault deformation in this event is highly spatially variable- a complicating factor for comparisons

Surface displacements and energy release rates for constant stress drop slip zones in joined elastic quarter spaces

Science.gov (United States)

Rodgers, Michael J.; Wen, Shengmin; Keer, Leon M.

2000-08-01

A three-dimensional quasi-static model of faulting in an elastic half-space with a horizontal change of material properties (i.e., joined elastic quarter spaces) is considered. A boundary element method is used with a stress drop slip zone approach so that the fault surface relative displacements as well as the free surface displacements are approximated in elements over their respective domains. Stress intensity factors and free surface displacements are calculated for a variety of cases to show the phenomenological behavior of faulting in such a medium. These calculations showed that the behavior could be distinguished from a uniform half-space. Slip in a stiffer material increases, while slip in a softer material decreases the energy release rate and the free surface displacements. Also, the 1989 Kalapana earthquake was located on the basis of a series of forward searches using this method and leveling data. The located depth is 8 km, which is the closer to the seismically inferred depth than that determined from other models. Finally, the energy release rate, which can be used as a fracture criterion for fracture at this depth, is calculated to be 11.1×106 J m-2.

How informative are slip models for aftershock forecasting?

Science.gov (United States)

Bach, Christoph; Hainzl, Sebastian

2013-04-01

Coulomb stress changes (ΔCFS) have been recognized as a major trigger mechanism for earthquakes, in particular aftershock distributions and the spatial patterns of ΔCFS are often found to be correlated. However, the Coulomb stress calculations are based on slip inversions and the receiver fault mechanisms which both contain large uncertainties. In particular, slip inversions are usually non-unique and often differ strongly for the same earthquakes. Here we want to address the information content of those inversions with respect to aftershock forecasting. Therefore we compare the slip models to randomized fractal slip models which are only constrained by fault information and moment magnitude. The uncertainty of the aftershock mechanisms is considered by using many receiver fault orientations, and by calculating ΔCFS at several depth layers. The stress change is then converted into an aftershock probability map utilizing a clock advance model. To estimate the information content of the slip models, we use an Epidemic Type Aftershock Sequence (ETAS) model approach introduced by Bach and Hainzl (2012), where the spatial probability density of direct aftershocks is related to the ΔCFS calculations. Besides the directly triggered aftershocks, this approach also takes secondary aftershock triggering into account. We quantify our results by calculating the information gain of the randomized slip models relative to the corresponding published slip model. As case studies, we investigate the aftershock sequences of several well-known main shocks such as 1992 Landers, 1999 Hector Mine, 2004 Parkfield, 2002 Denali. First results show a huge difference in the information content of slip models. For some of the cases up to 90% of the random slip models are found to perform better than the originally published model, for some other cases only few random models are found performing better than the published slip model.

Unified law of evolution of experimental gouge-filled fault for fast and slow slip events at slider frictional experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Ostapchuk, Alexey; Saltykov, Nikolay

2017-04-01

Excessive tectonic stresses accumulated in the area of rock discontinuity are released while a process of slip along preexisting faults. Spectrum of slip modes includes not only creeps and regular earthquakes but also some transitional regimes - slow-slip events, low-frequency and very low-frequency earthquakes. However, there is still no agreement in Geophysics community if such fast and slow events have mutual nature [Peng, Gomberg, 2010] or they present different physical phenomena [Ide et al., 2007]. Models of nucleation and evolution of fault slip events could be evolved by laboratory experiments in which regularities of shear deformation of gouge-filled fault are investigated. In the course of the work we studied deformation regularities of experimental fault by slider frictional experiments for development of unified law of evolution of fault and revelation of its parameters responsible for deformation mode realization. The experiments were conducted as a classic slider-model experiment, in which block under normal and shear stresses moves along interface. The volume between two rough surfaces was filled by thin layer of granular matter. Shear force was applied by a spring which deformed with a constant rate. In such experiments elastic energy was accumulated in the spring, and regularities of its releases were determined by regularities of frictional behaviour of experimental fault. A full spectrum of slip modes was simulated in laboratory experiments. Slight change of gouge characteristics (granule shape, content of clay), viscosity of interstitial fluid and level of normal stress make it possible to obtained gradual transformation of the slip modes from steady sliding and slow slip to regular stick-slip, with various amplitude of 'coseismic' displacement. Using method of asymptotic analogies we have shown that different slip modes can be specified in term of single formalism and preparation of different slip modes have uniform evolution law. It is shown

2-D Deformation analysis of a half-space due to a long dip-slip fault ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

tic deformation in a uniform half-space due to long faults has been attempted by a number of researchers. Singh and Rani (1996) presented step- by-step progress made in the direction of crustal deformation modeling associated with strike-slip and dip-slip faulting in the earth. Cohen (1996) gave convenient formulas for ...

Magmatic control along a strike-slip volcanic arc: The central Aeolian arc (Italy)

KAUST Repository

Ruch, Joel; Vezzoli, L.; De Rosa, R.; Di Lorenzo, R.; Acocella, V

2016-01-01

-slip motion; consistent with an E-W extension direction, with minor dextral and sinistral shear. Our data highlight six eruptive periods during the last 55 ka, which allow considering both islands as a single magmatic system, in which tectonic and magmatic

Systematic deficiency of aftershocks in areas of high coseismic slip for large subduction zone earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Wetzler, Nadav; Lay, Thorne; Brodsky, Emily E.; Kanamori, Hiroo

2018-01-01

Fault slip during plate boundary earthquakes releases a portion of the shear stress accumulated due to frictional resistance to relative plate motions. Investigation of 101 large [moment magnitude (Mw) ≥ 7] subduction zone plate boundary mainshocks with consistently determined coseismic slip distributions establishes that 15 to 55% of all master event–relocated aftershocks with Mw ≥ 5.2 are located within the slip regions of the mainshock ruptures and few are located in peak slip regions, allowing for uncertainty in the slip models. For the preferred models, cumulative deficiency of aftershocks within the central three-quarters of the scaled slip regions ranges from 15 to 45%, increasing with the total number of observed aftershocks. The spatial gradients of the mainshock coseismic slip concentrate residual shear stress near the slip zone margins and increase stress outside the slip zone, driving both interplate and intraplate aftershock occurrence near the periphery of the mainshock slip. The shear stress reduction in large-slip regions during the mainshock is generally sufficient to preclude further significant rupture during the aftershock sequence, consistent with large-slip areas relocking and not rupturing again for a substantial time. PMID:29487902

Coulomb stress analysis of the 21 February 2008 Mw= 6.0 Wells, Nevada, earthquake

Science.gov (United States)

Sevilgen, Volkan

2011-01-01

Static Coulomb stress changes imparted by the February 21, 2008 Wells, Nevada earthquake are calculated, using an 8 x 6 km rectangular patch with a uniform slip as a source fault. Stress changes are resolved on nearby active faults using their rake, dip, and strike direction, assuming a fault friction of 0.4. The largest Coulomb stress increase (0.2 bars) imparted to surrounding major active faults from the Wells earthquake occurs on the Clover Hill fault, which may be the southern continuation of the ruptured fault. A 0.1 bar Coulomb stress increase is calculated on the western Snake Mountains fault. Coulomb stress decreases of 0.5 bars are calculated for the northern parts of the Independence and Ruby Mountains faults. The Coulomb stress change is calculated on relocated aftershocks assuming that they have the same strike, dip, and rake, as the source fault. Under this assumption, 75% of the aftershocks received a Coulomb stress increase.

Multiparameter Monitoring and Prevention of Fault-Slip Rock Burst

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shan-chao Hu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Fault-slip rock burst is one type of the tectonic rock burst during mining. A detailed understanding of the precursory information of fault-slip rock burst and implementation of monitoring and early warning systems, as well as pressure relief measures, are essential to safety production in deep mines. This paper first establishes a mechanical model of stick-slip instability in fault-slip rock bursts and then reveals the failure characteristics of the instability. Then, change rule of mining-induced stress and microseismic signals before the occurrence of fault-slip rock burst are proposed, and multiparameter integrated early warning methods including mining-induced stress and energy are established. Finally, pressure relief methods targeting large-diameter boreholes and coal seam infusion are presented in accordance with the occurrence mechanism of fault-slip rock burst. The research results have been successfully applied in working faces 2310 of the Suncun Coal Mine, and the safety of the mine has been enhanced. These research results improve the theory of fault-slip rock burst mechanisms and provide the basis for prediction and forecasting, as well as pressure relief, of fault-slip rock bursts.

Constraints on the rheology of the lower crust in a strike-slip plate boundary: evidence from the San Quintín xenoliths, Baja California, Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

van der Werf, Thomas; Chatzaras, Vasileios; Marcel Kriegsman, Leo; Kronenberg, Andreas; Tikoff, Basil; Drury, Martyn R.

2017-12-01

The rheology of lower crust and its transient behavior in active strike-slip plate boundaries remain poorly understood. To address this issue, we analyzed a suite of granulite and lherzolite xenoliths from the upper Pleistocene-Holocene San Quintín volcanic field of northern Baja California, Mexico. The San Quintín volcanic field is located 20 km east of the Baja California shear zone, which accommodates the relative movement between the Pacific plate and Baja California microplate. The development of a strong foliation in both the mafic granulites and lherzolites, suggests that a lithospheric-scale shear zone exists beneath the San Quintín volcanic field. Combining microstructural observations, geothermometry, and phase equilibria modeling, we estimated that crystal-plastic deformation took place at temperatures of 750-890 °C and pressures of 400-560 MPa, corresponding to 15-22 km depth. A hot crustal geotherm of 40 ° C km-1 is required to explain the estimated deformation conditions. Infrared spectroscopy shows that plagioclase in the mafic granulites is relatively dry. Microstructures are interpreted to show that deformation in both the uppermost lower crust and upper mantle was accommodated by a combination of dislocation creep and grain-size-sensitive creep. Recrystallized grain size paleopiezometry yields low differential stresses of 12-33 and 17 MPa for plagioclase and olivine, respectively. The lower range of stresses (12-17 MPa) in the mafic granulite and lherzolite xenoliths is interpreted to be associated with transient deformation under decreasing stress conditions, following an event of stress increase. Using flow laws for dry plagioclase, we estimated a low viscosity of 1.1-1.3×1020 Pa ṡ s for the high temperature conditions (890 °C) in the lower crust. Significantly lower viscosities in the range of 1016-1019 Pa ṡ s, were estimated using flow laws for wet plagioclase. The shallow upper mantle has a low viscosity of 5.7×1019 Pa ṡ s

Characteristics of aperiodic sequence of slip events caused by interaction between seismic patches and that caused be self-organized stress heterogeneity

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, N.

2017-12-01

Numerical simulations of earthquake cycles are conducted to investigate the origin of complexity of earthquake recurrence. There are two main causes of the complexity. One is self-organized stress heterogeneity due to dynamical effect. The other is the effect of interaction between some fault patches. In the model, friction on the fault is assumed to obey a rate- and state-dependent friction law. Circular patches of velocity-weakening frictional property are assumed on the fault. On the remaining areas of the fault, velocity-strengthening friction is assumed. We consider three models: Single patch model, two-patch model, and three-patch model. In the first model, the dynamical effect is mainly examined. The latter two models take into consideration the effect of interaction as well as the dynamical effect. Complex multiperiodic or aperiodic sequences of slip events occur when slip behavior changes from the seismic to aseismic, and when the degree of interaction between seismic patches is intermediate. The former is observed in all the models, and the latter is observed in the two-patch model and the three-patch model. Evolution of spatial distribution of shear stress on the fault suggests that aperiodicity at the transition from seismic to aseismic slip is caused by self-organized stress heterogeneity. The iteration maps of recurrence intervals of slip events in aperiodic sequences are examined, and they are approximately expressed by simple curves for aperiodicity at the transition from seismic to aseismic slip. In contrast, the iteration maps for aperiodic sequences caused by interaction between seismic patches are scattered and they are not expressed by simple curves. This result suggests that complex sequences caused by different mechanisms may be distinguished.

The role of farfield tectonic stress in oceanic intraplate deformation, Gulf of Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Reece, Robert S.; Gulick, Sean P. S.; Christesen, Gail L.; Horton, Brian K.; VanAvendonk, Harm J.; Barth, Ginger

2013-01-01

An integration of geophysical data from the Pacific Plate reveals plate bending anomalies, massive intraplate shearing and deformation, and a lack of oceanic crust magnetic lineaments in different regions across the Gulf of Alaska. We argue that farfield stress from the Yakutat Terrane collision with North America is the major driver for these unusual features. Similar plate motion vectors indicate that the Pacific plate and Yakutat Terrane are largely coupled along their boundary, the Transition Fault, with minimal translation. Our study shows that the Pacific Plate subduction angle shallows toward the Yakutat Terrane and supports the theory that the Pacific Plate and Yakutat Terranemaintain coupling along the subducted region of the Transition Fault. We argue that the outboard transfer of collisional stress to the Pacific Plate could have resulted in significant strain in the NE corner of the Pacific Plate, which created pathways for igneous sill formation just above the Pacific Plate crust in the Surveyor Fan. A shift in Pacific Plate motion during the late Miocene altered the Yakutat collision with North America, changing the stress transfer regime and potentially terminating associated strain in the NE corner of the Pacific Plate. The collision further intensified as the thickest portion of the Yakutat Terrane began to subduct during the Pleistocene, possibly providing the impetus for the creation of the Gulf of Alaska Shear Zone, a>200 km zone of intraplate strike-slip faults that extend from the Transition Fault out into the Pacific Plate. This study highlights the importance of farfield stress from complex tectonic regimes in consideration of large-scale oceanic intraplate deformation.

Experimental investigation of flow and slip transition in nanochannels

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhigang; Li, Long; Mo, Jingwen

2014-11-01

Flow slip in nanochannels is sought in many applications, such as sea water desalination and molecular separation, because it can enhance fluid transport, which is essential in nanofluidic systems. Previous findings about the slip length for simple fluids at the nanoscale appear to be controversial. Some experiments and simulations showed that the slip length is independent of shear rate, which agrees with the prediction of classic slip theories. However, there is increasing work showing that slip length is shear rate dependent. In this work, we experimentally investigate the Poiseuille flows in nanochannels. It is found that the flow rate undergoes a transition between two linear regimes as the shear rate is varied. The transition indicates that the non-slip boundary condition is valid at low shear rate. When the shear rate is larger than a critical value, slip takes place and the slip length increases linearly with increasing shear rate before approaching a constant value. The results reported in this work can help advance the understanding of flow slip in nanochannels. This work was supported by the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region under Grant Nos. 615710 and 615312. J. Mo was partially supported by the Postgraduate Scholarship through the Energy Program at HKUST.

Extensional Seismogenic Stress and Tectonic Movement on the Central Region of the Tibetan Plateau

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiren Xu

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Various earthquake fault types, mechanism solutions and stress fields, as well as GPS and geothermal data are analyzed for the study of the crustal movements on the Tibetan plateau and their tectonic implications. The results show that a lot of the normal faulting type-event concentrated at altitudes greater than 4000 m on the central Tibetan plateau. The altitudes concentrating normal faulting type-events can be zoned two parts: the western part, the Lhasa block, and the eastern part, the Qiangtang-Changdu region. The azimuths of T-axes are in a general E-W direction in the Lhasa block and NW-SE or NNW-SSE in the Qiangtang-Changdu region at the altitudes of the Tibetan plateau. The tensional stresses in E-W direction and NW-SE direction predominate normal faulting earthquake occurrence in the Lhasa block and the Qiangtang-Changdu region, respectively. The slipping displacements of the normal-faulting-type events have great components in near E-W direction and NW-SE direction in the Lhasa block and the Qiangtang-Changdu region, respectively. The extensions are probably an eastward or southeastward extensional motion, being mainly tectonic activity phenomena in the plateau altitudes. The extensional motions due to normal-fault earthquakes are important tectonic activity regimes on the high altitudes of the plateau. The easterly crustal extensions on the plateau are attributable to the gravitational collapse of the high plateau and eastward extrusion of hotter mantle materials beneath the eastern boundary of the plateau. Numbers of thrust-fault and strike-slip-fault earthquakes with strong compressive stress in a general NNE-SSW direction occur on the edges of the plateau.

Slip rate and tremor genesis in Cascadia

Science.gov (United States)

Wech, Aaron G.; Bartlow, Noel M.

2014-01-01

At many plate boundaries, conditions in the transition zone between seismogenic and stable slip produce slow earthquakes. In the Cascadia subduction zone, these events are consistently observed as slow, aseismic slip on the plate interface accompanied by persistent tectonic tremor. However, not all slow slip at other plate boundaries coincides spatially and temporally with tremor, leaving the physics of tremor genesis poorly understood. Here we analyze seismic, geodetic, and strainmeter data in Cascadia to observe for the first time a large, tremor-generating slow earthquake change from tremor-genic to silent and back again. The tremor falls silent at reduced slip speeds when the migrating slip front pauses as it loads the stronger adjacent fault segment to failure. The finding suggests that rheology and slip-speed-regulated stressing rate control tremor genesis, and the same section of fault can slip both with and without detectable tremor, limiting tremor's use as a proxy for slip.

The role of water in slip casting

Science.gov (United States)

Mccauley, R. A.; Phelps, G. W.

1984-01-01

Slips and casting are considered in terms of physical and colloidal chemistry. Casting slips are polydisperse suspensions of lyophobic particles in water, whose degree of coagulation is controlled by interaction of flocculating and deflocculating agents. Slip casting rate and viscosity are functions of temperature. Slip rheology and response to deflocculating agents varies significantly as the kinds and amounts of colloid modifiers change. Water is considered as a raw material. Various concepts of water/clay interactions and structures are discussed. Casting is a de-watering operation in which water moves from slip to cast to mold in response to a potential energy termed moisture stress. Drying is an evaporative process from a free water surface.

Geotribology - Friction, wear, and lubrication of faults

Science.gov (United States)

Boneh, Yuval; Reches, Ze'ev

2018-05-01

We introduce here the concept of Geotribology as an approach to study friction, wear, and lubrication of geological systems. Methods of geotribology are applied here to characterize the friction and wear associated with slip along experimental faults composed of brittle rocks. The wear in these faults is dominated by brittle fracturing, plucking, scratching and fragmentation at asperities of all scales, including 'effective asperities' that develop and evolve during the slip. We derived a theoretical model for the rate of wear based on the observation that the dynamic strength of brittle materials is proportional to the product of load stress and loading period. In a slipping fault, the loading period of an asperity is inversely proportional to the slip velocity, and our derivations indicate that the wear-rate is proportional to the ratio of [shear-stress/slip-velocity]. By incorporating the rock hardness data into the model, we demonstrate that a single, universal function fits wear data of hundreds of experiments with granitic, carbonate and sandstone faults. In the next step, we demonstrate that the dynamic frictional strength of experimental faults is well explained in terms of the tribological parameter PV factor (= normal-stress · slip-velocity). This factor successfully delineates weakening and strengthening regimes of carbonate and granitic faults. Finally, our analysis revealed a puzzling observation that wear-rate and frictional strength have strikingly different dependencies on the loading conditions of normal-stress and slip-velocity; we discuss sources for this difference. We found that utilization of tribological tools in fault slip analyses leads to effective and insightful results.

Insights on the seismotectonics of the western part of northern Calabria (southern Italy) by integrated geological and geophysical data: Coexistence of shallow extensional and deep strike-slip kinematics

Science.gov (United States)

Ferranti, L.; Milano, G.; Pierro, M.

2017-11-01

We assess the seismotectonics of the western part of the border area between the Southern Apennines and Calabrian Arc, centered on the Mercure extensional basin, by integrating recent seismicity with a reconstruction of the structural frame from surface to deep crust. The analysis of low-magnitude (ML ≤ 3.5) events occurred in the area during 2013-2017, when evaluated in the context of the structural model, has revealed an unexpected complexity of seismotectonics processes. Hypocentral distribution and kinematics allow separating these events into three groups. Focal mechanisms of the shallower (kinematics. These results are consistent with the last kinematic event recorded on outcropping faults, and with the typical depth and kinematics of normal faulting earthquakes in the axial part of southern Italy. By contrast, intermediate ( 9-17 km) and deep ( 17-23 km) events have fault plane solutions characterized by strike- to reverse-oblique slip, but they differ from each other in the orientation of the principal axes. The intermediate events have P axes with a NE-SW trend, which is at odds with the NW-SE trend recorded by strike-slip earthquakes affecting the Apulia foreland plate in the eastern part of southern Italy. The intermediate events are interpreted to reflect reactivation of faults in the Apulia unit involved in thrust uplift, and appears aligned along an WNW-ESE trending deep crustal, possibly lithospheric boundary. Instead, deep events beneath the basin, which have P-axis with a NW-SE trend, hint to the activity of a deep overthrust of the Tyrrhenian back-arc basin crust over the continental crust of the Apulia margin, or alternatively, to a tear fault in the underthrust Apulia plate. Results of this work suggest that extensional faulting, as believed so far, does not solely characterizes the seismotectonics of the axial part of the Southern Apennines.

Combined effects of magnetic field and partial slip on obliquely striking rheological fluid over a stretching surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nadeem, S.; Mehmood, Rashid; Akbar, Noreen Sher

2015-01-01

This study explores the collective effects of partial slip and transverse magnetic field on an oblique stagnation point flow of a rheological fluid. The prevailing momentum equations are designed by manipulating Casson fluid model. By applying the suitable similarity transformations, the governing system of equations is being transformed into coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The resulting system is handled numerically through midpoint integration scheme together with Richardson's extrapolation. It is found that both normal and tangential velocity profiles decreases with an increase in magnetic field as well as slip parameter. Streamlines pattern are presented to study the actual impact of slip mechanism and magnetic field on the oblique flow. A suitable comparison with the previous literature is also provided to confirm the accuracy of present results for the limiting case. - Highlights: • The MHD 2-Dimensional flow of Casson fluid is present. • Streamlines pattern are presented to study the actual impact of slip mechanism and magnetic field on the oblique flow. • The prevailing momentum equations are designed by manipulating Casson fluid model. • Obtained coupled ordinary differential equations are investigated numerically. • Graphical results are obtained for each physical parameter

Modeling of rock friction 2. Simulation of preseismic slip

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dieterich, J.H.

1979-01-01

The constitutive relations developed in the companion paper are used to model detailed observations of preseismic slip and the onset of unstable slip in biaxial laboratory experiments. The simulations employ a deterministic plane strain finite element model to represent the interactions both within the sliding blocks and between the blocks and the loading apparatus. Both experiments and simulations show that preseismic slip controlled by initial inhomogeneity of shear stress along the sliding surface relative to the frictional strength. As a consequence of the inhomogeneity, stable slip begins at a point on the surface and the area of slip slowly expands as the external loading increases. A previously proposed correlation between accelerating rates of stable slip and growth of the area of slip is supported by the simulations. In the simulations and in the experiments, unstable slip occurs, shortly after a propagating slip event traverses the sliding surface and breaks out at the ends of the sample. In the model the breakout of stable slip causes a sudden acceleration of slip rates. Because of velocity dependency of the constitutive relationship for friction, the rapid acceleration of slip causes a decrease in frictional strength. Instability occurs when the frictional strength decreases with displacement at a rate that exceeds the intrinsic unloading characteristics of the sample and test machine. A simple slider-spring model that does not consider preseismic slip appears to approximate the transition adequately from stable sliding to unstable slip as a function of normal stress machine stiffness, and surface roughness for small samples. However, for large samples and for natural faults the simulations suggest that the simple model may be inaccurate because it does not take into account potentially large preseismic displacements that will alter the friction parameters prior to instability

Slip in the 2010-2011 Canterbury Earthquakes, New Zealand and implications for future seismic hazard in Christchurch

Science.gov (United States)

Elliott, J. R.; Nissen, E.; England, P. C.; Jackson, J. A.; Lamb, S.; Li, Z.; Oehlers, M.; Parsons, B. E.

2011-12-01

The September 2010 Mw 7.1 Darfield and February 2011 Mw 6.3 Christchurch (New Zealand) earthquakes occurred on previously unknown faults. We use InSAR, field mapping, aerial photographs, high-resolution satellite imagery, a LiDAR DEM, SAR amplitude offsets and teleseismic body-wave modelling to constrain the pattern of faulting in these earthquakes. The InSAR phase measurement revealed a complex pattern of ground deformation, and the fault source geometry and slip model was difficult to constrain with this data set alone. By combining the fault rupture from field observations and measured offset roads and hedges in the satellite/aerial imagery, we were able to reduce the number of free parameters in our fault model. The fault model obtained using these constraints revealed slip on multiple strike-slip segments and secondary thrust faults associated with the Darfield mainshock. The main fault rupture is about 45 km long, and is confined largely to the upper 10 km of the crust. Slip on the individual fault segments of up to 8 m at 4 km depth indicates large stress drops of about 10 MPa, which may imply an immature fault rather than rupture on an established fault. We find good agreement between horizontal offsets and slip vectors determined in the field with those derived from the remote aerial and satellite imagery. We also find good agreement between the predicted surface slip from the InSAR-derived fault model and these offsets. LiDAR determined vertical offsets of 0.1-1.4 m are consistent with the small dip-slip values predicted in the InSAR model. The orientations of the P-axes for the reverse and strike-slip segments are consistent with those expected from the GPS-derived strain field which shows a principal contraction direction ENE-WSW (Wallace et al., 2007). However, the absence of any geomorphic indicators for previous large earthquakes, obscured by the gravels of the Canterbury Plain, led to the notion that the Christchurch area was in the interior of a

Båth's law and its relation to the tectonic environment: A case study for earthquakes in Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Pérez, Q.; Zúñiga, F. R.

2016-09-01

We studied 66 mainshocks and their largest aftershocks in the Mexican subduction zone and in the Gulf of California with magnitudes in the range of 5.2 worldwide studies supporting the observation of mechanism dependence of radiated seismic energy. The statistical tests indicate that the only significant difference is for shallow thrust and strike-slip events for these parameters. The statistical comparison of stress drop of shallow thrust versus that of inslab events shows a strongly significant difference with a confidence better than 99%. The comparison of stress drop of shallow thrust events with that of strike-slip events, also indicates a strongly significant difference. We see no dependence of stress drop with magnitude, which is strong evidence of earthquake self-similarity. We do not observe a systematic depth dependence of stress drop. The results also reveal differences in the earthquake rupture among the events. The magnitude difference between the mainshock and the largest aftershock for inslab events is larger than interplate and strike-slip events suggesting focal mechanism dependence of Båth's law. For the case of this parameter, only that for inslab and strike-slip events present a significant difference with 95% confidence.

Large-magnitude Dextral Slip on the Wairarapa Fault, New Zealand

Science.gov (United States)

Rodgers, D. W.; Little, T.

2004-12-01

Dextral slip associated with an 1855 Ms 8.0+ event on the Wairarapa fault near Wellington, New Zealand was reported to be 12+/-1 m along a rupture length of at least 148km (Grapes, 1999), one of the largest single-event strike-slip offsets documented worldwide. Initial results from a new study involving detailed neotectonic mapping and microtopographic surveys of offset landforms (including many beheaded, inactive streams) strongly suggest that dextral slip was as much as 50% greater than previously measured. 1855 surface ruptures were mapped with certainty where a linear scarp characterized by steep slopes (30-90°) and exposed alluvium cuts across active or inactive stream channels. The fifteen individual strands comprising the Wairarapa fault zone that we have mapped to date are 1200+/-700 m long and typically left-stepping. Slip in the stepover zones between these strands is distributed amongst two or more ruptures and intervening anticlines, a situation that causes along-strike variations in slip and which locally complicates the interpretation of 1855 displacement. We focused on seven of the best-preserved sites where low-discharge streams are disrupted by the fault zone, including five that had been previously attributed by Grapes (1999) to coseismic slip during the 1855 earthquake. One of these (Pigeon Bush) includes two sequentially displaced, now beheaded linear stream channels, oriented perpendicular to the fault scarp, that preserve distinct offsets with respect to a single deeply incised, originally contiguous gorge on the opposite side of the fault. To quantify the minimum fault displacements at each site, we made 1:500 scale topographic maps employing n = 2,000-10,000 points collected with GPS and laser instrumentation. Measured dextral slip values, here attributed to the 1855 earthquake, include 16.4+/-1.0m (Hinaburn), 12.9+/-2.0m (Cross Creek), 17.2+/-2.5m (Lake Meadows), 18.7+/-1.0m (Pigeon Bush), 13.0+/-1.5m (Pigeon Bush 2), 15.1+/-1.0m (Pigeon

Fracture energy of stick-slip events in a large scale biaxial experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okubo, P.G.; Dieterich, J.H.

1981-01-01

The concept of apparent fracture energy for the shear failure process is employed by many authors in modeling earthquake sources as dynamically extending shear cracks. Using records of shear strain and relative displacement from stick-slip events generated along a simulated, prepared fault surface in a large (1.5m x 1.5m x 0.4m) granite block and a slip-weakening model for the fault, direct estimates of the apparent shear fracture energy of the stick-slip events have been obtained. For events generated on a finely ground fault surface, apparent fracture energy ranges from 0.06 J/m 2 at a normal stress of 1.1 MPa to 0.8 J/m 2 at a normal stress of 4.6 MPa. In contrast to estimates for tensile crack formation, we find that the apparent fracture energy of stick-slip events increases linearly with normal stress. The results for the slip-weakening model for the stick-slip events are generally consistent with constitutive fault models suggested by observations of stable sliding in smaller scale experiments

The intraplate Maranhão earthquake of 2017 January 3, northern Brazil: evidence for uniform regional stresses along the Brazilian equatorial margin

Science.gov (United States)

Dias, Fábio L.; Assumpção, M.; Bianchi, Marcelo B.; Barros, Lucas V.; Carvalho, Juraci M.

2018-04-01

Lithospheric stresses in intraplate regions can be characterized by many different wavelengths. In some areas, stresses vary over short distances of less than ˜100 km, but in other regions uniform stresses can be recognized for more than ˜1000 km or so. However, not all intraplate regions are well sampled with stress measurements to allow a good characterization of the lithospheric stresses. On 2017 January 3, a magnitude mb 4 earthquake occurred near the equatorial coast of the Maranhão State, an aseismic area of northern Brazil. Despite the few permanent stations in northern Brazil, a well-constrained strike-slip mechanism was obtained from regional moment-tensor inversion. A detailed analysis of the backazimuths of aftershocks recorded by the closest station (˜40 km away) allowed the identification of the fault plane to be the NNW-SSE trending nodal plane. An estimate of the rupture length, about 2 km, was also possible. The strike-slip mechanism has coast-parallel P axis and coast-perpendicular T axis, in agreement with most of the focal mechanisms found further to the east. The coast parallel P axis is also similar to the SHmax orientations from breakouts measurements further along the coast. The Maranhão earthquake fills an important gap of stress indicators in northern Brazil and suggests that the intraplate stress field is uniform along the 2000 km long northern coast.

Stress Transfer Processes during Great Plate Boundary Thrusting Events: A Study from the Andaman and Nicobar Segments

Science.gov (United States)

Andrade, V.; Rajendran, K.

2010-12-01

The response of subduction zones to large earthquakes varies along their strike, both during the interseismic and post-seismic periods. The December 26, 2004 earthquake nucleated at 3° N latitude and its rupture propagated northward, along the Andaman-Sumatra subduction zone, terminating at 15°N. Rupture speed was estimated at about 2.0 km per second in the northern part under the Andaman region and 2.5 - 2.7 km per second under southern Nicobar and North Sumatra. We have examined the pre and post-2004 seismicity to understand the stress transfer processes within the subducting plate, in the Andaman (10° - 15° N ) and Nicobar (5° - 10° N) segments. The seismicity pattern in these segments shows distinctive characteristics associated with the outer rise, accretionary prism and the spreading ridge, all of which are relatively better developed in the Andaman segment. The Ninety East ridge and the Sumatra Fault System are significant tectonic features in the Nicobar segment. The pre-2004 seismicity in both these segments conform to the steady-state conditions wherein large earthquakes are fewer and compressive stresses dominate along the plate interface. Among the pre-2004 great earthquakes are the 1881 Nicobar and 1941 Andaman events. The former is considered to be a shallow thrust event that generated a small tsunami. Studies in other subduction zones suggest that large outer-rise tensional events follow great plate boundary breaking earthquakes due to the the up-dip transfer of stresses within the subducting plate. The seismicity of the Andaman segment (1977-2004) concurs with the steady-state stress conditions where earthquakes occur dominantly by thrust faulting. The post-2004 seismicity shows up-dip migration along the plate interface, with dominance of shallow normal faulting, including a few outer rise events and some deeper (> 100 km) strike-slip faulting events within the subducting plate. The September 13, 2002, Mw 6.5 thrust faulting earthquake at

Constraints on the rheology of the lower crust in a strike-slip plate boundary: evidence from the San Quintín xenoliths, Baja California, Mexico

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T. van der Werf

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The rheology of lower crust and its transient behavior in active strike-slip plate boundaries remain poorly understood. To address this issue, we analyzed a suite of granulite and lherzolite xenoliths from the upper Pleistocene–Holocene San Quintín volcanic field of northern Baja California, Mexico. The San Quintín volcanic field is located 20 km east of the Baja California shear zone, which accommodates the relative movement between the Pacific plate and Baja California microplate. The development of a strong foliation in both the mafic granulites and lherzolites, suggests that a lithospheric-scale shear zone exists beneath the San Quintín volcanic field. Combining microstructural observations, geothermometry, and phase equilibria modeling, we estimated that crystal-plastic deformation took place at temperatures of 750–890 °C and pressures of 400–560 MPa, corresponding to 15–22 km depth. A hot crustal geotherm of 40 ° C km−1 is required to explain the estimated deformation conditions. Infrared spectroscopy shows that plagioclase in the mafic granulites is relatively dry. Microstructures are interpreted to show that deformation in both the uppermost lower crust and upper mantle was accommodated by a combination of dislocation creep and grain-size-sensitive creep. Recrystallized grain size paleopiezometry yields low differential stresses of 12–33 and 17 MPa for plagioclase and olivine, respectively. The lower range of stresses (12–17 MPa in the mafic granulite and lherzolite xenoliths is interpreted to be associated with transient deformation under decreasing stress conditions, following an event of stress increase. Using flow laws for dry plagioclase, we estimated a low viscosity of 1.1–1.3×1020 Pa ⋅ s for the high temperature conditions (890 °C in the lower crust. Significantly lower viscosities in the range of 1016–1019 Pa ⋅ s, were estimated using flow laws for wet plagioclase. The

Evidence for fluid-triggered slip in the 2009 Mount Rainier, Washington earthquake swarm

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Shelly, David R.; Moran, Seth C.; Thelen, Weston A.

2013-01-01

A vigorous swarm of over 1000 small, shallow earthquakes occurred 20–22 September 2009 beneath Mount Rainier, Washington, including the largest number of events ever recorded in a single day at Rainier since seismic stations were installed on the edifice in 1989. Many events were only clearly recorded on one or two stations on the edifice, or they overlapped in time with other events, and thus only ~200 were locatable by manual phase picking. To partially overcome this limitation, we applied waveform-based event detection integrated with precise double-difference relative relocation. With this procedure, detection and location goals are accomplished in tandem, using cross-correlation with continuous seismic data and waveform templates constructed from cataloged events. As a result, we obtained precise locations for 726 events, an improvement of almost a factor of 4. These event locations define a ~850 m long nearly vertical structure striking NNE, with episodic migration outward from the initial hypocenters. The activity front propagates in a manner consistent with a diffusional process. Double-couple-constrained focal mechanisms suggest dominantly near-vertical strike-slip motion on either NNW or ENE striking faults, more than 30° different than the strike of the event locations. This suggests the possibility of en echelon faulting, perhaps with a component of fault opening in a fracture-mesh-type geometry. We hypothesize that the swarm was initiated by a sudden release of high-pressure fluid into preexisting fractures, with subsequent activity triggered by diffusing fluid pressure in combination with stress transfer from the preceding events.

Source parameters of the Bay of Bengal earthquake of 21 May 2014 and related seismotectonics of 85°E and 90°E ridges

Science.gov (United States)

Prakash, Rajesh; Prajapati, Sanjay Kumar; Srivastava, Hari Narain

2018-01-01

Source parameters of the Bay of Bengal earthquake of 21 May 2014 have been studied using full waveform inversion. Its source mechanism thus determined the orientation of the strike slip faulting as NW-SE/NE-SW. The occurrence of past earthquakes along the NE-SW nodal plane suggested its preference as the main fault which could result from the transmission of stresses from the Indian plate boundary. High stress drop of this earthquake (216 bar) is attributed to its location in the intraplate region, strike slip faulting and focus in the colder upper mantle. Comparison of the stress drop of deeper focus Hindukush earthquakes with that of the Bay of Bengal earthquake showed a smaller felt radius due to fractured lithosphere in the Himalayas vis-a-vis more efficient propagation of seismic waves in the peninsular region from the source region of this recent earthquake. The seismological evidence presented for the 85°E and 90°E ridges shows the predominance of strike slip faulting with thrusting on both the ridges. Integrating their source mechanism with that of the May 2014 earthquake, it could be inferred that the Bay of Bengal region (excluding Andaman Sumatra subduction zone) is characterised predominantly by strike slip faulting in the region north of latitude 20°N and strike slip with thrusting in the remaining portion.

Slow slip phenomena in Cascadia from 2007 and beyond: a review

Science.gov (United States)

Gomberg, Joan; ,

2010-01-01

Recent technological advances combined with more detailed analyses of seismologic and geodetic observations have fundamentally changed our understanding of the ways in which tectonic stresses arising from plate motions are accommodated by slip on faults. The traditional view that relative plate motions are accommodated by a simple cycle of stress accumulation and release on “locked” plate-boundary faults has been revolutionized by the serendipitous discovery and recognition of the significance of slow-slip phenomena, mostly in the deeper reaches of subduction zones. The Cascadia subduction zone, located in the Pacific Northwest of the conterminous United States and adjacent Canada, is an archetype of exploration and learning about slow-slip phenomena. These phenomena are manifest as geodetically observed aseismic transient deformations accompanied by a previously unrecognized class of seismic signals. Although secondary failure processes may be involved in generating the seismic signals, the primary origins of both aseismic and seismic phenomena appear to be episodic fault slip, probably facilitated by fluids, on a plate interface that is critically stressed or weakened. In Cascadia, this transient slip evolves more slowly and over more prolonged durations relative to the slip in earthquakes, and it occurs between the 30- and 40-km-depth contours of the plate interface where information was previously elusive. Although there is some underlying organization that relaxes nearly all the accrued plate-motion stresses along the entirety of Cascadia, we now infer that slow slip evolves in complex patterns indicative of propagating stress fronts. Our new understanding provides key constraints not only on the region where the slow slip originates, but also on the probable characteristics of future megathrust earthquakes in Cascadia. Herein, we review the most significant scientific issues and progress related to understanding slow-slip phenomena in Cascadia and

Shear Slip Potential Induced by Thermomechanical Loading in an Underground Repository for Nuclear Waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jaewon; Min, Kibok; Stephansson, Ove

2010-01-01

In the context of a deep geological repository for nuclear water, the thermal stress generated by nuclear waster is expected to contribute to shear slip and dilation, which will eventually alter the fracture permeability in the region. In this study, the probability of the occurrence of shear slip at a fracture was examined by the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. The study was based on the fracture orientation generated by the Latin hypercube sampling method, which can improve the efficiency of Monte Carlo simulations by the use of a more systematic approach for selecting the input samples. Statistical data of fracture orientations from the site investigation in Forsmark, Sweden, were used in this study. The historical assessment of thermal stress was based on three-dimensional finite element modeling of a geological repository that measures 800 m by 2000 m and on a time scale up to 10,000 years. The results show that the probability of shear slip evolved differently at six selected points due to the difference stresses at each point. However, it was evident that the probability of shear slip was more that twice as large as the initial probability of failure. This increased permeability and micro seismicity, which can be an issue during the initial operation of the repository. The study provided a quantitative assessment of the probability of shear slip at a fracture, which is an important parameter for assessing the performance of a geological repository. Conclusions are summarized as follows: · With random orientation data, the probability of shear slip around the repository model increases with increased thermal stress. · The probability of shear slip depends on the manner in which the thermal stress is generated. Higher shear slip is expected with higher differential thermal stress. · The probability of shear slip at Forsmark was less than 1 %. If different sites have fracture sets with more overlap, however, the probability may become increase. Therefore, a

Viscous slip coefficients for binary gas mixtures measured from mass flow rates through a single microtube

OpenAIRE

Yamaguchi, H.; Takamori, K.; Perrier, P.; Graur, I.; Matsuda, Y.; Niimi, T.

2016-01-01

The viscous slip coefficient for helium-argon binary gas mixture is extracted from the experimental values of the mass flow rate through a microtube. The mass flow rate is measured by the constant-volume method. The viscous slip coefficient was obtained by identifying the measured mass flow rate through a microtube with the corresponding analytical expression, which is a function of the Knudsen number. The measurements were carried out in the slip flow regime where the first-order slip bounda...

Re‐estimated effects of deep episodic slip on the occurrence and probability of great earthquakes in Cascadia

Science.gov (United States)

Beeler, Nicholas M.; Roeloffs, Evelyn A.; McCausland, Wendy

2013-01-01

Mazzotti and Adams (2004) estimated that rapid deep slip during typically two week long episodes beneath northern Washington and southern British Columbia increases the probability of a great Cascadia earthquake by 30–100 times relative to the probability during the ∼58 weeks between slip events. Because the corresponding absolute probability remains very low at ∼0.03% per week, their conclusion is that though it is more likely that a great earthquake will occur during a rapid slip event than during other times, a great earthquake is unlikely to occur during any particular rapid slip event. This previous estimate used a failure model in which great earthquakes initiate instantaneously at a stress threshold. We refine the estimate, assuming a delayed failure model that is based on laboratory‐observed earthquake initiation. Laboratory tests show that failure of intact rock in shear and the onset of rapid slip on pre‐existing faults do not occur at a threshold stress. Instead, slip onset is gradual and shows a damped response to stress and loading rate changes. The characteristic time of failure depends on loading rate and effective normal stress. Using this model, the probability enhancement during the period of rapid slip in Cascadia is negligible (stresses of 10 MPa or more and only increases by 1.5 times for an effective normal stress of 1 MPa. We present arguments that the hypocentral effective normal stress exceeds 1 MPa. In addition, the probability enhancement due to rapid slip extends into the interevent period. With this delayed failure model for effective normal stresses greater than or equal to 50 kPa, it is more likely that a great earthquake will occur between the periods of rapid deep slip than during them. Our conclusion is that great earthquake occurrence is not significantly enhanced by episodic deep slip events.

Does fault strengthening in laboratory rock friction experiments really depend primarily upon time and not slip?

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharya, Pathikrit; Rubin, Allan M.; Beeler, Nicholas M.

2017-08-01

The popular constitutive formulations of rate-and-state friction offer two end-member views on whether friction evolves only with slip (Slip law) or with time even without slip (Aging law). While rate stepping experiments show support for the Slip law, laboratory-observed frictional behavior near-zero slip rates has traditionally been inferred as supporting Aging law style time-dependent healing, in particular, from the slide-hold-slide experiments of Beeler et al. (1994). Using a combination of new analytical results and explicit numerical (Bayesian) inversion, we show instead that the slide-hold-slide data of Beeler et al. (1994) favor slip-dependent state evolution during holds. We show that, while the stiffness-independent rate of growth of peak stress (following reslides) with hold duration is a property shared by both the Aging and (under a more restricted set of parameter combinations) Slip laws, the observed stiffness dependence of the rate of stress relaxation during long holds is incompatible with the Aging law with constant rate-state parameters. The Slip law consistently fits the evolution of the stress minima at the end of the holds well, whether fitting jointly with peak stresses or otherwise. But neither the Aging nor Slip laws fit all the data well when a - b is constrained to values derived from prior velocity steps. We also attempted to fit the evolution of stress peaks and minima with the Kato-Tullis hybrid law and the shear stress-dependent Nagata law, both of which, even with the freedom of an extra parameter, generally reproduced the best Slip law fits to the data.

Report on televiewer log and stress measurements in core hole USW G-2, Nevada Test Site, October-November, 1982

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stock, J.M.; Healy, J.H.; Hickman, S.H.

1984-01-01

Hydraulic fracturing stress measurements and a borehole televiewer log were obtained in hole USW G-2 at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, to depths of 1200 m. Results indicate that at the depths tested, the minimum ad maximum horizontal stresses are less than the vertical stress, corresponding to a normal faulting stress regime. Drilling-induced hydrofractures seen in the televiewer log imply a least horizontal principal stress direction of N 60 0 W to N 65 0 W. For reasonable values of the coefficient of friction, the magnitude of the least horizontal stress is close to the value at which slip would occur on preexisting faults of optimal orientation (strike N 25 0 E to N 30 0 E and dipping 60 0 to 67 0 ). The prominent drilling-induced fractures seen in the televiewer log are believed to have been caused by excess downhole pressures applied during drilling the hole. Many throughgoing fractures are also seen in the televiewer log; most of these are high angle, stringing N 10 0 E to N 40 0 E. These fractures show a general decrease in angle of dip with depth. Stress-induced wellbore breakouts are seen at depths below 1050 m. The average N 60 0 W azimuth of these breakouts agrees very closely with the N 60 0 W to N 65 0 W direction of least horizontal principal stress inferred from the drilling-induced hydrofracs. 19 references, 13 figures, 3 tables

Aseismic and seismic slip induced by fluid injection from poroelastic and rate-state friction modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Y.; Deng, K.; Harrington, R. M.; Clerc, F.

2016-12-01

Solid matrix stress change and pore pressure diffusion caused by fluid injection has been postulated as key factors for inducing earthquakes and aseismic slip on pre-existing faults. In this study, we have developed a numerical model that simulates aseismic and seismic slip in a rate-and-state friction framework with poroelastic stress perturbations from multi-stage hydraulic fracturing scenarios. We apply the physics-based model to the 2013-2015 earthquake sequences near Fox Creek, Alberta, Canada, where three magnitude 4.5 earthquakes were potentially induced by nearby hydraulic fracturing activity. In particular, we use the relocated December 2013 seismicity sequence to approximate the fault orientation, and find the seismicity migration spatiotemporally correlate with the positive Coulomb stress changes calculated from the poroelastic model. When the poroelastic stress changes are introduced to the rate-state friction model, we find that slip on the fault evolves from aseismic to seismic in a manner similar to the onset of seismicity. For a 15-stage hydraulic fracturing that lasted for 10 days, modeled fault slip rate starts to accelerate after 3 days of fracking, and rapidly develops into a seismic event, which also temporally coincides with the onset of induced seismicity. The poroelastic stress perturbation and consequently fault slip rate continue to evolve and remain high for several weeks after hydraulic fracturing has stopped, which may explain the continued seismicity after shut-in. In a comparison numerical experiment, fault slip rate quickly decreases to the interseismic level when stress perturbations are instantaneously returned to zero at shut-in. Furthermore, when stress perturbations are removed just a few hours after the fault slip rate starts to accelerate (that is, hydraulic fracturing is shut down prematurely), only aseismic slip is observed in the model. Our preliminary results thus suggest the design of fracturing duration and flow

Seismogenic Potential of a Gouge-filled Fault and the Criterion for Its Slip Stability: Constraints From a Microphysical Model

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jianye; Niemeijer, A. R.

2017-12-01

Physical constraints for the parameters of the rate-and-state friction (RSF) laws have been mostly lacking. We presented such constraints based on a microphysical model and demonstrated the general applicability to granular fault gouges deforming under hydrothermal conditions in a companion paper. In this paper, we examine the transition velocities for contrasting frictional behavior (i.e., strengthening to weakening and vice versa) and the slip stability of the model. The model predicts a steady state friction coefficient that increases with slip rate at very low and high slip rates and decreases in between. This allows the transition velocities to be theoretically obtained and the unstable slip regime (Vs→w static stress drop (Δμs) associated with self-sustained oscillations or stick slips. Numerical implementation of the model predicts frictional behavior that exhibits consecutive transitions from stable sliding, via periodic oscillations, to unstable stick slips with decreasing elastic stiffness or loading rate, and gives Kc, Wc, Δμs, Vs→w, and Vw→s values that are consistent with the analytical predictions. General scaling relations of these parameters given by the model are consistent with previous interpretations in the context of RSF laws and agree well with previous experiments, testifying to high validity. From these physics-based expressions that allow a more reliable extrapolation to natural conditions, we discuss the seismological implications for natural faults and present topics for future work.

Crustal stress regime in Italy

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M. Cesaro

1997-06-01

Full Text Available In order to obtain a reliable map of the present-day stress field in Italy, needed to better understand the active tectonic processes and to contribute to the assessment of seismic hazard, in 1992 we started to collect and analyze new data from borehole breakouts in deep oil and geothermal wells and focal mechanisms of earthquakes (2.5 < M <5 occurred in Italy between 1988 and 1995. From about 200 deep wells and 300 focal mechanisms analyzed to date, we infer that: the internal (SW sector of the Northern Apenninic arc is extending with minimum compressional stress (Shmin oriented ? ENE, while the external front is thrusting over the Adriatic foreland (Shmin ? NW-SE. The entire Southern Apennine is extending in NE direction (from the Tyrrhenian margin to the Apulian foreland and compression (in the foredeep is no longer active at the outer (NE thrust front. Between these two arcs, an abrupt change in the tectonic regime is detected with directions of horizontal stress changing by as much as 90º in the external front, around latitude 430N. Along the Ionian side of the Calabrian arc the stress directions inferred from breakouts and focal mechanisms are scattered with a hint of rotation from N-S Shmin close to the Southern Apennines, to ~ E-W directions in the Messina Strait. In Sicily, a NW-SE direction of SHmax is evident in the Hyblean foreland, parallel to the direction of plate motion between Africa and Europe. A more complex pattern of stress directions is observed in the thrust belt zone, with rotations from the regional trend (NW í directed SHmax to NE oriented SHmax. A predominant NW direction of SHmax is also detected in mainland Sicily from earthquake focal mechanisms, but no well data are available in this region. In the northern part of Sicily (Aeolian Islands a ~N-S direction of SHmax is observed.

Seismic slip on clay nano-foliation

Science.gov (United States)

Aretusini, S.; Pluemper, O.; Passelègue, F. X.; Spagnuolo, E.; Di Toro, G.

2017-12-01

Deformation processes active at seismic slip rates (ca. 1 m/s) on smectite-rich slipping zones are not well understood, although they likely control the mechanical behaviour of: i) subduction zone faults affected by tsunamigenic earthquakes (e.g. Japan Trench affected by Tohoku-Oki 2011 earthquake), ii) plate-boundary faults (e.g. San Andreas Fault), and iii) landslide decollements (e.g. 1963 Vajont landslide). Here we present a set of rotary experiments performed on water-dampened 2 mm thick clay-rich (70% wt. smectite and 30% wt. opal) gouge layers sheared at slip rates V ranging from 0.01 to 1.3 m/s, for 3 m of displacement under 5 MPa normal stress. Microstructural analyses were conducted on pre- and post-sheared gouges using focused ion beam scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy. All sheared gouges were slip weakening in the first 0.1 m of displacement, with friction coefficient decreasing from 0.3-0.45 to 0.5-0.15. Then, with progressive slip, gouges evolved to slip-strengthening (final friction coefficient of 0.35-0.48) at V ≤0.1 m/s and slip-neutral (final friction of 0.05) at V=1.3 m/s. Despite the large difference in the imposed slip rate and frictional behaviour, the slipping zone always consisted of a nano-foliation defined by sub-micrometric smectite crystals wrapping opal grains. The nano-foliated layer thickness decreased from 1.5 mm at V≤0.1 m/s to 0.15 mm at V=1.3 m/s. The presence of a similar nano-foliation in all the smectite-rich wet gouges suggests the activation of similar deformation processes, dominated by frictional slip on grain boundary and basal planes. The variation of deformed thickness with slip rate shows that dynamic weakening, occurring only at seismic slip rates, is controlled by strain localization.

Dynamic slip of polydisperse linear polymers using partitioned plate

Science.gov (United States)

Ebrahimi, Marzieh; Konaganti, Vinod Kumar; Hatzikiriakos, Savvas G.

2018-03-01

The slip velocity of an industrial grade high molecular weight high-density polyethylene (HDPE) is studied in steady and dynamic shear experiments using a stress/strain controlled rotational rheometer equipped with a parallel partitioned plate geometry. Moreover, fluoroalkyl silane-based coating is used to understand the effect of surface energy on slip in steady and dynamic conditions. The multimode integral Kaye-Bernstein-Kearsley-Zapas constitutive model is applied to predict the transient shear response of the HDPE melt obtained from rotational rheometer. It is found that a dynamic slip model with a slip relaxation time is needed to adequately predict the experimental data at large shear deformations. Comparison of the results before and after coating shows that the slip velocity is largely affected by surface energy. Decreasing surface energy by coating increases slip velocity and decreases the slip relaxation time.

Stress Interactions Between the 1976 Magnitude 7.8 Tangshan Earthquake and Adjacent Fault Systems in Northern China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Z.; Lin, J.; Chen, Y. J.

2004-12-01

The 28 July 1976 ML = 7.8 Tangshan earthquake struck a highly populated metropolitan center in northern China and was one of the most devastating earthquakes in modern history. Its occurrence has significantly changed the Coulomb stresses on a complex network of strike-slip, normal, and thrust faults in the region, potentially heightened the odds of future earthquakes on some of these fault segments. We have conducted a detailed analysis of the 3D stress effects of the Tangshan earthquake on its neighboring faults, the relationship between stress transfer and aftershock locations, and the implications for future seismic hazard in the region. Available seismic and geodetic data, although limited, indicate that the Tangshan main shock sequence is composed of complex rupture on 2-3 fault segments. The dominant rupture mode is right-lateral strike-slip on two adjoining sub-segments that strike N5¡aE and N35¡aE, respectively. We calculated that the Tangshan main shock sequence has increased the Coulomb failure stress by more than 1 bar in the vicinity of the Lunanxian district to the east, where the largest aftershock (ML = 7.1) occurred 15 hours after the Tangshan main event. The second largest aftershock (ML = 6.8) occurred on the Ninghe fault to the southwest of the main rupture, in a transitional region between the calculated Coulomb stress increase and decrease. The majority of the ML > 5.0 aftershocks also occurred in areas of calculated Coulomb stress increase. Our analyses further indicate that the Coulomb stress on portions of other fault segments, including the Leting and Lulong fault to the east and Yejito fault to the north, may also have been increased. Thus it is critical to obtain estimates of earthquake repeat times on these and other tectonic faults and to acquire continuous GPS and space geodetic measurements. Investigation of stress interaction and earthquake triggering in northern China is not only highly societal relevant but also important for

Slicing up the San Francisco Bay Area: Block kinematics and fault slip rates from GPS-derived surface velocities

Science.gov (United States)

d'Alessio, M. A.; Johanson, I.A.; Burgmann, R.; Schmidt, D.A.; Murray, M.H.

2005-01-01

Observations of surface deformation allow us to determine the kinematics of faults in the San Francisco Bay Area. We present the Bay Area velocity unification (BA??VU??, "bay view"), a compilation of over 200 horizontal surface velocities computed from campaign-style and continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) observations from 1993 to 2003. We interpret this interseismic velocity field using a three-dimensional block model to determine the relative contributions of block motion, elastic strain accumulation, and shallow aseismic creep. The total relative motion between the Pacific plate and the rigid Sierra Nevada/Great Valley (SNGV) microplate is 37.9 ?? 0.6 mm yr-1 directed toward N30.4??W ?? 0.8?? at San Francisco (??2??). Fault slip rates from our preferred model are typically within the error bounds of geologic estimates but provide a better fit to geodetic data (notable right-lateral slip rates in mm yr-1: San Gregorio fault, 2.4 ?? 1.0; West Napa fault, 4.0 ?? 3.0; zone of faulting along the eastern margin of the Coast Range, 5.4 ?? 1.0; and Mount Diablo thrust, 3.9 ?? 1.0 of reverse slip and 4.0 ?? 0.2 of right-lateral strike slip). Slip on the northern Calaveras is partitioned between both the West Napa and Concord/ Green Valley fault systems. The total convergence across the Bay Area is negligible. Poles of rotation for Bay Area blocks progress systematically from the North America-Pacific to North America-SNGV poles. The resulting present-day relative motion cannot explain the strike of most Bay Area faults, but fault strike does loosely correlate with inferred plate motions at the time each fault initiated. Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.

New evidence on the state of stress of the san andreas fault system.

Science.gov (United States)

Zoback, M D; Zoback, M L; Mount, V S; Suppe, J; Eaton, J P; Healy, J H; Oppenheimer, D; Reasenberg, P; Jones, L; Raleigh, C B; Wong, I G; Scotti, O; Wentworth, C

1987-11-20

Contemporary in situ tectonic stress indicators along the San Andreas fault system in central California show northeast-directed horizontal compression that is nearly perpendicular to the strike of the fault. Such compression explains recent uplift of the Coast Ranges and the numerous active reverse faults and folds that trend nearly parallel to the San Andreas and that are otherwise unexplainable in terms of strike-slip deformation. Fault-normal crustal compression in central California is proposed to result from the extremely low shear strength of the San Andreas and the slightly convergent relative motion between the Pacific and North American plates. Preliminary in situ stress data from the Cajon Pass scientific drill hole (located 3.6 kilometers northeast of the San Andreas in southern California near San Bernardino, California) are also consistent with a weak fault, as they show no right-lateral shear stress at approximately 2-kilometer depth on planes parallel to the San Andreas fault.

Spatial Variation of Slip Behavior Beneath the Alaska Peninsula Along Alaska-Aleutian Subduction Zone

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Shanshan; Freymueller, Jeffrey T.

2018-04-01

We resurveyed preexisting campaign Global Positioning System (GPS) sites and estimated a highly precise GPS velocity field for the Alaska Peninsula. We use the TDEFNODE software to model the slip deficit distribution using the new GPS velocities. We find systematic misfits to the vertical velocities from the optimal model that fits the horizontal velocities well, which cannot be explained by altering the slip distribution, so we use only the horizontal velocities in the study. Locations of three boundaries that mark significant along-strike change in the locking distribution are identified. The Kodiak segment is strongly locked, the Semidi segment is intermediate, the Shumagin segment is weakly locked, and the Sanak segment is dominantly creeping. We suggest that a change in preexisting plate fabric orientation on the downgoing plate has an important control on the along-strike variation in the megathrust locking distribution and subduction seismicity.

COMPARISON OF COSEISMIC IONOSPHERIC DISTURBANCE WAVEFORMS REVISITED: STRIKE-SLIP, NORMAL, AND REVERSE FAULT EARTHQUAKE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mokhamad Nur Cahyadi

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Using Total Electron Content (TEC measurements with Global Positioning System we studied ionospheric responses to three large earthquakes with difference focal mechanism that occurred in the Sumatra Andaman 26 December 2004, North off Sumatra 11 April 2012, and North Japan 7 December 2012. These earthquakes have different focal mechanisms, i.e. high-angle reverse, strike-slip, and normal faulting, respectively. TEC responses to the Sumatra Andaman 2004 and north Japan 2012 events initiated with positive changes. On the other hand, the initial TEC changes in the Sumatra 2012 earthquake showed both positive and negative polarities depending on the azimuth around the focal area. Such a variety may reflect differences in coseismic vertical crustal displacements, which are dominated by uplift and subsidence in the Sumatra 2012 event. This phenomena has same characteristic with 1994 Kuril Arch earthquake. There are three different propagation velocity in the Sumatra 2012 earthquake, within the first 300 km until 430 km, the CID propagation velocity was ~3 km/s, which is equal to the secod sound speed at the height of the ionospheric F-layer. Starting from 380 km until 750 km out from the epicenter, the disturbance seems to divide into two separate perturbations, with each propagating at a different velocity, about 1 km/s for the one and about 0.4 m/s for the other. The apparent velocity in the Sumatra Andaman 2004 and Japan 2012 propagated ~ 1 km/s and ~ 0.3 km/s, consistent with the sound speed at the ionospheric F layer height and internal gravity wave respectively. Resonant oscillation of TEC with a frequency of ~ 3.7 mHZ and ~4.4 mHz have been found in the Sumatra 2012 and Sumatra Andaman 2004 events. Those earthquakes, which occurred during a period of quiet geomagnetic activity, also showed clear preseismic TEC anomalies similar to those before the 2011 Tohoku-Oki and 2007 Bengkulu earthquake.   The positive anomalies started 30-60 minutes

Determining the Critical Slip Surface of Three-Dimensional Soil Slopes from the Stress Fields Solved Using the Finite Element Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-chuan Yang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The slope stability problem is an important issue for the safety of human beings and structures. The stability analysis of the three-dimensional (3D slope is essential to prevent landslides, but the most important and difficult problem is how to determine the 3D critical slip surface with the minimum factor of safety in earth slopes. Basing on the slope stress field with the finite element method, a stability analysis method is proposed to determine the critical slip surface and the corresponding safety factor of 3D soil slopes. Spherical and ellipsoidal slip surfaces are considered through the analysis. The moment equilibrium is used to compute the safety factor combined with the Mohr-Coulomb criteria and the limit equilibrium principle. Some assumptions are introduced to reduce the search range of center points and the radius of spheres or ellipsoids. The proposed method is validated by a classical 3D benchmark soil slope. Simulated results indicate that the safety factor of the benchmark slope is 2.14 using the spherical slip surface and 2.19 using the ellipsoidal slip surface, which is close to the results of previous methods. The simulated results indicate that the proposed method can be used for the stability analysis of a 3D soil slope.

Shear Slip Potential Induced by Thermomechanical Loading in an Underground Repository for Nuclear Waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jaewon; Min, Kibok; Stephansson, Ove

2010-01-01

In the context of a deep geological repository for nuclear water, the thermal stress generated by nuclear waster is expected to contribute to shear slip and dilation, which will eventually alter the fracture permeability in the region. In this study, the probability of the occurrence of shear slip at a fracture was examined by the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. The study was based on the fracture orientation generated by the Latin hypercube sampling method, which can improve the efficiency of Monte Carlo simulations by the use of a more systematic approach for selecting the input samples. Statistical data of fracture orientations from the site investigation in Forsmark, Sweden, were used in this study. The historical assessment of thermal stress was based on three-dimensional finite element modeling of a geological repository that measures 800 m by 2000 m and on a time scale up to 10,000 years. The results show that the probability of shear slip evolved differently at six selected points due to the difference stresses at each point. However, it was evident that the probability of shear slip was more that twice as large as the initial probability of failure. This increased permeability and micro seismicity, which can be an issue during the initial operation of the repository. The study provided a quantitative assessment of the probability of shear slip at a fracture, which is an important parameter for assessing the performance of a geological repository. Conclusions are summarized as follows: · With random orientation data, the probability of shear slip around the repository model increases with increased thermal stress. · The probability of shear slip depends on the manner in which the thermal stress is generated. Higher shear slip is expected with higher differential thermal stress. · The probability of shear slip at Forsmark was less than 1 %. If different sites have fracture sets with more overlap, however, the probability may become increase. Therefore, a

Strain rate effect on fault slip and rupture evolution: Insight from meter-scale rock friction experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Shiqing; Fukuyama, Eiichi; Yamashita, Futoshi; Mizoguchi, Kazuo; Takizawa, Shigeru; Kawakata, Hironori

2018-05-01

We conduct meter-scale rock friction experiments to study strain rate effect on fault slip and rupture evolution. Two rock samples made of Indian metagabbro, with a nominal contact dimension of 1.5 m long and 0.1 m wide, are juxtaposed and loaded in a direct shear configuration to simulate the fault motion. A series of experimental tests, under constant loading rates ranging from 0.01 mm/s to 1 mm/s and under a fixed normal stress of 6.7 MPa, are performed to simulate conditions with changing strain rates. Load cells and displacement transducers are utilized to examine the macroscopic fault behavior, while high-density arrays of strain gauges close to the fault are used to investigate the local fault behavior. The observations show that the macroscopic peak strength, strength drop, and the rate of strength drop can increase with increasing loading rate. At the local scale, the observations reveal that slow loading rates favor generation of characteristic ruptures that always nucleate in the form of slow slip at about the same location. In contrast, fast loading rates can promote very abrupt rupture nucleation and along-strike scatter of hypocenter locations. At a given propagation distance, rupture speed tends to increase with increasing loading rate. We propose that a strain-rate-dependent fault fragmentation process can enhance the efficiency of fault healing during the stick period, which together with healing time controls the recovery of fault strength. In addition, a strain-rate-dependent weakening mechanism can be activated during the slip period, which together with strain energy selects the modes of fault slip and rupture propagation. The results help to understand the spectrum of fault slip and rock deformation modes in nature, and emphasize the role of heterogeneity in tuning fault behavior under different strain rates.

Evidence for Truncated Exponential Probability Distribution of Earthquake Slip

KAUST Repository

Thingbaijam, Kiran Kumar; Mai, Paul Martin

2016-01-01

Earthquake ruptures comprise spatially varying slip on the fault surface, where slip represents the displacement discontinuity between the two sides of the rupture plane. In this study, we analyze the probability distribution of coseismic slip, which provides important information to better understand earthquake source physics. Although the probability distribution of slip is crucial for generating realistic rupture scenarios for simulation-based seismic and tsunami-hazard analysis, the statistical properties of earthquake slip have received limited attention so far. Here, we use the online database of earthquake source models (SRCMOD) to show that the probability distribution of slip follows the truncated exponential law. This law agrees with rupture-specific physical constraints limiting the maximum possible slip on the fault, similar to physical constraints on maximum earthquake magnitudes.We show the parameters of the best-fitting truncated exponential distribution scale with average coseismic slip. This scaling property reflects the control of the underlying stress distribution and fault strength on the rupture dimensions, which determines the average slip. Thus, the scale-dependent behavior of slip heterogeneity is captured by the probability distribution of slip. We conclude that the truncated exponential law accurately quantifies coseismic slip distribution and therefore allows for more realistic modeling of rupture scenarios. © 2016, Seismological Society of America. All rights reserverd.

Evidence for Truncated Exponential Probability Distribution of Earthquake Slip

KAUST Repository

Thingbaijam, Kiran K. S.

2016-07-13

Earthquake ruptures comprise spatially varying slip on the fault surface, where slip represents the displacement discontinuity between the two sides of the rupture plane. In this study, we analyze the probability distribution of coseismic slip, which provides important information to better understand earthquake source physics. Although the probability distribution of slip is crucial for generating realistic rupture scenarios for simulation-based seismic and tsunami-hazard analysis, the statistical properties of earthquake slip have received limited attention so far. Here, we use the online database of earthquake source models (SRCMOD) to show that the probability distribution of slip follows the truncated exponential law. This law agrees with rupture-specific physical constraints limiting the maximum possible slip on the fault, similar to physical constraints on maximum earthquake magnitudes.We show the parameters of the best-fitting truncated exponential distribution scale with average coseismic slip. This scaling property reflects the control of the underlying stress distribution and fault strength on the rupture dimensions, which determines the average slip. Thus, the scale-dependent behavior of slip heterogeneity is captured by the probability distribution of slip. We conclude that the truncated exponential law accurately quantifies coseismic slip distribution and therefore allows for more realistic modeling of rupture scenarios. © 2016, Seismological Society of America. All rights reserverd.

Dynamic Aftershock Triggering Correlated with Cyclic Loading in the Slip Direction

Science.gov (United States)

Hardebeck, J.

2014-12-01

Dynamic stress changes have been shown to contribute to aftershock triggering, but the physical triggering mechanisms are not fully understood. Some proposed mechanisms are based on dynamic stress loading of the target fault in a direction that encourages earthquake slip (e.g. dynamic Coulomb stress triggering), while other mechanisms are based on fault weakening due to shaking. If dynamic stress loading in the fault slip direction plays a role in aftershock triggering, we would expect to see a relationship between the dynamic stress orientations and the aftershock focal mechanisms. Alternatively, if dynamic stress change triggering functions only through a fault weakening mechanism that is independent of the slip direction of the target fault, no such relationship is expected. I study aftershock sequences of 4 M≥6.7 mainshocks in southern California, and find a small but significant relationship between modeled dynamic stress direction and aftershock focal mechanisms. The mainshock dynamic stress changes have two observed impacts: changing the focal mechanisms in a given location to favor those aligned with the dynamic stress change, and changing the spatial distribution of seismicity to favor locations where the dynamic stress change aligns with the background stress. The aftershock focal mechanisms are significantly more aligned with the dynamic stress changes than the preshock mechanisms for only the first 0.5-1 year following most mainshocks, although for at least 10 years following Hector Mine. Dynamic stress effects on focal mechanisms are best observed at long periods (30-60 sec). Dynamic stress effects are only observed when using metrics based on repeated stress cycling in the same direction, for example considering the dominant stress orientation over the full time series, and not for the peak dynamic stress. These results imply that dynamic aftershock triggering operates at least in part through cyclic loading in the direction of fault slip, although

Size-affected single-slip behavior of Rene N5 microcrystals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shade, P.A., E-mail: paul.shade@wpafb.af.mil [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ohio State University, 477 Watts Hall, 2041 College Road, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, 2230 10th Street, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433 (United States); Uchic, M.D.; Dimiduk, D.M. [Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, 2230 10th Street, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433 (United States); Viswanathan, G.B.; Wheeler, R. [UES Inc., 4401 Dayton-Xenia Road, Dayton, OH 45432 (United States); Fraser, H.L. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Ohio State University, 477 Watts Hall, 2041 College Road, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States)

2012-02-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Microcompression testing was conducted on the single crystal superalloy Rene N5. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer All microcrystals exhibited size-affected plastic flow. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Dendrite core microcrystals were stronger than those from interdendritic regions. - Abstract: Microcompression testing was conducted on the cast single crystal nickel-base superalloy Rene N5. Microcrystals were selectively fabricated from either dendrite core or interdendritic regions. The compression axis was oriented for single-slip deformation and microcrystal diameters ranged from 2.5 to 80 {mu}m. All microcrystals displayed several hallmarks of size-affected plastic flow, including a size-affected and stochastic flow-stress and initial strain hardening rate, as well as an intermittent flow response. The magnitude of size-affected flow-stress scaling behavior was dependent upon the plastic strain level of the flow-stress measurement, with increasing size-dependence for increasing strain levels. TEM analysis demonstrated the activation of multiple slip-systems, despite the microcrystals being oriented for single-slip deformation. Zig-zag slip was also observed in microcrystals that achieved flow stresses of {approx}1300 MPa or higher. For microcrystals fabricated within interdendritic regions the flow-stress values are, on average, lower compared to dendrite core microcrystals. This difference in flow-stress is especially pronounced for microcrystals which are 5 {mu}m in diameter. The microcrystal diameter for which bulk-like properties are estimated to be observed is approximately 350 {mu}m, which is approaching the measured primary dendrite arm spacing for this crystal (430 {mu}m).

A Comparison of Geodetic and Geologic Rates Prior to Large Strike-Slip Earthquakes: A Diversity of Earthquake-Cycle Behaviors?

Science.gov (United States)

Dolan, James F.; Meade, Brendan J.

2017-12-01

Comparison of preevent geodetic and geologic rates in three large-magnitude (Mw = 7.6-7.9) strike-slip earthquakes reveals a wide range of behaviors. Specifically, geodetic rates of 26-28 mm/yr for the North Anatolian fault along the 1999 MW = 7.6 Izmit rupture are ˜40% faster than Holocene geologic rates. In contrast, geodetic rates of ˜6-8 mm/yr along the Denali fault prior to the 2002 MW = 7.9 Denali earthquake are only approximately half as fast as the latest Pleistocene-Holocene geologic rate of ˜12 mm/yr. In the third example where a sufficiently long pre-earthquake geodetic time series exists, the geodetic and geologic rates along the 2001 MW = 7.8 Kokoxili rupture on the Kunlun fault are approximately equal at ˜11 mm/yr. These results are not readily explicable with extant earthquake-cycle modeling, suggesting that they may instead be due to some combination of regional kinematic fault interactions, temporal variations in the strength of lithospheric-scale shear zones, and/or variations in local relative plate motion rate. Whatever the exact causes of these variable behaviors, these observations indicate that either the ratio of geodetic to geologic rates before an earthquake may not be diagnostic of the time to the next earthquake, as predicted by many rheologically based geodynamic models of earthquake-cycle behavior, or different behaviors characterize different fault systems in a manner that is not yet understood or predictable.

The feature of the focal mechanism solutions and tectonic stress field around the focus of Zaduo earthquake (Ms 6.3) in eastern Tibet

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Y.; Zeng, Z.; Shuang, X.; Li, X.

2017-12-01

On 17th October, 2016, an earthquake of Ms6.3 occurred in Zaduo County, Qinghai Province (32.9°N, 95.0°E), 159 km away from the epicenter of Yushu Ms7.3 earthquake in 2011. The earthquake is located in the eastern Tibet Plateau and the north region of Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis. Using the broadband seismic waveform data form regional networks, we determined the focal mechanism solutions (FMSs) of 83 earthquakes (M>3.5) occurred in Zaduo and its adjacent areas from 2009 to 2017. We also collected another 63 published FMSs and then inversed the current tectonic stress field in study region using the damped linear inversion method. The results show that the Zaduo earthquake is a normal oblique earthquake. The FMSs in our study region are mainly in strike-slip and normal fault patterns. The strike-slip earthquakes are mainly distributed in Yushu-Ganzi, Zaduo and Yanshiping fault zones, and the normal faulting events occurred in Nu Jiang fault zone and Nierong County and its vicinity, the south and southwest of the study areas. The tectonic stress field results indicate that the stress distribution in the north and east of the study region changes homogeneously and slowly. From west to east, the σ1 gradually changes from NNE to NE direction, and the σ3 varies from NWW to NW direction. Both the maximum (σ1) and minimum (σ3) principal stress axes in the study area are nearly horizontal, except in the Nu Jiang fault zone and its vicinity, the south of the study area, which is in a normal faulting stress regime (σ1 is vertical and σ3 is horizontal). The localized normal faulting stress field in the south area, which is almost limited in a semicircle, indicates that a high pressure and low viscosity body with low S-wave velocity and high conductivity might exists beneath the anomaly area. And there may be another semicircle abnormal area beyond the south of the study region. Waveform data for this study are provided by Data Management Centre of China National Seismic

Investigations of Slip Effect on the Performance of Micro Gas Bearings and Stability of Micro Rotor-Bearing Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jieyu Chen

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Incorporating the velocity slip effect of the gas flow at the solid boundary, theperformance and dynamic response of a micro gas-bearing-rotor system are investigated inthis paper. For the characteristic length scale of the micro gas bearing, the gas flow in thebearing resides in the slip regime rather than in the continuum regime. The modifiedReynolds equations of different slip models are presented. Gas pressure distribution and loadcarrying capacity are obtained by solving the Reynolds equations with finite differentmethod (FDM. Comparing results from different models, it is found that the second orderslip model agrees reasonably well with the benchmarked solutions obtained from thelinearized Boltzmann equation. Therefore, dynamic coefficients derived from the secondorder slip model are employed to evaluate the linear dynamic stability and vibrationcharacteristics of the system. Compared with the continuum flow model, the slip effectreduces dynamic coefficients of the micro gas bearing, and the threshold speed for stableoperation is consequently raised. Also, dynamic analysis shows that the system responseschange with variation of the operating parameters including the eccentricity ratio, therotational speed, and the unbalance ratio.

New Empirical Earthquake Source‐Scaling Laws

KAUST Repository

Thingbaijam, Kiran Kumar S.

2017-12-13

We develop new empirical scaling laws for rupture width W, rupture length L, rupture area A, and average slip D, based on a large database of rupture models. The database incorporates recent earthquake source models in a wide magnitude range (M 5.4–9.2) and events of various faulting styles. We apply general orthogonal regression, instead of ordinary least-squares regression, to account for measurement errors of all variables and to obtain mutually self-consistent relationships. We observe that L grows more rapidly with M compared to W. The fault-aspect ratio (L/W) tends to increase with fault dip, which generally increases from reverse-faulting, to normal-faulting, to strike-slip events. At the same time, subduction-inter-face earthquakes have significantly higher W (hence a larger rupture area A) compared to other faulting regimes. For strike-slip events, the growth of W with M is strongly inhibited, whereas the scaling of L agrees with the L-model behavior (D correlated with L). However, at a regional scale for which seismogenic depth is essentially fixed, the scaling behavior corresponds to the W model (D not correlated with L). Self-similar scaling behavior with M − log A is observed to be consistent for all the cases, except for normal-faulting events. Interestingly, the ratio D/W (a proxy for average stress drop) tends to increase with M, except for shallow crustal reverse-faulting events, suggesting the possibility of scale-dependent stress drop. The observed variations in source-scaling properties for different faulting regimes can be interpreted in terms of geological and seismological factors. We find substantial differences between our new scaling relationships and those of previous studies. Therefore, our study provides critical updates on source-scaling relations needed in seismic–tsunami-hazard analysis and engineering applications.

Triggering of destructive earthquakes in El Salvador

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-Díaz, José J.; Álvarez-Gómez, José A.; Benito, Belén; Hernández, Douglas

2004-01-01

We investigate the existence of a mechanism of static stress triggering driven by the interaction of normal faults in the Middle American subduction zone and strike-slip faults in the El Salvador volcanic arc. The local geology points to a large strike-slip fault zone, the El Salvador fault zone, as the source of several destructive earthquakes in El Salvador along the volcanic arc. We modeled the Coulomb failure stress (CFS) change produced by the June 1982 and January 2001 subduction events on planes parallel to the El Salvador fault zone. The results have broad implications for future risk management in the region, as they suggest a causative relationship between the position of the normal-slip events in the subduction zone and the strike-slip events in the volcanic arc. After the February 2001 event, an important area of the El Salvador fault zone was loaded with a positive change in Coulomb failure stress (>0.15 MPa). This scenario must be considered in the seismic hazard assessment studies that will be carried out in this area.

Strain-dependent partial slip on rock fractures under seismic-frequency torsion

Science.gov (United States)

Saltiel, Seth; Bonner, Brian P.; Ajo-Franklin, Jonathan B.

2017-05-01

Measurements of nonlinear modulus and attenuation of fractures provide the opportunity to probe their mechanical state. We have adapted a low-frequency torsional apparatus to explore the seismic signature of fractures under low normal stress, simulating low effective stress environments such as shallow or high pore pressure reservoirs. We report strain-dependent modulus and attenuation for fractured samples of Duperow dolomite (a carbon sequestration target reservoir in Montana), Blue Canyon Dome rhyolite (a geothermal analog reservoir in New Mexico), and Montello granite (a deep basement disposal analog from Wisconsin). We use a simple single effective asperity partial slip model to fit our measured stress-strain curves and solve for the friction coefficient, contact radius, and full slip condition. These observations have the potential to develop into new field techniques for measuring differences in frictional properties during reservoir engineering manipulations and estimate the stress conditions where reservoir fractures and faults begin to fully slip.

Sensitivity of tsunami wave profiles and inundation simulations to earthquake slip and fault geometry for the 2011 Tohoku earthquake

KAUST Repository

Goda, Katsuichiro; Mai, Paul Martin; Yasuda, Tomohiro; Mori, Nobuhito

2014-01-01

In this study, we develop stochastic random-field slip models for the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and conduct a rigorous sensitivity analysis of tsunami hazards with respect to the uncertainty of earthquake slip and fault geometry. Synthetic earthquake slip distributions generated from the modified Mai-Beroza method captured key features of inversion-based source representations of the mega-thrust event, which were calibrated against rich geophysical observations of this event. Using original and synthesised earthquake source models (varied for strike, dip, and slip distributions), tsunami simulations were carried out and the resulting variability in tsunami hazard estimates was investigated. The results highlight significant sensitivity of the tsunami wave profiles and inundation heights to the coastal location and the slip characteristics, and indicate that earthquake slip characteristics are a major source of uncertainty in predicting tsunami risks due to future mega-thrust events.

Sensitivity of tsunami wave profiles and inundation simulations to earthquake slip and fault geometry for the 2011 Tohoku earthquake

KAUST Repository

Goda, Katsuichiro

2014-09-01

In this study, we develop stochastic random-field slip models for the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and conduct a rigorous sensitivity analysis of tsunami hazards with respect to the uncertainty of earthquake slip and fault geometry. Synthetic earthquake slip distributions generated from the modified Mai-Beroza method captured key features of inversion-based source representations of the mega-thrust event, which were calibrated against rich geophysical observations of this event. Using original and synthesised earthquake source models (varied for strike, dip, and slip distributions), tsunami simulations were carried out and the resulting variability in tsunami hazard estimates was investigated. The results highlight significant sensitivity of the tsunami wave profiles and inundation heights to the coastal location and the slip characteristics, and indicate that earthquake slip characteristics are a major source of uncertainty in predicting tsunami risks due to future mega-thrust events.

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGTION OF THE FRETTING PHENOMENON

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ştefan GHIMISI

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Fretting is now fully identified as a small amplitude oscilatory motion which induces a harmonic tangential force between two surfaces in contact.It is related to three main loadings, i.e. fretting-wear, fretting-fatigue and fretting corrosion.Fretting regimes were first mapped by Vingsbo. In a similar way, three fretting regimes will be considered: stick regime,slip regime and mixed regime. The mixed regime was made up of initial gross slip followed by partial slip condition after a few hundred cycles. Obviously the partial slip transition develops the highest stress levels which can induce fatigue crack nucleation depending on the fatigue properties of the two contacting first bodies. Therefore prediction of the frontier between partial slip and gross slip is required.

A Model for Low-Frequency Earthquake Slip

Science.gov (United States)

Chestler, S. R.; Creager, K. C.

2017-12-01

Using high-resolution relative low-frequency earthquake (LFE) locations, we calculate the patch areas (Ap) of LFE families. During episodic tremor and slip (ETS) events, we define AT as the area that slips during LFEs and ST as the total amount of summed LFE slip. Using observed and calculated values for AP, AT, and ST, we evaluate two end-member models for LFE slip within an LFE family patch. In the ductile matrix model, LFEs produce 100% of the observed ETS slip (SETS) in distinct subpatches (i.e., AT ≪ AP). In the connected patch model, AT = AP, but ST ≪ SETS. LFEs cluster into 45 LFE families. Spatial gaps (˜10 to 20 km) between LFE family clusters and smaller gaps within LFE family clusters serve as evidence that LFE slip is heterogeneous on multiple spatial scales. We find that LFE slip only accounts for ˜0.2% of the slip within the slow slip zone. There are depth-dependent trends in the characteristic (mean) moment and in the number of LFEs during both ETS events (only) and the entire ETS cycle (Mcets and NTets and Mcall and NTall, respectively). During ETS, Mc decreases with downdip distance but NT does not change. Over the entire ETS cycle, Mc decreases with downdip distance, but NT increases. These observations indicate that deeper LFE slip occurs through a larger number (800-1,200) of small LFEs, while updip LFE slip occurs primarily during ETS events through a smaller number (200-600) of larger LFEs. This could indicate that the plate interface is stronger and has a higher stress threshold updip.

On slip correlations used in the determination of the void distribution of BWR fuel channels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oelgaard, P.L.

1995-01-01

When performing calculations on boiling water reactors it is necessary to establish a relation between the average velocity of the steam, Vg, and that of the water, Vf, in the fuel channels. This is usually done through establishing an expression for the slip ratio S=V g /V f . In the literature a number of such slip ratio correlations -based on measurements - has been presented. A comparison between some of these correlations has been performed in this paper. While the correlations have some general trends in common, the numerical values of S obtained with the correlations may vary significantly. Further, in spite of the fact that various flow regimes exist in a boiling channel none of the correlations considered take the change of flow regime into account. This raises the question: How reliable is the use of slip correlation? (orig.) (9 refs., 5 figs.)

Stress evolution and fault stability during the Weichselian glacial cycle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lund, Bjoern; Schmidt, Peter; Hieronymus, Christoph (Dept. of Earth Sciences, Uppsala Univ., Uppsala (Sweden))

2009-10-15

layered models tend to fit the data better than the few models with laterally varying lithosphere thickness, where especially the horizontal velocities vary significantly between models and between the models and the data. The regional patterns of stress distribution and stress directions are remarkably similar for all earth models, while the magnitude of the induced stresses vary significantly between models, mainly due to variations in the stiffness of the uppermost layer. The temporal stress evolution at 500 m depth in Forsmark and Oskarshamn is determined by the ice sheet evolution whereas the magnitude of the induced stresses depend on the earth model. For models with realistic stiffness distributions, the induced horizontal stresses both in Forsmark and in Oskarshamn are similar to the magnitude of the vertical stress of the ice load. Stress histories for the Paervie fault, which is located close to the western edge of the ice sheet, show that although the Paervie fault is the largest known endglacial fault, the induced stress magnitudes are not very high, which is due to the relatively modest thickness of the ice sheet here all through the glacial history. In the fault stability analysis we use mainly two synthetic background stress fields, one reverse and one strike-slip. In agreement with previous studies we find that the background stress field is important for the resulting stability field. We show that in a reverse state of stress at 9.5 km depth, with a glacially induced pore pressure head of 50% of the local ice weight, both Forsmark and Oskarshamn would experience fault instability at the end of glaciation. In a strike-slip stress state, the stability field is more sensitive to variations in the direction of the background field, but for our reference field both Forsmark and Oskarshamn show mostly stable conditions. Stability analysis at the Paervie fault shows that in a strike-slip background field the Paervie fault would be stable all through the

Velocity- and slip-dependent weakening on the Tohoku plate boundary fault: shallow coseismic slip facilitated by foreshock afterslip

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Y.; Ikari, M.; Ujiie, K.; Kopf, A.

2016-12-01

Understanding of role of slow earthquakes as they relate to the occurrence of both megathrust earthquakes and tsunami earthquakes is necessary to mitigate these disasters in the near future. Laboratory shearing experiments is one of important approach to evaluate these relationships. Here, we use powdered gouge samples from JFAST (IODP Expedition 343) Hole C0019E, core sample 17R-1, which is the plate boundary fault zone in the Japan Trench subduction zone. In this region, both large coseismic slip during the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake as well as discrete slow slip events (SSE) have occurred. Experiments were conducted in a single-direct shear apparatus under normal stress of 16 MPa, with total shear displacements of up to 16 mm. We evaluate both the velocity- and slip-dependence of friction by extracting the velocity-dependent friction parameters a, b, and Dc, and measuring the rate of change in friction coefficient with shear displacement as the slip-dependence of friction. We report that in friction experiments using the Tohoku fault zone samples, an increase in sliding velocity exceeding that of earthquake afterslip can induce a change from steady-state frictional strength or slip hardening friction to slip-weakening frictional behavior. Our results show that the slip weakening is observed when the slip velocity exceeds 1 x 10-6 m/s during our experiments, while steady-state frictional strength or slip hardening is observed below 1x10-6 m/s. In the Japan Trench region, two slow events were observed at the downdip edge of the mainshock coseismic slip zone (< 30 m) were observed. These are an episodic SSE with a slip velocity of 0.1 x 10-6, and afterslip after the largest foreshock with a slip velocity of 2 x 10-6 m/s. This suggests that the afterslip may have facilitated the large coseismic slip during the mainshock on the plate boundary fault of the Tohoku-Oki earthquake.

On the effective stress law for rock-on-rock frictional sliding, and fault slip triggered by means of fluid injection

Science.gov (United States)

Rutter, Ernest; Hackston, Abigail

2017-08-01

Fluid injection into rocks is increasingly used for energy extraction and for fluid wastes disposal, and can trigger/induce small- to medium-scale seismicity. Fluctuations in pore fluid pressure may also be associated with natural seismicity. The energy release in anthropogenically induced seismicity is sensitive to amount and pressure of fluid injected, through the way that seismic moment release is related to slipped area, and is strongly affected by the hydraulic conductance of the faulted rock mass. Bearing in mind the scaling issues that apply, fluid injection-driven fault motion can be studied on laboratory-sized samples. Here, we investigate both stable and unstable induced fault slip on pre-cut planar surfaces in Darley Dale and Pennant sandstones, with or without granular gouge. They display contrasting permeabilities, differing by a factor of 105, but mineralogies are broadly comparable. In permeable Darley Dale sandstone, fluid can access the fault plane through the rock matrix and the effective stress law is followed closely. Pore pressure change shifts the whole Mohr circle laterally. In tight Pennant sandstone, fluid only injects into the fault plane itself; stress state in the rock matrix is unaffected. Sudden access by overpressured fluid to the fault plane via hydrofracture causes seismogenic fault slips. This article is part of the themed issue 'Faulting, friction and weakening: from slow to fast motion'.

On the effective stress law for rock-on-rock frictional sliding, and fault slip triggered by means of fluid injection.

Science.gov (United States)

Rutter, Ernest; Hackston, Abigail

2017-09-28

Fluid injection into rocks is increasingly used for energy extraction and for fluid wastes disposal, and can trigger/induce small- to medium-scale seismicity. Fluctuations in pore fluid pressure may also be associated with natural seismicity. The energy release in anthropogenically induced seismicity is sensitive to amount and pressure of fluid injected, through the way that seismic moment release is related to slipped area, and is strongly affected by the hydraulic conductance of the faulted rock mass. Bearing in mind the scaling issues that apply, fluid injection-driven fault motion can be studied on laboratory-sized samples. Here, we investigate both stable and unstable induced fault slip on pre-cut planar surfaces in Darley Dale and Pennant sandstones, with or without granular gouge. They display contrasting permeabilities, differing by a factor of 10 5 , but mineralogies are broadly comparable. In permeable Darley Dale sandstone, fluid can access the fault plane through the rock matrix and the effective stress law is followed closely. Pore pressure change shifts the whole Mohr circle laterally. In tight Pennant sandstone, fluid only injects into the fault plane itself; stress state in the rock matrix is unaffected. Sudden access by overpressured fluid to the fault plane via hydrofracture causes seismogenic fault slips.This article is part of the themed issue 'Faulting, friction and weakening: from slow to fast motion'. © 2017 The Authors.

Estimates of fluid pressure and tectonic stress in hydrothermal/volcanic areas:a methodological approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Vilardo

2005-06-01

Full Text Available An analytical approach to estimate the relative contribution of the fluid pressure and tectonic stress in hydrothermal/ volcanic areas is proposed assuming a Coulomb criterion of failure. The analytical procedure requires the coefficient of internal friction, cohesion, rock density, and thickness of overburden to be known from geological data. In addition, the orientation of the principal stress axes and the stress ratio must be determined from the inversion of fault-slip or seismic data (focal mechanisms. At first, the stress magnitude is calculated assuming that faulting occurs in 'dry' conditions (fluid pressure=0. In a second step, the fluid pressure is introduced performing a grid search over the orientation of 1 fault planes that slip by shear failure or 2 cracks that open under different values of fluid pressure and calculating the consistency with the observed fault planes (i.e. strike and dip of faults, cracks, nodal planes from focal mechanisms. The analytical method is applied using fault-slip data from the Solfatara volcano (Campi Flegrei, Italy and seismic data (focal mechanisms from the Vesuvius volcano (Italy. In these areas, the fluid pressure required to activate faults (shear fractures and cracks (open fractures is calculated. At Solfatara, the ratio between the fluid pressure and the vertical stress ?is very low for faults ( ?=0.16 and relatively high for cracks ( ?=0.5. At Vesuvius, ?=0.6. Limits and uncertainties of the method are also discussed.

Numerical Simulations of Slow Stick Slip Events with PFC, a DEM Based Code

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, S. H.; Young, R. P.

2017-12-01

Nonvolcanic tremors around subduction zone have become a fascinating subject in seismology in recent years. Previous studies have shown that the nonvolcanic tremor beneath western Shikoku is composed of low frequency seismic waves overlapping each other. This finding provides direct link between tremor and slow earthquakes. Slow stick slip events are considered to be laboratory scaled slow earthquakes. Slow stick slip events are traditionally studied with direct shear or double direct shear experiment setup, in which the sliding velocity can be controlled to model a range of fast and slow stick slips. In this study, a PFC* model based on double direct shear is presented, with a central block clamped by two side blocks. The gauge layers between the central and side blocks are modelled as discrete fracture networks with smooth joint bonds between pairs of discrete elements. In addition, a second model is presented in this study. This model consists of a cylindrical sample subjected to triaxial stress. Similar to the previous model, a weak gauge layer at a 45 degrees is added into the sample, on which shear slipping is allowed. Several different simulations are conducted on this sample. While the confining stress is maintained at the same level in different simulations, the axial loading rate (displacement rate) varies. By varying the displacement rate, a range of slipping behaviour, from stick slip to slow stick slip are observed based on the stress-strain relationship. Currently, the stick slip and slow stick slip events are strictly observed based on the stress-strain relationship. In the future, we hope to monitor the displacement and velocity of the balls surrounding the gauge layer as a function of time, so as to generate a synthetic seismogram. This will allow us to extract seismic waveforms and potentially simulate the tremor-like waves found around subduction zones. *Particle flow code, a discrete element method based numerical simulation code developed by

Foot strike and injury rates in endurance runners: a retrospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Daoud, Adam I; Geissler, Gary J; Wang, Frank; Saretsky, Jason; Daoud, Yahya A; Lieberman, Daniel E

2012-07-01

This retrospective study tests if runners who habitually forefoot strike have different rates of injury than runners who habitually rearfoot strike. We measured the strike characteristics of middle- and long-distance runners from a collegiate cross-country team and quantified their history of injury, including the incidence and rate of specific injuries, the severity of each injury, and the rate of mild, moderate, and severe injuries per mile run. Of the 52 runners studied, 36 (69%) primarily used a rearfoot strike and 16 (31%) primarily used a forefoot strike. Approximately 74% of runners experienced a moderate or severe injury each year, but those who habitually rearfoot strike had approximately twice the rate of repetitive stress injuries than individuals who habitually forefoot strike. Traumatic injury rates were not significantly different between the two groups. A generalized linear model showed that strike type, sex, race distance, and average miles per week each correlate significantly (P strike have significantly higher rates of repetitive stress injury than those who mostly forefoot strike. This study does not test the causal bases for this general difference. One hypothesis, which requires further research, is that the absence of a marked impact peak in the ground reaction force during a forefoot strike compared with a rearfoot strike may contribute to lower rates of injuries in habitual forefoot strikers.

Structure of the la VELA Offshore Basin, Western Venezuela: AN Obliquely-Opening Rift Basin Within the South America-Caribbean Strike-Slip Plate Boundary

Science.gov (United States)

Blanco, J. M.; Mann, P.

2015-12-01

Bathymetric, gravity and magnetic maps show that the east-west trend of the Cretaceous Great Arc of the Caribbean in the Leeward Antilles islands is transected by an en echelon series of obliquely-sheared rift basins that show right-lateral offsets ranging from 20 to 40 km. The basins are 75-100 km in length and 20-30 km in width and are composed of sub-parallel, oblique slip normal faults that define deep, bathymetric channels that bound the larger islands of the Leeward Antilles including Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire. A single basin of similar orientation and structure, the Urumaco basin, is present to the southwest in the Gulf of Venezuela. We mapped structures and sedimentation in the La Vela rift basin using a 3D seismic data volume recorded down to 6 seconds TWT. The basin can be mapped from the Falcon coast where it is correlative with the right-lateral Adicora fault mapped onshore, and its submarine extension. To the southeast of the 3D survey area, previous workers have mapped a 70-km-wide zone of northeast-striking, oblique, right-lateral faults, some with apparent right-lateral offsets of the coastline. On seismic data, the faults vary in dip from 45 to 60 degrees and exhibit maximum vertical offsets of 600 m. The La Vela and other obliquely-opening rifts accommodate right-lateral shear with linkages to intervening, east-west-striking right-lateral faults like the Adicora. The zone of oblique rifts is restricted to the trend of the Great Arc of the Caribbean and may reflect the susceptiblity of this granitic basement to active shearing. The age of onset for the basins known from previous studies on the Leeward Antilles is early Miocene. As most of these faults occur offshore their potential to generate damaging earthquakes in the densely populated Leeward Antilles is not known.

Slip patterns and preferred dislocation boundary planes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winther, G.

2003-01-01

The planes of deformation induced extended planar dislocation boundaries are analysed in two different co-ordinate systems, namely the macroscopic system defined by the deformation axes and the crystallographic system given by the crystallographic lattice. The analysis covers single and polycryst......The planes of deformation induced extended planar dislocation boundaries are analysed in two different co-ordinate systems, namely the macroscopic system defined by the deformation axes and the crystallographic system given by the crystallographic lattice. The analysis covers single...... and polycrystals of fcc metals in three deformation modes (rolling, tension and torsion). In the macroscopic system, boundaries lie close to the macroscopically most stressed planes. In the crystallographic system, the boundary plane depends on the grain/crystal orientation. The boundary planes in both co......-ordinate systems are rationalised based on the slip. The more the slip is concentrated on a slip plane, the closer the boundaries lie to this. The macroscopic preference arises from the macroscopic directionality of the slip. The established relations are applied to (a) prediction of boundary planes from slip...

Strain hardening by dynamic slip band refinement in a high-Mn lightweight steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Welsch, E.; Ponge, D.; Hafez Haghighat, S.M.; Sandlöbes, S.; Choi, P.; Herbig, M.; Zaefferer, S.; Raabe, D.

2016-01-01

The strain hardening mechanism of a high-Mn lightweight steel (Fe-30.4Mn-8Al-1.2C (wt%)) is investigated by electron channeling contrast imaging (ECCI) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The alloy is characterized by a constant high strain hardening rate accompanied by high strength and high ductility (ultimate tensile strength: 900 MPa, elongation to fracture: 68%). Deformation microstructures at different strain levels are studied in order to reveal and quantify the governing structural parameters at micro- and nanometer scales. As the material deforms mainly by planar dislocation slip causing the formation of slip bands, we quantitatively study the evolution of the slip band spacing during straining. The flow stress is calculated from the slip band spacing on the basis of the passing stress. The good agreement between the calculated values and the tensile test data shows dynamic slip band refinement as the main strain hardening mechanism, enabling the excellent mechanical properties. This novel strain hardening mechanism is based on the passing stress acting between co-planar slip bands in contrast to earlier attempts to explain the strain hardening in high-Mn lightweight steels that are based on grain subdivision by microbands. We discuss in detail the formation of the finely distributed slip bands and the gradual reduction of the spacing between them, leading to constantly high strain hardening. TEM investigations of the precipitation state in the as-quenched state show finely dispersed atomically ordered clusters (size < 2 nm). The influence of these zones on planar slip is discussed.

Size-affected single-slip behavior of René N5 microcrystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shade, P.A.; Uchic, M.D.; Dimiduk, D.M.; Viswanathan, G.B.; Wheeler, R.; Fraser, H.L.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Microcompression testing was conducted on the single crystal superalloy René N5. ► All microcrystals exhibited size-affected plastic flow. ► Dendrite core microcrystals were stronger than those from interdendritic regions. - Abstract: Microcompression testing was conducted on the cast single crystal nickel-base superalloy René N5. Microcrystals were selectively fabricated from either dendrite core or interdendritic regions. The compression axis was oriented for single-slip deformation and microcrystal diameters ranged from 2.5 to 80 μm. All microcrystals displayed several hallmarks of size-affected plastic flow, including a size-affected and stochastic flow-stress and initial strain hardening rate, as well as an intermittent flow response. The magnitude of size-affected flow-stress scaling behavior was dependent upon the plastic strain level of the flow-stress measurement, with increasing size-dependence for increasing strain levels. TEM analysis demonstrated the activation of multiple slip-systems, despite the microcrystals being oriented for single-slip deformation. Zig-zag slip was also observed in microcrystals that achieved flow stresses of ∼1300 MPa or higher. For microcrystals fabricated within interdendritic regions the flow-stress values are, on average, lower compared to dendrite core microcrystals. This difference in flow-stress is especially pronounced for microcrystals which are 5 μm in diameter. The microcrystal diameter for which bulk-like properties are estimated to be observed is approximately 350 μm, which is approaching the measured primary dendrite arm spacing for this crystal (430 μm).

Transition to Pulse-Like Rupture, With and Without Inclusion of Evolving Temperature and Pore Pressure, When Accounting for Extreme Weakening at High Slip Rates

Science.gov (United States)

Noda, H.; Dunham, E. M.; Rice, J. R.

2007-12-01

We have conducted rupture propagation simulations incorporating the combined effects of thermal pressurization of pore fluid by distributed heating within a finite width shear zone, and flash heating of microscopic contacts. These are probably the primary weakening mechanisms at high coseismic slip rates. For flash heating, we use a rate- and state-dependent friction law in the slip law formulation, accounting for extreme velocity weakening above a weakening slip rate Vw ~ 0.1 m/s that depends on the background temperature, and a very short state evolution distance, L, of ~ 10 μm, which is comparable to the asperity length. We have also conducted a series of calculations with neglecting evolving change in macroscopic temperature, T, and pore pressure, p, and compared the results. Slip rate, V, at a point on a fault increases when a rupture front approaches, and decreases behind it. In the pulse-like solutions, V decreases below Vw, and the point is eventually locked. On the other hand, in the crack-like solutions, V increases again only if we allow evolving change in T and p. In the cases when we neglect changes in T and p, V continues to decrease behind the rupture front as long as we simulate. Here, a question emerges; is the solution crack-like because of the short calculation time? Zheng and Rice [1998] proposed an intuitive criterion between crack-like and pulse-like solutions as follows: If and only if the background shear stress, τb, is larger than a critical value, τpulse, there are roots of τss(V) = τb - μ V/2 cs, where τss is steady-state strength, μ is shear modulus and cs is shear speed. If TZR = - (μ/2cs)/(dτss/dV) at the largest root is near unity, the solution is pulse-like. Our calculations without T and p changes show that the pulse-like solution regime extends above τpulse, at least up to the point where TZR = 0.176, if a rupture is initiated by a perturbation in shear stress in a certain manner. The transition time to pulse

In situ stress and pore pressure in the Kumano Forearc Basin, offshore SW Honshu from downhole measurements during riser drilling

Science.gov (United States)

Saffer, D. M.; Flemings, P. B.; Boutt, D.; Doan, M.-L.; Ito, T.; McNeill, L.; Byrne, T.; Conin, M.; Lin, W.; Kano, Y.; Araki, E.; Eguchi, N.; Toczko, S.

2013-05-01

situ stress and pore pressure are key parameters governing rock deformation, yet direct measurements of these quantities are rare. During Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition #319, we drilled through a forearc basin at the Nankai subduction zone and into the underlying accretionary prism. We used the Modular Formation Dynamics Tester tool (MDT) for the first time in IODP to measure in situ minimum stress, pore pressure, and permeability at 11 depths between 729.9 and 1533.9 mbsf. Leak-off testing at 708.6 mbsf conducted as part of drilling operations provided a second measurement of minimum stress. The MDT campaign included nine single-probe (SP) tests to measure permeability and in situ pore pressure and two dual-packer (DP) tests to measure minimum principal stress. Permeabilities defined from the SP tests range from 6.53 × 10-17 to 4.23 × 10-14 m2. Pore fluid pressures are near hydrostatic throughout the section despite rapid sedimentation. This is consistent with the measured hydraulic diffusivity of the sediments and suggests that the forearc basin should not trap overpressures within the upper plate of the subduction zone. Minimum principal stresses are consistently lower than the vertical stress. We estimate the maximum horizontal stress from wellbore failures at the leak-off test and shallow MDT DP test depths. The results indicate a normal or strike-slip stress regime, consistent with the observation of abundant active normal faults in the seaward-most part of the basin, and a general decrease in fault activity in the vicinity of Site C0009.

Slow Slip and Earthquake Nucleation in Meter-Scale Laboratory Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Mclaskey, G.

2017-12-01

The initiation of dynamic rupture is thought to be preceded by a quasistatic nucleation phase. Observations of recent earthquakes sometimes support this by illuminating slow slip and foreshocks in the vicinity of the eventual hypocenter. I describe laboratory earthquake experiments conducted on two large-scale loading machines at Cornell University that provide insight into the way earthquake nucleation varies with normal stress, healing time, and loading rate. The larger of the two machines accommodates a 3 m long granite sample, and when loaded to 7 MPa stress levels, we observe dynamic rupture events that are preceded by a measureable nucleation zone with dimensions on the order of 1 m. The smaller machine accommodates a 0.76 m sample that is roughly the same size as the nucleation zone. On this machine, small variations in nucleation properties result in measurable differences in slip events, and we generate both dynamic rupture events (> 0.1 m/s slip rates) and slow slip events ( 0.001 to 30 mm/s slip rates). Slow events occur when instability cannot fully nucleate before reaching the sample ends. Dynamic events occur after long healing times or abrupt increases in loading rate which suggests that these factors shrink the spatial and temporal extents of the nucleation zone. Arrays of slip, strain, and ground motion sensors installed on the sample allow us to quantify seismic coupling and study details of premonitory slip and afterslip. The slow slip events we observe are primarily aseismic (less than 1% of the seismic coupling of faster events) and produce swarms of very small M -6 to M -8 events. These mechanical and seismic interactions suggest that faults with transitional behavior—where creep, small earthquakes, and tremor are often observed—could become seismically coupled if loaded rapidly, either by a slow slip front or dynamic rupture of an earthquake that nucleated elsewhere.

Micromechanical Model for Deformation in Solids with Universal Predictions for Stress-Strain Curves and Slip Avalanches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dahmen, Karin A.; Ben-Zion, Yehuda; Uhl, Jonathan T.

2009-01-01

A basic micromechanical model for deformation of solids with only one tuning parameter (weakening ε) is introduced. The model can reproduce observed stress-strain curves, acoustic emissions and related power spectra, event statistics, and geometrical properties of slip, with a continuous phase transition from brittle to ductile behavior. Exact universal predictions are extracted using mean field theory and renormalization group tools. The results agree with recent experimental observations and simulations of related models for dislocation dynamics, material damage, and earthquake statistics.

Oblique reactivation of lithosphere-scale lineaments controls rift physiography - the upper-crustal expression of the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone, offshore southern Norway

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Thomas B.; Jackson, Christopher A.-L.; Bell, Rebecca E.; Duffy, Oliver B.

2018-04-01

Pre-existing structures within sub-crustal lithosphere may localise stresses during subsequent tectonic events, resulting in complex fault systems at upper-crustal levels. As these sub-crustal structures are difficult to resolve at great depths, the evolution of kinematically and perhaps geometrically linked upper-crustal fault populations can offer insights into their deformation history, including when and how they reactivate and accommodate stresses during later tectonic events. In this study, we use borehole-constrained 2-D and 3-D seismic reflection data to investigate the structural development of the Farsund Basin, offshore southern Norway. We use throw-length (T-x) analysis and fault displacement backstripping techniques to determine the geometric and kinematic evolution of N-S- and E-W-striking upper-crustal fault populations during the multiphase evolution of the Farsund Basin. N-S-striking faults were active during the Triassic, prior to a period of sinistral strike-slip activity along E-W-striking faults during the Early Jurassic, which represented a hitherto undocumented phase of activity in this area. These E-W-striking upper-crustal faults are later obliquely reactivated under a dextral stress regime during the Early Cretaceous, with new faults also propagating away from pre-existing ones, representing a switch to a predominantly dextral sense of motion. The E-W faults within the Farsund Basin are interpreted to extend through the crust to the Moho and link with the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone, a lithosphere-scale lineament, identified within the sub-crustal lithosphere, that extends > 1000 km across central Europe. Based on this geometric linkage, we infer that the E-W-striking faults represent the upper-crustal component of the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone and that the Sorgenfrei-Tornquist Zone represents a long-lived lithosphere-scale lineament that is periodically reactivated throughout its protracted geological history. The upper-crustal component of

Proliferation of Precision Strike: Issues for Congress

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-14

industrial base. Finally, should Congress legislate requirements for DOD to develop precision strike countermeasures and then provide funding for that...Defense, Part 187 – Environmental Effects Abroad of Major Department of Defense Actions, Section 187.3: Definitions. 32 Bryan Clark and Dan Whiteneck...so many missiles ... referring to reports of Venezuelan arms flowing to Colombian guerrillas.... The Chavez regime also has close ties with

Dynamic response to strike-slip tectonic control on the deposition and evolution of the Baranof Fan, Gulf of Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Walton, Maureen A. L.; Gulick, Sean P. S.; Reece, Robert S.; Barth, Ginger A.; Christeson, Gail L.; VanAvendonk, Harm J.

2014-01-01

The Baranof Fan is one of three large deep-sea fans in the Gulf of Alaska, and is a key component in understanding large-scale erosion and sedimentation patterns for southeast Alaska and western Canada. We integrate new and existing seismic reflection profiles to provide new constraints on the Baranof Fan area, geometry, volume, and channel development. We estimate the fan’s area and total sediment volume to be ∼323,000 km2 and ∼301,000 km3, respectively, making it among the largest deep-sea fans in the world. We show that the Baranof Fan consists of channel-levee deposits from at least three distinct aggradational channel systems: the currently active Horizon and Mukluk channels, and the waning system we call the Baranof channel. The oldest sedimentary deposits are in the northern fan, and the youngest deposits at the fan’s southern extent; in addition, the channels seem to avulse southward consistently through time. We suggest that Baranof Fan sediment is sourced from the Coast Mountains in southeastern Alaska, transported offshore most recently via fjord to glacial sea valley conduits. Because of the translation of the Pacific plate northwest past sediment sources on the North American plate along the Queen Charlotte strike-slip fault, we suggest that new channel formation, channel beheadings, and southward-migrating channel avulsions have been influenced by regional tectonics. Using a simplified tectonic reconstruction assuming a constant Pacific plate motion of 4.4 cm/yr, we estimate that Baranof Fan deposition initiated ca. 7 Ma.

Thermally activated phase slips of one-dimensional Bose gases in shallow optical lattices

Science.gov (United States)

Kunimi, Masaya; Danshita, Ippei

2017-03-01

We study the decay of superflow via thermally activated phase slips in one-dimensional Bose gases in a shallow optical lattice. By using the Kramers formula, we numerically calculate the nucleation rate of a thermally activated phase slip for various values of the filling factor and flow velocity in the absence of a harmonic trapping potential. Within the local density approximation, we derive a formula connecting the phase-slip nucleation rate with the damping rate of a dipole oscillation of the Bose gas in the presence of a harmonic trap. We use the derived formula to directly compare our theory with the recent experiment done by the LENS group [L. Tanzi et al., Sci. Rep. 6, 25965 (2016), 10.1038/srep25965]. From the comparison, the observed damping of dipole oscillations in a weakly correlated and small velocity regime is attributed dominantly to thermally activated phase slips rather than quantum phase slips.

Stress transfer around a broken fiber in unidirectional fiber-reinforced composites considering matrix damage evolution and interface slipping

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zhong; Zhang, BoMing; Zhao, Lin; Sun, XinYang

2011-02-01

A shear-lag model is applied to study the stress transfer around a broken fiber within unidirectional fiber-reinforced composites (FRC) subjected to uniaxial tensile loading along the fiber direction. The matrix damage and interfacial debonding, which are the main failure modes, are considered in the model. The maximum stress criterion with the linear damage evolution theory is used for the matrix. The slipping friction stress is considered in the interfacial debonding region using Coulomb friction theory, in which interfacial clamping stress comes from radial residual stress and mismatch of Poisson's ratios of constituents (fiber and matrix). The stress distributions in the fiber and matrix are obtained by the shear-lag theory added with boundary conditions, which includes force continuity and displacement compatibility constraints in the broken and neighboring intact fibers. The result gives axial stress distribution in fibers and shear stress in the interface and compares the theory reasonably well with the measurement by a polarized light microscope. The relation curves between damage, debonding and ineffective region lengths with external strain loading are obtained.

Mechanism and energetics of dislocation cross-slip in hcp metals

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Zhaoxuan; Curtin, W. A.

2016-10-01

Hexagonal close-packed (hcp) metals such as Mg, Ti, and Zr are lightweight and/or durable metals with critical structural applications in the automotive (Mg), aerospace (Ti), and nuclear (Zr) industries. The hcp structure, however, brings significant complications in the mechanisms of plastic deformation, strengthening, and ductility, and these complications pose significant challenges in advancing the science and engineering of these metals. In hcp metals, generalized plasticity requires the activation of slip on pyramidal planes, but the structure, motion, and cross-slip of the associated dislocations are not well established even though they determine ductility and influence strengthening. Here, atomistic simulations in Mg reveal the unusual mechanism of dislocation cross-slip between pyramidal I and II planes, which occurs by cross-slip of the individual partial dislocations. The energy barrier is controlled by a fundamental step/jog energy and the near-core energy difference between pyramidal dislocations. The near-core energy difference can be changed by nonglide stresses, leading to tension-compression asymmetry and even a switch in absolute stability from one glide plane to the other, both features observed experimentally in Mg, Ti, and their alloys. The unique cross-slip mechanism is governed by common features of the generalized stacking fault energy surfaces of hcp pyramidal planes and is thus expected to be generic to all hcp metals. An analytical model is developed to predict the cross-slip barrier as a function of the near-core energy difference and applied stresses and quantifies the controlling features of cross-slip and pyramidal I/II stability across the family of hcp metals.

Slip-dependent weakening on shallow plate boundary fault in the Japan subduction zone: shallow coseismic slip facilitated by foreshock afterslip

Science.gov (United States)

Ito, Yoshi; Ikari, Matt; Ujiie, Kohtaro; Kopf, Achim

2017-04-01

Understanding of role of slow earthquakes as they relate to the occurrence of both megathrust earthquakes and tsunami earthquakes is necessary to mitigate these disasters in the near future. Laboratory shearing experiments is one of important approach to evaluate these relationships. Here, we use powdered gouge samples from JFAST (IODP Expedition 343) Hole C0019E, core sample 17R-1, which is the plate boundary fault zone in the Japan Trench subduction zone. In this region, both large coseismic slip during the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake as well as discrete slow slip events (SSE) have occurred. Experiments were conducted in a single-direct shear apparatus under normal stress of 16 MPa, with total shear displacements of up to 16 mm. We evaluate the slip-dependence of friction by extracting the velocity-dependent friction parameters a, b, and Dc , and also measure the rate of change in friction coefficient with shear displacement as the slip-dependence of friction. We report that in friction experiments using the Tohoku fault zone samples, an increase in sliding velocity exceeding that of earthquake afterslip can induce a change from steady-state frictional strength or slip hardening friction to slip-weakening frictional behavior. Our results show that the slip weakening is observed when the slip velocity exceeds 3.7 × 10-6 m/s during our experiments, while steady-state frictional strength or slip hardening is observed below 1 × 10-6 m/s. In the Japan Trench region, two slow events prior to the mainshock were observed in the mainshock area with a coseismic slip exceeding 30 m . One event is an episodic SSE with a slip velocity of 0.1 × 10-6 , and the other is afterslip after the largest Tohoku earthquake foreshock with a slip velocity exceeding 2 × 10-6 m/s. Our experiments show that slip-weakening friction should be expected at the afterslip rate, suggesting that the afterslip may have facilitated the large coseismic slip during the mainshock on the plate boundary

Three-Dimensional Growth of Flexural Slip Fault-Bend and Fault-Propagation Folds and Their Geomorphic Expression

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asdrúbal Bernal

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The three-dimensional growth of fault-related folds is known to be an important process during the development of compressive mountain belts. However, comparatively little is known concerning the manner in which fold growth is expressed in topographic relief and local drainage networks. Here we report results from a coupled kinematic and surface process model of fault-related folding. We consider flexural slip fault-bend and fault-propagation folds that grow in both the transport and strike directions, linked to a surface process model that includes bedrock channel development and hillslope diffusion. We investigate various modes of fold growth under identical surface process conditions and critically analyse their geomorphic expression. Fold growth results in the development of steep forelimbs and gentler, wider backlimbs resulting in asymmetric drainage basin development (smaller basins on forelimbs, larger basins on backlimbs. However, topographies developed above fault-propagation folds are more symmetric than those developed above fault-bend folds as a result of their different forelimb kinematics. In addition, the surface expression of fault-bend and fault-propagation folds depends both on the slip distribution along the fault and on the style of fold growth. When along-strike plunge is a result of slip events with gently decreasing slip towards the fault tips (with or without lateral propagation, large plunge-panel drainage networks are developed at the expense of backpanel (transport-opposing and forepanel (transport-facing drainage basins. In contrast, if the fold grows as a result of slip events with similar displacements along strike, plunge-panel drainage networks are poorly developed (or are transient features of early fold growth and restricted to lateral fold terminations, particularly when the number of propagation events is small. The absence of large-scale plunge-panel drainage networks in natural examples suggests that the

Active faults paragenesis and the state of crustal stresses in the Late Cenozoic in Central Mongolia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. A. Sankov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Active faults of the Hangay-Hentiy tectonic saddle region in Central Mongolia are studied by space images interpretation, relief analysis, structural methods and tectonic stress reconstruction. The study results show that faults activation during the Late Cenozoic stage was selective, and a cluster pattern of active faults is typical for the study region. Morphological and genetic types and the kinematics of faults in the Hangay-Hentiy saddle region are related the direction of the ancient inherited structural heterogeneities. Latitudinal and WNW trending faults are left lateral strike-slips with reverse or thrust component (Dzhargalantgol and North Burd faults. NW trending faults are reverse faults or thrusts with left lateral horizontal component. NNW trending faults have right lateral horizontal component. The horizontal component of the displacements, as a rule, exceeds the vertical one. Brittle deformations in fault zones do not conform with the Pliocene and, for the most part, Pleistocene topography. With some caution it may be concluded that the last phase of revitalization of strike slip and reverse movements along the faults commenced in the Late Pleistocene. NE trending disjunctives are normal faults distributed mainly within the Hangay uplift. Their features are more early activation within the Late Cenozoic and the lack of relation to large linear structures of the previous tectonic stages. According to the stress tensor reconstructions of the last phase of deformation in zones of active faults of the Hangay-Hentiy saddle using data on tectonic fractures and fault displacements, it is revealed that conditions of compression and strike-slip with NNE direction of the axis of maximum compression were dominant. Stress tensors of extensional type with NNW direction of minimum compression are reconstructed for the Orkhon graben. It is concluded that the activation of faults in Central Mongolia in the Pleistocene-Holocene, as well as

Stress evolution and fault stability during the Weichselian glacial cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lund, Bjoern; Schmidt, Peter; Hieronymus, Christoph

2009-01-01

. Our flat layered models tend to fit the data better than the few models with laterally varying lithosphere thickness, where especially the horizontal velocities vary significantly between models and between the models and the data. The regional patterns of stress distribution and stress directions are remarkably similar for all earth models, while the magnitude of the induced stresses vary significantly between models, mainly due to variations in the stiffness of the uppermost layer. The temporal stress evolution at 500 m depth in Forsmark and Oskarshamn is determined by the ice sheet evolution whereas the magnitude of the induced stresses depend on the earth model. For models with realistic stiffness distributions, the induced horizontal stresses both in Forsmark and in Oskarshamn are similar to the magnitude of the vertical stress of the ice load. Stress histories for the Paervie fault, which is located close to the western edge of the ice sheet, show that although the Paervie fault is the largest known endglacial fault, the induced stress magnitudes are not very high, which is due to the relatively modest thickness of the ice sheet here all through the glacial history. In the fault stability analysis we use mainly two synthetic background stress fields, one reverse and one strike-slip. In agreement with previous studies we find that the background stress field is very important for the resulting stability field. We show that in a reverse state of stress at 9.5 km depth, with a glacially induced pore pressure head of 50% of the local ice weight, both Forsmark and Oskarshamn would experience fault instability at the end of glaciation. In a strike-slip stress state, the stability field is more sensitive to variations in the direction of the background field, but for our reference field both Forsmark and Oskarshamn show mostly stable conditions. Stability analysis at the Paervie fault shows that in a strike-slip background field the Paervie fault would be stable all

Investigation of slip transfer across HCP grain boundaries with application to cold dwell facet fatigue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, Zebang; Balint, Daniel S.; Dunne, Fionn P.E.

2017-01-01

This paper addresses the role of grain boundary slip transfer and thermally-activated discrete dislocation plasticity in the redistribution of grain boundary stresses during cold dwell fatigue in titanium alloys. Atomistic simulations have been utilised to calculate the grain boundary energies for titanium with respect to the misorientation angles. The grain boundary energies are utilised within a thermally-activated discrete dislocation plasticity model incorporating slip transfer controlled by energetic and grain boundary geometrical criteria. The model predicts the grain size effect on the flow strength in Ti alloys. Cold dwell fatigue behaviour in Ti-6242 alloy is investigated and it is shown that significant stress redistribution from soft to hard grains occurs during the stress dwell, which is observed both for grain boundaries for which slip transfer is permitted and inhibited. However, the grain boundary slip penetration is shown to lead to significantly higher hard-grain basal stresses near the grain boundary after dwell, thus exacerbating the load shedding stress compared to an impenetrable grain boundary. The key property controlling the dwell fatigue response is argued to remain the time constant associated with the thermal activation process for dislocation escape, but the slip penetrability is also important and exacerbates the load shedding. The inclusion of a macrozone does not significantly change the conclusions but does potentially lead to the possibility of a larger initial facet.

Influencia de un bloque rígido en un sistema de fallas de rumbo: modelamiento análogo Influence of a rigid block in a strike-slip fault system: analogue modelling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thierry Nalpas

2011-01-01

Full Text Available En este trabajo se presenta un estudio de modelamiento análogo sobre la naturaleza, geometría y cinemática de la deformación a lo largo de fallas de rumbo dada la presencia de un bloque rígido en su trayectoria de deformación. Los modelos análogos están apropiadamente escalados considerando las características reológicas de los materiales que se desean contrastar en la deformación. Dos grandes parámetros fueron probados: la configuración del bloque rígido, variando su forma y tamaño, y el monto del desplazamiento. Los resultados experimentales muestran el desarrollo de rotaciones, fallas y pliegues como producto de la presencia de un bloque rígido en la trayectoria de falla. Los diversos casos geométricos probados pueden ser empleados para su comparación con sistemas de fallas de rumbo en los cuales existen diferencias litológicas de comportamiento reológico diferencial, como por ejemplo el caso del 'Núcleo rígido de Limón Verde' al sur de Chuquicamata, ubicado en la trayectoria del sistema de fallas de Domeyko.This work addresses the kinematic effects of a rigid block in strike-slip systems by using analogue models. The experiments (size, behaviour of materials were scaled down in order to represent deformation of the tested rheologic contrast conditions in deformation. Two main parameters were tested: the configuration of the rigid block, changing its form and size, and the amount of displacement. The experiments evidenced the development of rotations, faults and folds along the fault trajectory, as resulting from the presence of the rigid block during the deformation. Testing of diverse geometric situations may be used for comparison to strike-slip fault systems in which different lithologies and rheologic behaviour exist, for example, presence of the 'Limón Verde rigid core' along the Domeyko fault system, just south of Chuquicamata.

Short-and-long-term Slip Rates Along the Carboneras Fault in the Betic Cordillera, Spain

Science.gov (United States)

Khazaradze, G.; López, R.; Pallàs, R.; Ortuño, M.; Bordonau, J.; Masana, E.

2017-12-01

We present the new results from our long-standing studies to understand the geodynamic behavior of the Carboneras fault, located in the SE Betic Cordilleras of Spain. Specifically, we quantify the geodetic and geologic slip rates for the onland section of the fault. As a result of our previous GPS observations, we have been able to confirm the continuing tectonic activity of the Carboneras fault: we were able to quantify that the geodetic slip rate of the fault equals 1.3±0.2 mm/yr, expressed mainly as a left-lateral strike slip motion (Echeverria et al., 2015). In autumn 2017, with the purpose of revealing a detailed nature of the crustal deformation and its partitioning between different structures, 3 new continuous GPS stations will be established along the fault-perpendicular profile. In addition, since summer 2016, we have conducted surveys of the nearby CuaTeNeo and IGN Regente campaign points. We have also established and measured several new geodetic points in the vicinity of the fault, with the aim of increasing the spatial coverage around it. The GPS measured, short-term slip rates are in surprising agreement with the estimates of the long-term, geologic slip rates based on paleoseismic studies, which indicate a minimum strike-slip rate of 1.31 mm/yr and dip-slip rate of 0.05 mm/yr since 110.3 ka (Moreno et al. 2015). In order to increase the paleoseismic event database, several new sites have been identified along the fault, where further paleoseismic trenching surveys will be performed within the coming year or two. At the site of Tostana, located at the central part of the fault, in winter 2017 seven trenches have been opened and clear evidence of past earthquakes has been encountered. These new data, combined with the findings of the recent geomorphological study of river offsets (Ferrater, 2016) and new GPS observations, should improve the reliability of the existent deformation data and therefore, will help to better understand the seismic hazard

Using Low-Frequency Earthquakes to Investigate Slow Slip Processes and Plate Interface Structure Beneath the Olympic Peninsula, WA

Science.gov (United States)

Chestler, Shelley

. Using observed and calculated values for AP, AT and ST we evaluate two end- member models for LFE slip within an LFE family patch (models 2 and 3 from chapter 1). In the ductile matrix model (model 3), LFEs produce 100% of the observed ETS slip (SETS) in distinct sub-patches (i.e., AT AP). In the connected patch model (model 2), AT =AP, but STfamilies. Spatial gaps (˜10-20 km) between LFE family clusters and smaller gaps within LFE family clusters serve as evidence that LFE slip is heterogeneous on multiple spatial scales. We find that LFE slip only accounts for ˜0.2% of the slip within the slow slip zone. There are downdip trends in the characteristic (mean) moment and in the number of LFEs during both ETS events (only) and the entire ETS cycle (Mc,ETS and NT,ETS and Mc,all and NT,all respectively). During ETS, Mc decreases with downdip distance but NT does not change. Over the entire ETS cycle, Mc decreases with downdip distance, but NT increases. These observations indicate that downdip LFE slip occurs through a larger number (800-1200) of small LFEs, while updip LFE slip occurs primarily during ETS events through a smaller number (200-600) of larger LFEs. This could indicate that the plate interface is stronger and has a higher stress threshold updip. In the third chapter, we use high-precision, relative low-frequency earthquake (LFE) locations for LFEs beneath the Olympic Peninsula, WA to constrain the depth, geometry, and thickness of the plate interface. LFE depths correspond most closely with the McCrory et al. (2012) plate model, but vary from that smooth model along strike. The latter observation indicates that the actual plate interface is notably rougher and more complex than smooth plate models. Our LFEs lie directly above low-velocity zone (LVZ) and approximately 5 km above intraslab earthquakes. This supports the proposal of Bostock (2013), that the LVZ comprises the upper oceanic crust and that fluids are responsible for the velocity contrast across

Slip initiation in alternative and slip-resistant footwear.

Science.gov (United States)

Chander, Harish; Wade, Chip; Garner, John C; Knight, Adam C

2017-12-01

Slips occur as a result of failure of normal locomotion. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of alternative footwear (Crocs™, flip-flops) and an industry standard low-top slip-resistant shoe (SRS) under multiple gait trials (normal dry, unexpected slip, alert slip and expected slip) on lower extremity joint kinematics, kinetics and muscle activity. Eighteen healthy male participants (age: 22.28 ± 2.2 years; height: 177.66 ± 6.9 cm; mass: 79.27 ± 7.6 kg) completed the study. Kinematic, kinetic and muscle activity variables were analyzed using a 3(footwear) × 4(gait trials) repeated-measures analysis of variance at p = 0.05. Greater plantar flexion angles, lower ground reaction forces and greater muscle activity were seen on slip trials with the alternative footwear. During slip events, SRS closely resembled normal dry biomechanics, suggesting it to be a safer footwear choice compared with alternative footwear.

The Slip Behavior and Source Parameters for Spontaneous Slip Events on Rough Faults Subjected to Slow Tectonic Loading

Science.gov (United States)

Tal, Yuval; Hager, Bradford H.

2018-02-01

We study the response to slow tectonic loading of rough faults governed by velocity weakening rate and state friction, using a 2-D plane strain model. Our numerical approach accounts for all stages in the seismic cycle, and in each simulation we model a sequence of two earthquakes or more. We focus on the global behavior of the faults and find that as the roughness amplitude, br, increases and the minimum wavelength of roughness decreases, there is a transition from seismic slip to aseismic slip, in which the load on the fault is released by more slip events but with lower slip rate, lower seismic moment per unit length, M0,1d, and lower average static stress drop on the fault, Δτt. Even larger decreases with roughness are observed when these source parameters are estimated only for the dynamic stage of the rupture. For br ≤ 0.002, the source parameters M0,1d and Δτt decrease mutually and the relationship between Δτt and the average fault strain is similar to that of a smooth fault. For faults with larger values of br that are completely ruptured during the slip events, the average fault strain generally decreases more rapidly with roughness than Δτt.

Analysing earthquake slip models with the spatial prediction comparison test

KAUST Repository

Zhang, L.; Mai, Paul Martin; Thingbaijam, Kiran Kumar; Razafindrakoto, H. N. T.; Genton, Marc G.

2014-01-01

Earthquake rupture models inferred from inversions of geophysical and/or geodetic data exhibit remarkable variability due to uncertainties in modelling assumptions, the use of different inversion algorithms, or variations in data selection and data processing. A robust statistical comparison of different rupture models obtained for a single earthquake is needed to quantify the intra-event variability, both for benchmark exercises and for real earthquakes. The same approach may be useful to characterize (dis-)similarities in events that are typically grouped into a common class of events (e.g. moderate-size crustal strike-slip earthquakes or tsunamigenic large subduction earthquakes). For this purpose, we examine the performance of the spatial prediction comparison test (SPCT), a statistical test developed to compare spatial (random) fields by means of a chosen loss function that describes an error relation between a 2-D field (‘model’) and a reference model. We implement and calibrate the SPCT approach for a suite of synthetic 2-D slip distributions, generated as spatial random fields with various characteristics, and then apply the method to results of a benchmark inversion exercise with known solution. We find the SPCT to be sensitive to different spatial correlations lengths, and different heterogeneity levels of the slip distributions. The SPCT approach proves to be a simple and effective tool for ranking the slip models with respect to a reference model.

Analysing earthquake slip models with the spatial prediction comparison test

KAUST Repository

Zhang, L.

2014-11-10

Earthquake rupture models inferred from inversions of geophysical and/or geodetic data exhibit remarkable variability due to uncertainties in modelling assumptions, the use of different inversion algorithms, or variations in data selection and data processing. A robust statistical comparison of different rupture models obtained for a single earthquake is needed to quantify the intra-event variability, both for benchmark exercises and for real earthquakes. The same approach may be useful to characterize (dis-)similarities in events that are typically grouped into a common class of events (e.g. moderate-size crustal strike-slip earthquakes or tsunamigenic large subduction earthquakes). For this purpose, we examine the performance of the spatial prediction comparison test (SPCT), a statistical test developed to compare spatial (random) fields by means of a chosen loss function that describes an error relation between a 2-D field (‘model’) and a reference model. We implement and calibrate the SPCT approach for a suite of synthetic 2-D slip distributions, generated as spatial random fields with various characteristics, and then apply the method to results of a benchmark inversion exercise with known solution. We find the SPCT to be sensitive to different spatial correlations lengths, and different heterogeneity levels of the slip distributions. The SPCT approach proves to be a simple and effective tool for ranking the slip models with respect to a reference model.

Numerical Modeling of Geomechanical Processes Related to CO{sub 2} Injection within Generic Reservoirs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eckert, Andreas

2013-05-31

In this project generic anticline structures have been used for numerical modeling analyses to study the influence of geometrical parameters, fluid flow boundary conditions, in situ stress regime and inter-bedding friction coefficient on geomechanical risks such as fracture reactivation and fracture generation. The resulting stress states for these structures are also used to determine safe drilling directions and a methodology for wellbore trajection optimization is developed that is applicable for non-Andersonian stress states. The results of the fluid flow simulation show that the type of fluid flow boundary condition is of utmost importance and has significant impact on all injection related parameters. It is recommended that further research is conducted to establish a method to quantify the fluid flow boundary conditions for injection applications. The results of the geomechanical simulation show that in situ stress regime is a crucial, if not the most important, factor determining geomechanical risks. For extension and strike slip stress regimes anticline structures should be favored over horizontally layered basin as they feature higher ΔP{sub c} magnitudes. If sedimentary basins are tectonically relaxed and their state of stress is characterized by the uni-axial strain model the basin is in exact frictional equilibrium and fluids should not be injected. The results also show that low inter bedding friction coefficients effectively decouple layers resulting in lower ΔP{sub c} magnitudes, especially for the compressional stress regime.

Neotectonic stress field of the south-eastern East European platform as related to the Late Alpine collision deformation of the Greater Caucasus

Science.gov (United States)

Kopp, Mikhail L.; Kolesnichenko, Aleksei; Vassiliev, Nikita; Mostryukov, Alexandre

2013-04-01

Greater Caucasian orogen built by an actived basement of the Scythyan plate. Signs of influence of collisional pressure onto intraplate deformations are also demonstrated by the Cenozoic stress/deformation field studied by the authors by means of mesotectonic measurements of tectonic striation, slickensides and veins in the Upper Mesozoic-Quaternary rocks. As a result, a series of maps of the Cenozoic stress field of the area studied has been first computered. The maps show an orientation and dip of general normal and tangential tectonic stresses as well as a character of a stress regime type (compression, extension, or horizontal shear) determined with the Lode-Nadai coefficient. A combination of the macrotectonic and mesotectonic data allows the following conclusions on dynamics of the platform neotectonic structures formation. (1) In the southern part of the studied platform area (the Zhigouli, Saratov and Kerensk-Chembar dislocations, and Donets coal basin in the Alpine stage), formation of the structures was greatly affected by increasing toward the Greater Caucasus compression in the thrust and strike-slip stress regimes. Horizontal projections of a compression axis in all these areas are oriented submeridionally (up to NE-SW) whereas horizontal projections of an extension axis are oriented sublatitudinally (up to WSW-ESE)). (2) The compression is also growing eastward, to the Uralian-Mougodjary recent orogen but its axis is directed there sublatitudinally, with the extension axis orienting submeridionally. (3) In the right angle between mutually perpendicular domains: the southern (adjacent to the Caucasus) and eastern ("the Uralian") ones, a domain of horizontal extension is present; its axis was oriented both sublatitudinally and submeridionally. In topography this area represents a vast depression, with its centre approximately marked by the point of a confluence of Kama with Volga, the greatest rivers of the Russian plain. There the collision (?) compression

Dependence of dislocation structure on orientation and slip systems in highly oriented nanotwinned Cu

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lu, Qiuhong; You, Zesheng; Huang, Xiaoxu

2017-01-01

slip Mode I and II are active with dominance of Mode II. In structures deformed at 45° dislocations from slip Modes I, II and III are identified, where Mode III dislocations consist of partial dislocations moving along the TBs and full dislocations inside the twin lamellae gliding on the slip planes...... parallel to the twin plane. The analysis of the dislocation structures illustrate the strong correlation between active slip systems and the dislocation structure and the strong effect of slip mode anisotropy on both the flow stress and strain hardening rate of nanotwinned Cu....

Aseismic Transform Fault Slip at the Mendocino Triple Junction From Characteristically Repeating Earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Materna, Kathryn; Taira, Taka'aki; Bürgmann, Roland

2018-01-01

The Mendocino Triple Junction (MTJ), at the northern terminus of the San Andreas Fault system, is an actively deforming plate boundary region with poorly constrained estimates of seismic coupling on most offshore fault surfaces. Characteristically repeating earthquakes provide spatial and temporal descriptions of aseismic creep at the MTJ, including on the oceanic transform Mendocino Fault Zone (MFZ) as it subducts beneath North America. Using a dataset of earthquakes from 2008 to 2017, we find that the easternmost segment of the MFZ displays creep during this period at about 65% of the long-term slip rate. We also find creep at slower rates on the shallower strike-slip interface between the Pacific plate and the North American accretionary wedge, as well as on a fault that accommodates Gorda subplate internal deformation. After a nearby M5.7 earthquake in 2015, we observe a possible decrease in aseismic slip on the near-shore MFZ that lasts from 2015 to at least early 2017.

The influence of testing apparatus stiffness on the source properties of laboratory stick-slip

Science.gov (United States)

Kilgore, B. D.; McGarr, A.; Beeler, N. M.; Lockner, D. A.

2016-12-01

Stick-slip experiments were performed to determine the influence of the testing apparatus stiffness on source properties, to develop methods to relate stick-slip to natural earthquakes, and to examine the hypothesis of McGarr [2012] that the product of unloading stiffness, k, and slip duration, T, is both scale-independent and approximately constant for both laboratory and natural earthquakes. A double-direct shear load frame was used with Sierra White Granite samples at 2 MPa normal stress, and a remote loading rate of 0.2 µm/s. The stiffness of the test apparatus was varied by more than an order of magnitude by inserting disk springs into the shear loading column adjacent to the granite samples. Servo-controlling slip at a point between the forcing ram and the shear force load cell, produced repeatable slip events. Slip and slip duration decrease as k increases, as they do for natural earthquakes. In contrast to earthquakes, stress drop and slip rate decrease with increasing k, and the product kT for these experiments is not constant, but decreases with k. These data, collected over a range of k, do not conform to McGarr's [2012] hypothesis. However, analysis of stick-slip studies from other testing apparatuses is consistent with McGarr's hypothesis; kT is scale-independent, similar to that of earthquakes, equal to the ratio of static stress drop to average slip velocity, and similar to the ratio of shear modulus to wavespeed of rock. These properties result from conducting experiments over a range of sample sizes, using rock samples with the same elastic properties as the Earth, and using testing machines whose stiffnesses decrease, and characteristic periods increase with scale. A consequence of our experiments and analysis is that extrapolation of lab scale earthquake source properties to the Earth is more difficult than previously thought, requiring an accounting for the properties of the testing machines and additional research beyond that reported here.

The Sierra de Cabral range: a restraining bend related to the Sierra Ballena shear zone in Dom Feliciano belt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masquelin, H.

2010-01-01

Restraining and releasing bends occurring in all crustal environments are common but enigmatic features of strike-slip fault systems. They can be reported in all scales of observation. Regional-scale restraining bends are sites of mountain building, transpressional deformation and basement exhumation. Releasing bends are sites of subsidence, transtensional deformation and pull-apart basins. The Dom Feliciano Belt of Southern Uruguay has two main structures observed from the outer space: (i) the Sierra Ballena Shear Zone and (ii) the Sierra de Cabral flexure located to the SW of the former. Although a transpressional regime is commonly accepted for the Dom Feliciano Belt, the available tectonic models do not provide satisfactory explanations for its building mechanism. A restraining bend is proposed at the SW termination of Sierra Ballena strike-slip ductile shear zone. In a key-area (Alvariza Range) the relationship between the Zanja del Tigre volcanic-detritic and the calcareous succession shows three en-échelon upright bends of the same quartzite hanging-wall between two sub-vertical strike-slip faults, suggesting the existence of a shortened strike-slip duplex operating in viscous-elastic rheology. The deformation partitioning includes strike-slip and dip-slip simple-shear components as well as one contractional pure-shear component. Because restraining bends were scarcely described in Neoproterozoic low-grade regional exhumation conditions, this structural framework would be a natural laboratory to study fault kinematics, fault dynamics, their associated deformation and the tectonic and erosion constraints related to the exhumation of many crystalline terrains

Heterogeneous slip and rupture models of the San Andreas fault zone based upon three-dimensional earthquake tomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Foxall, William [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

1992-11-01

Crystal fault zones exhibit spatially heterogeneous slip behavior at all scales, slip being partitioned between stable frictional sliding, or fault creep, and unstable earthquake rupture. An understanding the mechanisms underlying slip segmentation is fundamental to research into fault dynamics and the physics of earthquake generation. This thesis investigates the influence that large-scale along-strike heterogeneity in fault zone lithology has on slip segmentation. Large-scale transitions from the stable block sliding of the Central 4D Creeping Section of the San Andreas, fault to the locked 1906 and 1857 earthquake segments takes place along the Loma Prieta and Parkfield sections of the fault, respectively, the transitions being accomplished in part by the generation of earthquakes in the magnitude range 6 (Parkfield) to 7 (Loma Prieta). Information on sub-surface lithology interpreted from the Loma Prieta and Parkfield three-dimensional crustal velocity models computed by Michelini (1991) is integrated with information on slip behavior provided by the distributions of earthquakes located using, the three-dimensional models and by surface creep data to study the relationships between large-scale lithological heterogeneity and slip segmentation along these two sections of the fault zone.

Aftershock Activity Triggered By the 2014 Earthquake (Mw=6.5), and Its Implications for the Future Seismic Risk in the Marmara Sea, Turkey

Science.gov (United States)

Polat, O.; Kilic, T.; Turkoglu, M.; Kaplan, M.; Kilicarslan, O.; Özer, Ç.; Gok, E.

2014-12-01

We have performed aftershocks analysis triggered by 24.05.2014 (Mw=6.5) Gokceada Island (GI) earthquake where occurred at the W of North Anatolian Fault zone. Mainshock was widely felt in Aegean and Marmara regions of Turkey. Major damage in 228 homes was reported. Other 49 residences suffered moderate or light damage. We have well located 699 events over 1041 by at least 5 stations for one month period after the mainshock. Double difference relocation algorithm allowed us to minimize rms values less than 0.39. Initial results show clear unilateral rupture towards Gallipoli Peninsula at the W of Marmara Sea region. Aftershocks show linearity with an extension of ~110 km length, ~25 km width. Largest aftershock (Mw=5.3) was at the NE end of activation zone. Depths are mainly confined from 5 to 25 km ranges. Two locking depths are detected beneath 8 km in Lemnos Basin and Saros Trough. We also constructed focal mechanisms from regional moment tensor solutions. Digital waveform data obtained from AFAD (Turkey) and HT-AUTH (Greece). Focal mechanisms reflect complex tectonic settings. Nevertheless numerous mechanisms show dominant dextral strike-slip motions aligned NE-SW direction with minor reverse component. State of stress before the mainshock was pure shear regime. But two principal stress axes are observed as oblique for the aftershocks showing ambiguity between compression and shear. It is likely that the mean stress regime has changed after the GI earthquake. If this is so, we may expect that the strike-slip component would slowly increase later in order to recover the conditions existing before. Coulomb stress values rise at the edges of the fault segment due to accumulation of slip. We observed strong spatial correlation between the static stress change after 2014 GI earthquake and the segment that ruptured during the 1912 Murefte-Ganos (Mw=7.4) earthquake. The analysis showed that the areas of positive static stress changes reach to seismic gap in the Marmara

Numerical study of the effect of Navier slip on the driven cavity flow

KAUST Repository

He, Qiaolin

2009-10-01

We study the driven cavity flow using the Navier slip boundary condition. Our results have shown that the Navier slip boundary condition removes the corner singularity induced by the no-slip boundary condition. In the low Reynolds number case, the behavior of the tangential stress is examined and the results are compared with the analytic results obtained in [14]. For the high Reynolds number, we study the effect of the slip on the critical Reynolds number for Hopf bifurcation. Our results show that the first Hopf bifurcation critical Reynolds number is increasing with slip length. © 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Frictional power dissipation on plate boundary faults: Implications for coseismic slip propagation at near-surface depths

Science.gov (United States)

Ikari, M.; Kopf, A.; Saffer, D. M.; Marone, C.; Carpenter, B. M.

2013-12-01

The general lack of earthquake slip at shallow (behavior associated with laboratory observations that disaggregated fault gouges commonly strengthen with increasing sliding velocity (i.e. velocity-strengthening friction), which precludes strain energy release via stress drops. However, the 2011 Tohoku earthquake demonstrated that coseismic rupture and slip can sometimes propagate to the surface in subduction zones. Surface rupture is also known to occur on other plate boundary faults, such as the Alpine Fault in New Zealand. It is uncertain how the extent of coseismic slip propagation from depth is controlled by the frictional properties of the near-surface portion of major faults. In these situations, it is common for slip to localize within gouge having a significant component of clay minerals, which laboratory experiments have shown are generally weak and velocity strengthening. However, low overall fault strength should facilitate coseismic slip, while velocity-strengthening behavior would resist it. In order to investigate how frictional properties may control the extent of coseismic slip propagation at shallow depths, we compare frictional strength and velocity-dependence measurements using samples from three subduction zones known for hosting large magnitude earthquakes. We focus on samples recovered during scientific drilling projects from the Nankai Trough, Japan, the Japan Trench in the region of the Tohoku earthquake, and the Middle America Trench, offshore Costa Rica; however we also include comparisons with other major fault zones sampled by drilling. In order to incorporate the combined effects of overall frictional strength and friction velocity-dependence, we estimate shear strength as a function of slip velocity (at constant effective normal stress), and integrate this function to obtain the areal power density, or frictional power dissipation capability of the fault zone. We also explore the role of absolute shear stress level before arrival of a

Effects of embedment including slip and separation on seismic SSI response of a nuclear reactor building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saxena, Navjeev; Paul, D.K.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Both the slip and separation of reactor base reduce with increase in embedment. ► The slip and separation become insignificant beyond 1/4 and 1/2 embedment respectively. ► The stresses in reactor reduce significantly upto 1/4 embedment. ► The stress reduction with embedment is more pronounced in case of tensile stresses. ► The modeling of interface is important beyond 1/8 embedment as stresses are underestimated otherwise. - Abstract: The seismic response of nuclear reactor containment building considering the effects of embedment, slip and separation at soil–structure interface requires modeling of the soil, structure and interface altogether. Slip and separation at the interface causes stress redistribution in the soil and the structure around the interface. The embedment changes the dynamic characteristics of the soil–structure system. Consideration of these aspects allows capturing the realistic response of the structure, which has been a research gap and presented here individually as well as taken together. Finite element analysis has been carried out in time domain to attempt the highly nonlinear problem. The study draws important conclusions useful for design of nuclear reactor containment building.

Surface slip during large Owens Valley earthquakes

KAUST Repository

Haddon, E. K.; Amos, C. B.; Zielke, Olaf; Jayko, A. S.; Burgmann, R.

2016-01-01

The 1872 Owens Valley earthquake is the third largest known historical earthquake in California. Relatively sparse field data and a complex rupture trace, however, inhibited attempts to fully resolve the slip distribution and reconcile the total moment release. We present a new, comprehensive record of surface slip based on lidar and field investigation, documenting 162 new measurements of laterally and vertically displaced landforms for 1872 and prehistoric Owens Valley earthquakes. Our lidar analysis uses a newly developed analytical tool to measure fault slip based on cross-correlation of sublinear topographic features and to produce a uniquely shaped probability density function (PDF) for each measurement. Stacking PDFs along strike to form cumulative offset probability distribution plots (COPDs) highlights common values corresponding to single and multiple-event displacements. Lateral offsets for 1872 vary systematically from approximate to 1.0 to 6.0 m and average 3.31.1 m (2 sigma). Vertical offsets are predominantly east-down between approximate to 0.1 and 2.4 m, with a mean of 0.80.5 m. The average lateral-to-vertical ratio compiled at specific sites is approximate to 6:1. Summing displacements across subparallel, overlapping rupture traces implies a maximum of 7-11 m and net average of 4.41.5 m, corresponding to a geologic M-w approximate to 7.5 for the 1872 event. We attribute progressively higher-offset lateral COPD peaks at 7.12.0 m, 12.8 +/- 1.5 m, and 16.6 +/- 1.4 m to three earlier large surface ruptures. Evaluating cumulative displacements in context with previously dated landforms in Owens Valley suggests relatively modest rates of fault slip, averaging between approximate to 0.6 and 1.6 mm/yr (1 sigma) over the late Quaternary.

Surface slip during large Owens Valley earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Haddon, E.K.; Amos, C.B.; Zielke, O.; Jayko, Angela S.; Burgmann, R.

2016-01-01

The 1872 Owens Valley earthquake is the third largest known historical earthquake in California. Relatively sparse field data and a complex rupture trace, however, inhibited attempts to fully resolve the slip distribution and reconcile the total moment release. We present a new, comprehensive record of surface slip based on lidar and field investigation, documenting 162 new measurements of laterally and vertically displaced landforms for 1872 and prehistoric Owens Valley earthquakes. Our lidar analysis uses a newly developed analytical tool to measure fault slip based on cross-correlation of sublinear topographic features and to produce a uniquely shaped probability density function (PDF) for each measurement. Stacking PDFs along strike to form cumulative offset probability distribution plots (COPDs) highlights common values corresponding to single and multiple-event displacements. Lateral offsets for 1872 vary systematically from ∼1.0 to 6.0 m and average 3.3 ± 1.1 m (2σ). Vertical offsets are predominantly east-down between ∼0.1 and 2.4 m, with a mean of 0.8 ± 0.5 m. The average lateral-to-vertical ratio compiled at specific sites is ∼6:1. Summing displacements across subparallel, overlapping rupture traces implies a maximum of 7–11 m and net average of 4.4 ± 1.5 m, corresponding to a geologic Mw ∼7.5 for the 1872 event. We attribute progressively higher-offset lateral COPD peaks at 7.1 ± 2.0 m, 12.8 ± 1.5 m, and 16.6 ± 1.4 m to three earlier large surface ruptures. Evaluating cumulative displacements in context with previously dated landforms in Owens Valley suggests relatively modest rates of fault slip, averaging between ∼0.6 and 1.6 mm/yr (1σ) over the late Quaternary.

Surface slip during large Owens Valley earthquakes

KAUST Repository

Haddon, E. K.

2016-01-10

The 1872 Owens Valley earthquake is the third largest known historical earthquake in California. Relatively sparse field data and a complex rupture trace, however, inhibited attempts to fully resolve the slip distribution and reconcile the total moment release. We present a new, comprehensive record of surface slip based on lidar and field investigation, documenting 162 new measurements of laterally and vertically displaced landforms for 1872 and prehistoric Owens Valley earthquakes. Our lidar analysis uses a newly developed analytical tool to measure fault slip based on cross-correlation of sublinear topographic features and to produce a uniquely shaped probability density function (PDF) for each measurement. Stacking PDFs along strike to form cumulative offset probability distribution plots (COPDs) highlights common values corresponding to single and multiple-event displacements. Lateral offsets for 1872 vary systematically from approximate to 1.0 to 6.0 m and average 3.31.1 m (2 sigma). Vertical offsets are predominantly east-down between approximate to 0.1 and 2.4 m, with a mean of 0.80.5 m. The average lateral-to-vertical ratio compiled at specific sites is approximate to 6:1. Summing displacements across subparallel, overlapping rupture traces implies a maximum of 7-11 m and net average of 4.41.5 m, corresponding to a geologic M-w approximate to 7.5 for the 1872 event. We attribute progressively higher-offset lateral COPD peaks at 7.12.0 m, 12.8 +/- 1.5 m, and 16.6 +/- 1.4 m to three earlier large surface ruptures. Evaluating cumulative displacements in context with previously dated landforms in Owens Valley suggests relatively modest rates of fault slip, averaging between approximate to 0.6 and 1.6 mm/yr (1 sigma) over the late Quaternary.

Rupture geometry and slip distribution of the 2016 January 21st Ms6.4 Menyuan, China earthquake

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Y.

2017-12-01

On 21 January 2016, an Ms6.4 earthquake stroke Menyuan country, Qinghai Province, China. The epicenter of the main shock and locations of its aftershocks indicate that the Menyuan earthquake occurred near the left-lateral Lenglongling fault. However, the focal mechanism suggests that the earthquake should take place on a thrust fault. In addition, field investigation indicates that the earthquake did not rupture the ground surface. Therefore, the rupture geometry is unclear as well as coseismic slip distribution. We processed two pairs of InSAR images acquired by the ESA Sentinel-1A satellite with the ISCE software, and both ascending and descending orbits were included. After subsampling the coseismic InSAR images into about 800 pixels, coseismic displacement data along LOS direction are inverted for earthquake source parameters. We employ an improved mixed linear-nonlinear Bayesian inversion method to infer fault geometric parameters, slip distribution, and the Laplacian smoothing factor simultaneously. This method incorporates a hybrid differential evolution algorithm, which is an efficient global optimization algorithm. The inversion results show that the Menyuan earthquake ruptured a blind thrust fault with a strike of 124°and a dip angle of 41°. This blind fault was never investigated before and intersects with the left-lateral Lenglongling fault, but the strikes of them are nearly parallel. The slip sense is almost pure thrusting, and there is no significant slip within 4km depth. The max slip value is up to 0.3m, and the estimated moment magnitude is Mw5.93, in agreement with the seismic inversion result. The standard error of residuals between InSAR data and model prediction is as small as 0.5cm, verifying the correctness of the inversion results.

Creep to inertia dominated stick-slip behavior in sliding friction modulated by tilted non-uniform loading

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Pengyi; Tao, Dashuai; Yin, Wei; Zhang, Xiangjun; Meng, Yonggang; Tian, Yu

2016-09-01

Comprehension of stick-slip motion is very important for understanding tribological principles. The transition from creep-dominated to inertia-dominated stick-slip as the increase of sliding velocity has been described by researchers. However, the associated micro-contact behavior during this transition has not been fully disclosed yet. In this study, we investigated the stick-slip behaviors of two polymethyl methacrylate blocks actively modulated from the creep-dominated to inertia-dominated dynamics through a non-uniform loading along the interface by slightly tilting the angle of the two blocks. Increasing the tilt angle increases the critical transition velocity from creep-dominated to inertia-dominated stick-slip behaviors. Results from finite element simulation disclosed that a positive tilt angle led to a higher normal stress and a higher temperature on blocks at the opposite side of the crack initiating edge, which enhanced the creep of asperities during sliding friction. Acoustic emission (AE) during the stick-slip has also been measured, which is closely related to the different rupture modes regulated by the distribution of the ratio of shear to normal stress along the sliding interface. This study provided a more comprehensive understanding of the effect of tilted non-uniform loading on the local stress ratio, the local temperature, and the stick-slip behaviors.

Slip behaviour of experimental faults subjected to fluid pressure stimulation: carbonates vs. shales

Science.gov (United States)

Collettini, C.; Scuderi, M. M.; Marone, C.

2017-12-01

Fluid overpressure is one of the primary mechanisms for triggering tectonic fault slip and human-induced seismicity. This mechanism has been invoked to explain the dramatic increase in seismicity associated with waste water disposal in intra-plate setting, and it is appealing because fluids lubricate the fault and reduce the effective normal stress that holds the fault in place. Although, this basic physical mechanism is well understood, several fundamental questions remain including the apparent delay between fluid injection and seismicity, the role of fault zone rheology, and the relationship between injection volume and earthquake size. Moreover, models of earthquake nucleation predict that a reduction in normal stress, as expected for fluid overpressure, should stabilize fault slip. Here, we address these questions using laboratory experiments, conducted in the double direct shear configuration in a true-triaxial machine on carbonates and shale fault gouges. In particular, we: 1) evaluate frictional strength and permeability, 2) characterize the rate- and state- friction parameters and 3) study fault slip evolution during fluid pressure stimulations. With increasing fluid pressure, when shear and effective normal stresses reach the failure condition, in calcite gouges, characterized by slightly velocity strengthening behaviour, we observe an acceleration of slip that spontaneously evolves into dynamic failure. For shale gouges, with a strong rate-strengthening behaviour, we document complex fault slip behavior characterized by periodic accelerations and decelerations with slip velocity that remains slow (i.e. v 200 µm/s), never approaching dynamic slip rates. Our data indicate that fault rheology and fault stability is controlled by the coupling between fluid pressure and rate- and state- friction parameters suggesting that their comprehensive characterization is fundamental for assessing the role of fluid pressure in natural and human induced earthquakes.

THE DIFFERENTIAL CRITERIONOF THE TRANSITION IN THE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Ghimisi

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Fretting is now fully identified as a small amplitude oscillatory motion which induces aharmonic tangential force between two surfaces in contact. It is related to three main loadings, i.e.fretting-wear, fretting-fatigue and fretting corrosion. Three fretting regimes will be considered:stick regime, slip regime and mixed regime. Obviously the partial slip transition develops thehighest stress levels which can induce fatigue crack nucleation depending on the fatigueproperties of the two contacting first bodies. Therefore prediction of the frontier between partialslip and gross slip is required.

Influence of Microtexture on Early Plastic Slip Activity in Ti-6Al-4V Polycrystals

Science.gov (United States)

Hémery, Samuel; Dang, Van Truong; Signor, Loïc; Villechaise, Patrick

2018-06-01

Microtextured regions are known to influence the fatigue performance of titanium alloys. Previous studies revealed that crack initiation, accounting for most of the fatigue life, is triggered by slip activity. The influence of microtextured regions on the early plastic slip activity was presently investigated by means of an in situ tensile test performed inside a scanning electron microscope on a bimodal Ti-6Al-4V polycrystalline specimen. A slip trace analysis was carried out in several regions with different crystallographic textures to highlight potentially different deformation behaviors. Significant stress heterogeneities were revealed through an early slip activation in microtextured regions with a predominant [0001] orientation. This point was shown to be related to a locally increased resolved shear stress. Consequences on behavior under cyclic loadings are finally discussed.

Incipient Evolution of the Eastern California Shear Zone through a Transpressional Zone along the San Andreas Fault in the San Bernardino Mountains, California

Science.gov (United States)

Cochran, W. J.; Spotila, J. A.

2017-12-01

Measuring long-term accumulation of strike-slip displacements and transpressional uplift is difficult where strain is accommodated across wide shear zones, as opposed to a single major fault. The Eastern California Shear Zone (ECSZ) in southern California accommodates dextral shear across several strike-slip faults, and is potentially migrating and cutting through a formerly convergent zone of the San Bernardino Mountains (SBM). The advection of crust along the San Andreas fault to the SE has forced these two tectonic regimes into creating a nexus of interacting strike-slip faults north of San Gorgonio Pass. These elements make this region ideal for studying complex fault interactions, evolving fault geometries, and deformational overprinting within a wide shear zone. Using high-resolution topography and field mapping, this study aims to test whether diffuse, poorly formed strike-slip faults within the uplifted SBM block are nascent elements of the ECSZ. Topographic resolution of ≤ 1m was achieved using both lidar and UAV surveys along two Quaternary strike-slip faults, namely the Lake Peak fault and Lone Valley faults. Although the Lone Valley fault cuts across Quaternary alluvium, the geomorphic expression is obscured, and may be the result of slow slip rates. In contrast, the Lake Peak fault is located high elevations north of San Gorgonio Peak in the SBM, and displaces Quaternary glacial deposits. The deposition of large boulders along the escarpment also obscures the apparent magnitude of slip along the fault. Although determining fault offset is difficult, the Lake Peak fault does display evidence for minor right-lateral displacement, where the magnitude of slip would be consistent with individual faults within the ECSZ (i.e. ≤ 1 mm/yr). Compared to the preservation of displacement along strike-slip faults located within the Mojave Desert, the upland region of the SBM adds complexity for measuring fault offset. The distribution of strain across the entire

Insights on activation enthalpy for non-Schmid slip in body-centered cubic metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hale, Lucas M.; Lim, Hojun; Zimmerman, Jonathan A.; Battaile, Corbett C.; Weinberger, Christopher R.

2015-01-01

We use insights gained from atomistic simulation to develop an activation enthalpy model for dislocation slip in body-centered cubic iron. Using a classical potential that predicts dislocation core stabilities consistent with ab initio predictions, we quantify the non-Schmid stress-dependent effects of slip. The kink-pair activation enthalpy is evaluated and a model is identified as a function of the general stress state. Our model enlarges the applicability of the classic Kocks activation enthalpy model to materials with non-Schmid behavior

The influence of slip velocity and temperature on permeability during and after high-velocity fault slip

Science.gov (United States)

Tanikawa, W.; Mukoyoshi, H.; Tadai, O.; Hirose, T.; Lin, W.

2011-12-01

Fluid transport properties in fault zones play an important role in dynamic processes during large earthquakes. If the permeability in a fault zone is low, high pore-fluid pressures caused by thermal pressurization (Sibson, 1973) or shear-induced compaction (Blanpied et al., 1992) can lead to an apparent reduction of fault strength. Changes in porosity and permeability of fault rocks within a fault zone during earthquakes and the subsequent progressive recovery of these properties may have a large influence on earthquake recurrence (Sleep and Blanpied, 1992). A rotary shear apparatus was used to investigate changes of fluid transport properties in a fault zone by real-time measurement of gas flow rates during and after shearing of hollow sandstone and granite cylinders at various slip rates. Our apparatus measures permeability parallel to the slip plane in both the slip zone and wall rocks. In all cases, permeability decreased rapidly with an increase of friction, but recovered soon after slip, reaching a steady state within several tens of minutes. The rate of reduction of permeability increased with increasing slip velocity. Permeability did not recover to pre-slip levels after low-velocity tests but recovered to exceed them after high-velocity tests. Frictional heating of gases at the slip surface increased gas viscosity, which increased gas flow rate to produce an apparent permeability increase. The irreversible permeability changes of the low-velocity tests were caused by gouge formation due to wearing and smoothing of the slip surface. The increase of permeability after high-velocity tests was caused by mesoscale fracturing in response to rapid temperature rise. Changes of pore fluid viscosity contributed more to changes of flow rate than did permeability changes caused by shear deformation, although test results from different rocks and pore fluids might be different. References Blanpied, M.L., Lockner, D.A., Byerlee, J.D., 1992. An earthquake mechanism

The earthquake/seismic risk, vulnerability and capacity profile for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

2009-12-06

Dec 6, 2009 ... the strain and the rocks on both sides of the fault rebound to their initial positions ..... (b) Strike Slip Fault Regimes. (c) Converging Plates. .... was no mechanism the people of Karonga town were going to be alerted of the ...

Refining fault slip rates using multiple displaced terrace risers-An example from the Honey Lake fault, NE California, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Gold, Ryan D.; Briggs, Richard W.; Crone, Anthony J.; DuRoss, Christopher B.

2017-11-01

Faulted terrace risers are semi-planar features commonly used to constrain Quaternary slip rates along strike-slip faults. These landforms are difficult to date directly and therefore their ages are commonly bracketed by age estimates of the adjacent upper and lower terrace surfaces. However, substantial differences in the ages of the upper and lower terrace surfaces (a factor of 2.4 difference observed globally) produce large uncertainties in the slip-rate estimate. In this investigation, we explore how the full range of displacements and bounding ages from multiple faulted terrace risers can be combined to yield a more accurate fault slip rate. We use 0.25-m cell size digital terrain models derived from airborne lidar data to analyze three sites where terrace risers are offset right-laterally by the Honey Lake fault in NE California, USA. We use ages for locally extensive subhorizontal surfaces to bracket the time of riser formation: an upper surface is the bed of abandoned Lake Lahontan having an age of 15.8 ± 0.6 ka and a lower surface is a fluvial terrace abandoned at 4.7 ± 0.1 ka. We estimate lateral offsets of the risers ranging between 6.6 and 28.3 m (median values), a greater than fourfold difference in values. The amount of offset corresponds to the riser's position relative to modern stream meanders: the smallest offset is in a meander cutbank position, whereas the larger offsets are in straight channel or meander point-bar positions. Taken in isolation, the individual terrace-riser offsets yield slip rates ranging from 0.3 to 7.1 mm/a. However, when the offset values are collectively assessed in a probabilistic framework, we find that a uniform (linear) slip rate of 1.6 mm/a (1.4-1.9 mm/a at 95% confidence) can satisfy the data, within their respective uncertainties. This investigation demonstrates that integrating observations of multiple offset elements (crest, midpoint, and base) from numerous faulted and dated terrace risers at closely spaced

Refining fault slip rates using multiple displaced terrace risers—An example from the Honey Lake fault, NE California, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Gold, Ryan D.; Briggs, Richard; Crone, Anthony J.; Duross, Christopher

2017-01-01

Faulted terrace risers are semi-planar features commonly used to constrain Quaternary slip rates along strike-slip faults. These landforms are difficult to date directly and therefore their ages are commonly bracketed by age estimates of the adjacent upper and lower terrace surfaces. However, substantial differences in the ages of the upper and lower terrace surfaces (a factor of 2.4 difference observed globally) produce large uncertainties in the slip-rate estimate. In this investigation, we explore how the full range of displacements and bounding ages from multiple faulted terrace risers can be combined to yield a more accurate fault slip rate. We use 0.25-m cell size digital terrain models derived from airborne lidar data to analyze three sites where terrace risers are offset right-laterally by the Honey Lake fault in NE California, USA. We use ages for locally extensive subhorizontal surfaces to bracket the time of riser formation: an upper surface is the bed of abandoned Lake Lahontan having an age of 15.8 ± 0.6 ka and a lower surface is a fluvial terrace abandoned at 4.7 ± 0.1 ka. We estimate lateral offsets of the risers ranging between 6.6 and 28.3 m (median values), a greater than fourfold difference in values. The amount of offset corresponds to the riser's position relative to modern stream meanders: the smallest offset is in a meander cutbank position, whereas the larger offsets are in straight channel or meander point-bar positions. Taken in isolation, the individual terrace-riser offsets yield slip rates ranging from 0.3 to 7.1 mm/a. However, when the offset values are collectively assessed in a probabilistic framework, we find that a uniform (linear) slip rate of 1.6 mm/a (1.4–1.9 mm/a at 95% confidence) can satisfy the data, within their respective uncertainties. This investigation demonstrates that integrating observations of multiple offset elements (crest, midpoint, and base) from numerous faulted and dated terrace risers at closely spaced

Stress drops of induced and tectonic earthquakes in the central United States are indistinguishable.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yihe; Ellsworth, William L; Beroza, Gregory C

2017-08-01

Induced earthquakes currently pose a significant hazard in the central United States, but there is considerable uncertainty about the severity of their ground motions. We measure stress drops of 39 moderate-magnitude induced and tectonic earthquakes in the central United States and eastern North America. Induced earthquakes, more than half of which are shallower than 5 km, show a comparable median stress drop to tectonic earthquakes in the central United States that are dominantly strike-slip but a lower median stress drop than that of tectonic earthquakes in the eastern North America that are dominantly reverse-faulting. This suggests that ground motion prediction equations developed for tectonic earthquakes can be applied to induced earthquakes if the effects of depth and faulting style are properly considered. Our observation leads to the notion that, similar to tectonic earthquakes, induced earthquakes are driven by tectonic stresses.

Sentinel-1 observation of the 2017 Sangsefid earthquake, northeastern Iran: Rupture of a blind reserve-slip fault near the Eastern Kopeh Dagh

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Guangyu; Xu, Caijun; Wen, Yangmao

2018-04-01

New satellites are now revealing InSAR-based surface deformation within a week after natural hazard events. Quick hazard responses will be more publically accessible and provide information to responding agencies. Here we used Sentinel-1 interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data to investigate coseismic deformation associated with the 2017 Sangsefid earthquake, which occurred in the southeast margin of the Kopeh Dagh fault system. The ascending and descending interferograms indicate thrust-dominated slip, with the maximum line-of-sight displacement of 10.5 and 13.7 cm, respectively. The detailed slip-distribution of the 2017 Sangsefid Mw6.1 earthquake inferred from geodetic data is presented here for the first time. Although the InSAR interferograms themselves do not uniquely constrain what the primary slip surface is, we infer that the source fault dips to southwest by analyzing the 2.5 D displacement field decomposed from the InSAR observations. The determined uniform slip fault model shows that the dip angle of the seimogenic fault is approximately 40°, with a strike of 120° except for a narrower fault width than that predicted by the empirical scaling law. We suggest that geometric complexities near the Kopeh Dagh fault system obstruct the rupture propagation, resulting in high slip occurred within a small area and much higher stress drop than global estimates. The InSAR-determined moment is 1.71 × 1018 Nm with a shear modulus of 3.32 × 1010 N/m2, equivalent to Mw 6.12, which is consistent with seismological results. The finite fault model (the west-dipping fault plane) reveals that the peak slip of 0.90 m occurred at a depth of 6.3 km, with substantial slip at a depth of 4-10 km and a near-uniform slip of 0.1 m at a depth of 0-2.5 km. We suggest that the Sangsefid earthquake occurred on an unknown blind reverse fault dipping southwest, which can also be recognised through observing the long-term surface effects due to the existence of the blind

Data-driven fault mechanics: Inferring fault hydro-mechanical properties from in situ observations of injection-induced aseismic slip

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharya, P.; Viesca, R. C.

2017-12-01

In the absence of in situ field-scale observations of quantities such as fault slip, shear stress and pore pressure, observational constraints on models of fault slip have mostly been limited to laboratory and/or remote observations. Recent controlled fluid-injection experiments on well-instrumented faults fill this gap by simultaneously monitoring fault slip and pore pressure evolution in situ [Gugleilmi et al., 2015]. Such experiments can reveal interesting fault behavior, e.g., Gugleilmi et al. report fluid-activated aseismic slip followed only subsequently by the onset of micro-seismicity. We show that the Gugleilmi et al. dataset can be used to constrain the hydro-mechanical model parameters of a fluid-activated expanding shear rupture within a Bayesian framework. We assume that (1) pore-pressure diffuses radially outward (from the injection well) within a permeable pathway along the fault bounded by a narrow damage zone about the principal slip surface; (2) pore-pressure increase ativates slip on a pre-stressed planar fault due to reduction in frictional strength (expressed as a constant friction coefficient times the effective normal stress). Owing to efficient, parallel, numerical solutions to the axisymmetric fluid-diffusion and crack problems (under the imposed history of injection), we are able to jointly fit the observed history of pore-pressure and slip using an adaptive Monte Carlo technique. Our hydrological model provides an excellent fit to the pore-pressure data without requiring any statistically significant permeability enhancement due to the onset of slip. Further, for realistic elastic properties of the fault, the crack model fits both the onset of slip and its early time evolution reasonably well. However, our model requires unrealistic fault properties to fit the marked acceleration of slip observed later in the experiment (coinciding with the triggering of microseismicity). Therefore, besides producing meaningful and internally consistent

Seismically-triggered soft-sediment deformation structures close to a major strike-slip fault system in the Eastern Alps (Hirlatz cave, Austria)

Science.gov (United States)

Salomon, Martina Lan; Grasemann, Bernhard; Plan, Lukas; Gier, Susanne; Schöpfer, Martin P. J.

2018-05-01

We investigate episodic soft-sediment deformation structures cross-cut by normal faults preserved in unlithified finely laminated calcite rich sediments in the Hirlatz cave in the Northern Calcareous Alps (Austria). These sediments comprise varve-like alternations of brighter carbonate/quartz rich layers, and darker clay mineral rich layers. The deformed sediments contain abundant millimeter to centimeter-scale soft-sediment structures (load casts, ball-and-pillow structures), sheet slumps (thrust faults and folds), erosive channels filled with slides and chaotic slumps. After deposition and soft-sediment deformation normal faults developed within the entire sedimentary succession, an event that probably correlates with an offset of c. 10 cm of the passage wall above the outcrop. Our major conclusions are: (i) The sediments have a glacial origin and were deposited in the Hirlatz cave under phreatic fluvio-lacustrine conditions. The deposition and the soft-sediment deformation occurred most likely during the last glaciation (i.e. around 25 ka ago); (ii) The liquefaction and formation of the soft-sediment structures in water-saturated stratified layers was triggered by episodic seismic events; (iii) The internally deformed sediments were later displaced by normal faults; (iv) A possible source for the seismic events is the active sinistral Salzach-Ennstal-Mariazeller-Puchberger (SEMP) strike-slip fault which is located about 10 km south of the outcrop and plays a major role in accommodating the extrusion of the Eastern Alps towards the Pannonian Basin. To our knowledge, the described structures are the first report of liquefaction and seismically induced soft-sediment deformations in Quaternary sediments in the Eastern Alps.

Friction, slip and structural inhomogeneity of the buried interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong, Y; Wu, J; Martini, A; Li, Q

2011-01-01

An atomistic model of metallic contacts using realistic interatomic potentials is used to study the connection between friction, slip and the structure of the buried interface. Incommensurability induced by misalignment and lattice mismatch is modeled with contact sizes that are large enough to observe superstructures formed by the relative orientations of the surfaces. The periodicity of the superstructures is quantitatively related to inhomogeneous shear stress distributions in the contact area, and a reduced order model is used to clarify the connection between friction and structural inhomogeneity. Finally, the movement of atoms is evaluated before, during and after slip in both aligned and misaligned contacts to understand how the interfacial structure affects the mechanisms of slip and the corresponding frictional behavior

Two long-term slow slip events around Tokyo Bay found by GNSS observation during 1996-2011

Science.gov (United States)

Tanaka, Yoshiyuki; Yabe, Suguru

2017-03-01

Slow slip events (SSEs) with durations ranging from days to more than a decade have been observed in plate subduction zones around the world. In the Kanto district in Japan, several SSEs have been identified based on geodetic observations. However, none of these events have had durations largely exceeding a year. In this study, we show that long-term SSEs with durations longer than 3 years occurred before the year 2000 and after 2007 on the upper interface of the Philippine Sea Plate at depths of 30-40 km. The fault model determined by inversion of global navigation satellite system data is located northeast of Tokyo Bay, where a seismic gap and low seismic wave velocities were detected by seismological observations. Moreover, the acceleration periods of the fault slip corresponded well with increases in the background seismicity for shallower earthquakes. The slip history was also temporally correlated with the long-term shear stress changes governed mainly by non-tidal variations in the ocean bottom pressure. However, the predicted slip from the long-term stress change was too small to reproduce the observed slow slips. To prove the causal relationship between the SSEs and the external stress change, more advanced modeling is necessary to confirm whether such a small slip can trigger an SSE.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

On flows of viscoelastic fluids under threshold-slip boundary conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Baranovskii, E. S.

2018-03-01

We investigate a boundary-value problem for the steady isothermal flow of an incompressible viscoelastic fluid of Oldroyd type in a 3D bounded domain with impermeable walls. We use the Fujita threshold-slip boundary condition. This condition states that the fluid can slip along a solid surface when the shear stresses reach a certain critical value; otherwise the slipping velocity is zero. Assuming that the flow domain is not rotationally symmetric, we prove an existence theorem for the corresponding slip problem in the framework of weak solutions. The proof uses methods for solving variational inequalities with pseudo-monotone operators and convex functionals, the method of introduction of auxiliary viscosity, as well as a passage-to-limit procedure based on energy estimates of approximate solutions, Korn’s inequality, and compactness arguments. Also, some properties and estimates of weak solutions are established.

Frictional melting and stick-slip behavior in volcanic conduits

Science.gov (United States)

Kendrick, Jackie Evan; Lavallee, Yan; Hirose, Takehiro; di Toro, Giulio; Hornby, Adrian Jakob; Hess, Kai-Uwe; Dingwell, Donald Bruce

2013-04-01

Dome-building eruptions have catastrophic potential, with dome collapse leading to devastating pyroclastic flows with almost no precursory warning. During dome growth, the driving forces of the buoyant magma may be superseded by controls along conduit margins; where brittle fracture and sliding can lead to formation of lubricating cataclasite and gouge. Under extreme friction, pseudotachylyte may form at the conduit margin. Understanding the conduit margin processes is vital to understanding the continuation of an eruption and we postulate that pseudotachylyte generation could be the underlying cause of stick-slip motion and associated seismic "drumbeats", which are so commonly observed at dome-building volcanoes. This view is supported by field evidence in the form of pseudotachylytes identified in lava dome products at Soufrière Hills (Montserrat) and Mount St. Helens (USA). Both eruptions were characterised by repetitive, periodic seismicity and lava spine extrusion of highly viscous magma. High velocity rotary shear (HVR) experiments demonstrate the propensity for melting of the andesitic and dacitic material (from Soufrière Hills and Mount St. Helens respectively) at upper conduit stress conditions (HVR experiments which mimic rapid velocity fluctuations in stick-slip behavior demonstrate velocity-weakening behavior of melt, with a tendency for unstable slip. During ascent, magma may slip and undergo melting along the conduit margin. In the process the shear resistance of the slip zone is increased, acting as a viscous brake halting slip (the "stick" of stick-slip motion). Sufficient buoyancy-driven pressures from ascending magma below eventually overcome resistance to produce a rapid slip event (the "slip") along the melt-bearing slip zone, which is temporarily lubricated due to velocity-weakening. New magma below experiences the same slip event more slowly (as the magma decompresses) to produce a viscous brake and the process is repeated. This allows a

Areas prone to slow slip events impede earthquake rupture propagation and promote afterslip

Science.gov (United States)

Rolandone, Frederique; Nocquet, Jean-Mathieu; Mothes, Patricia A.; Jarrin, Paul; Vallée, Martin; Cubas, Nadaya; Hernandez, Stephen; Plain, Morgan; Vaca, Sandro; Font, Yvonne

2018-01-01

At subduction zones, transient aseismic slip occurs either as afterslip following a large earthquake or as episodic slow slip events during the interseismic period. Afterslip and slow slip events are usually considered as distinct processes occurring on separate fault areas governed by different frictional properties. Continuous GPS (Global Positioning System) measurements following the 2016 Mw (moment magnitude) 7.8 Ecuador earthquake reveal that large and rapid afterslip developed at discrete areas of the megathrust that had previously hosted slow slip events. Regardless of whether they were locked or not before the earthquake, these areas appear to persistently release stress by aseismic slip throughout the earthquake cycle and outline the seismic rupture, an observation potentially leading to a better anticipation of future large earthquakes. PMID:29404404

The rotation and fracture history of Europa from modeling of tidal-tectonic processes

Science.gov (United States)

Rhoden, Alyssa Rose

Europa's surface displays a complex history of tectonic activity, much of which has been linked to tidal stress caused by Europa's eccentric orbit and possibly non-synchronous rotation of the ice shell. Cycloids are arcuate features thought to have formed in response to tidal normal stress while strike-slip motion along preexisting faults has been attributed to tidal shear stress. Tectonic features thus provide constraints on the rotational parameters that govern tidal stress, and can help us develop an understanding of the tidal-tectonic processes operating on ice covered ocean moons. In the first part of this work (Chapter 3), I test tidal models that include obliquity, fast precession, stress due to non-synchronous rotation (NSR), and physical libration by comparing how well each model reproduces observed cycloids. To do this, I have designed and implemented an automated parameter-searching algorithm that relies on a quantitative measure of fit quality to identify the best fits to observed cycloids. I apply statistical techniques to determine the tidal model best supported by the data and constrain the values of Europa's rotational parameters. Cycloids indicate a time-varying obliquity of about 1° and a physical libration in phase with the eccentricity libration, with amplitude >1°. To obtain good fits, cycloids must be translated in longitude, which implies non-synchronous rotation of the icy shell. However, stress from NSR is not well-supported, indicating that the rotation rate is slow enough that these stresses relax. I build upon the results of cycloid modeling in the second section by applying calculations of tidal stress that include obliquity to the formation of strike-slip faults. I predict the slip directions of faults with the standard formation model---tidal walking (Chapter 5)---and with a new mechanical model I have developed, called shell tectonics (Chapter 6). The shell tectonics model incorporates linear elasticity to determine slip and stress

Deformation twinning in zinc-aluminium single crystals after slip

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lukac, P.; Kral, F.; Trojanova, Z.; Kral, R.

1993-01-01

Deformation twinning in Zn-Al single crystals deformed by slip in the basal system is examined. The influence of temperature and the content of aluminium in zinc on the twinning stress is investigated in the temperature range from 198 to 373 K. It is shown that the twinning stress rises with increasing temperature and increases with the concentration of Al atoms. (orig.)

Effect of basement structure and salt tectonics on deformation styles along strike: An example from the Kuqa fold-thrust belt, West China

Science.gov (United States)

Neng, Yuan; Xie, Huiwen; Yin, Hongwei; Li, Yong; Wang, Wei

2018-04-01

The Kuqa fold-thrust belt (KFTB) has a complex thrust-system geometry and comprises basement-involved thrusts, décollement thrusts, triangle zones, strike-slip faults, transpressional faults, and pop-up structures. These structures, combined with the effects of Paleogene salt tectonics and Paleozoic basement uplift form a complex structural zone trending E-W. Interpretation and comprehensive analysis of recent high-quality seismic data, field observations, boreholes, and gravity data covering the KFTB has been performed to understand the characteristics and mechanisms of the deformation styles along strike. Regional sections, fold-thrust system maps of the surface and the sub-salt layer, salt and basement structure distribution maps have been created, and a comprehensive analysis of thrust systems performed. The results indicate that the thrust-fold system in Paleogene salt range can be divided into five segments from east to west: the Kela-3, Keshen, Dabei, Bozi, and Awate segments. In the easternmost and westernmost parts of the Paleogene salt range, strike-slip faulting and basement-involved thrusting are the dominant deformation styles, as basement uplift and the limits of the Cenozoic evaporite deposit are the main controls on deformation. Salt-core detachment fold-thrust systems coincide with areas of salt tectonics, and pop-up, imbricate, and duplex structures are associated with the main thrust faults in the sub-salt layer. Distribution maps of thrust systems, basement structures, and salt tectonics show that Paleozoic basement uplift controlled the Paleozoic foreland basin morphology and the distribution of Cenozoic salt in the KFTB, and thus had a strong influence on the segmented structural deformation and evolution of the fold-thrust belt. Three types of transfer zone are identified, based on the characteristics of the salt layer and basement uplift, and the effects of these zones on the fault systems are evaluated. Basement uplift and the boundary of

On slip correlations used in the determination of the void distribution of BWR fuel channels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oelgaard, P.L.

1995-05-01

When performing calculations on boiling water reactors it is necessary to establish a relation between the average velocity of the steam, V g , and that of the water, V f , in the fuel channels. This is usually done through establishing an expression for the slip ratio S=V g /V f . In the literature a number of such slip correlations - all based on measurements - has been presented. A comparison between some of these correlations has been performed in this paper. While the correlations have some general trends in common, the numerical values of S obtained with the correlations may vary significantly. Further, in spite of the fact that various flow regimes into account. This raises the question: How reliable is the use of slip correlations? (au)

Static stress transfer during the 2002 Nenana Mountain-Denali Fault, Alaska, earthquake sequence

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, G.; Ji, C.

2003-01-01

On 23 October 2002, the Mw 6.7 Nenana Mountain earthquake occurred in central Alaska. It was followed on 3 November 2002 by the Mw 7.9 Denali Fault mainshock, the largest strike-slip earthquake to occur in North America during the past 150 years. We have modeled static Coulomb stress transfer effects during this sequence. We find that the Nenana Mountain foreshock transferred 30-50 kPa of Coulomb stress to the hypocentral region of the Denali Fault mainshock, encouraging its occurrence. We also find that the two main earthquakes together transferred more than 400 kPa of Coulomb stress to the Cross Creek segment of the Totschunda fault system and to the Denali fault southeast of the mainshock rupture, and up to 80 kPa to the Denali fault west of the Nenana Mountain rupture. Other major faults in the region experienced much smaller static Coulomb stress changes.

Sustained frictional instabilities on nanodomed surfaces: Stick-slip amplitude coefficient

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Quignon, Benoit; Pilkington, Georgia A.; Thormann, Esben

2013-01-01

to sustained frictional instabilities, effectively with no contact frictional sliding. The amplitude of the stick-slip oscillations, σf, was found to correlate with the topographic properties of the surfaces and scale linearly with the applied load. In line with the friction coefficient, we define the slope......-defined nanodomes comprising densely packed prolate spheroids, of diameters ranging from tens to hundreds of nanometers. Our results show that the average lateral force varied linearly with applied load, as described by Amontons' first law of friction, although no direct correlation between the sample topographic...... properties and their measured friction coefficients was identified. Furthermore, all the nanodomed textures exhibited pronounced oscillations in the shear traces, similar to the classic stick-slip behavior, under all the shear velocities and load regimes studied. That is, the nanotextured topography led...

A viscoplastic shear-zone model for episodic slow slip events in oceanic subduction zones

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, A.; Meng, L.

2016-12-01

Episodic slow slip events occur widely along oceanic subduction zones at the brittle-ductile transition depths ( 20-50 km). Although efforts have been devoted to unravel their mechanical origins, it remains unclear about the physical controls on the wide range of their recurrence intervals and slip durations. In this study we present a simple mechanical model that attempts to account for the observed temporal evolution of slow slip events. In our model we assume that slow slip events occur in a viscoplastic shear zone (i.e., Bingham material), which has an upper static and a lower dynamic plastic yield strength. We further assume that the hanging wall deformation is approximated as an elastic spring. We envision the shear zone to be initially locked during forward/landward motion but is subsequently unlocked when the elastic and gravity-induced stress exceeds the static yield strength of the shear zone. This leads to backward/trenchward motion damped by viscous shear-zone deformation. As the elastic spring progressively loosens, the hanging wall velocity evolves with time and the viscous shear stress eventually reaches the dynamic yield strength. This is followed by the termination of the trenchward motion when the elastic stress is balanced by the dynamic yield strength of the shear zone and the gravity. In order to account for the zig-saw slip-history pattern of typical repeated slow slip events, we assume that the shear zone progressively strengthens after each slow slip cycle, possibly caused by dilatancy as commonly assumed or by progressive fault healing through solution-transport mechanisms. We quantify our conceptual model by obtaining simple analytical solutions. Our model results suggest that the duration of the landward motion increases with the down-dip length and the static yield strength of the shear zone, but decreases with the ambient loading velocity and the elastic modulus of the hanging wall. The duration of the backward/trenchward motion depends

A new estimate for present-day Cocos-Caribbean Plate motion: Implications for slip along the Central American Volcanic Arc

Science.gov (United States)

DeMets, Charles

Velocities from 153 continuously-operating GPS sites on the Caribbean, North American, and Pacific plates are combined with 61 newly estimated Pacific-Cocos seafloor spreading rates and additional marine geophysical data to derive a new estimate of present-day Cocos-Caribbean plate motion. A comparison of the predicted Cocos-Caribbean direction to slip directions of numerous shallow-thrust subduction earthquakes from the Middle America trench between Costa Rica and Guatemala shows the slip directions to be deflected 10° clockwise from the plate convergence direction, supporting the hypothesis that frequent dextral strike-slip earthquakes along the Central American volcanic arc result from partitioning of oblique Cocos-Caribbean plate convergence. Linear velocity analysis for forearc locations in Nicaragua and Guatemala predicts 14±2 mm yr-1 of northwestward trench-parallel slip of the forearc relative to the Caribbean plate, possibly decreasing in magnitude in El Salvador and Guatemala, where extension east of the volcanic arc complicates the tectonic setting.

Central hyperadrenergic state after lightning strike.

Science.gov (United States)

Parsaik, Ajay K; Ahlskog, J Eric; Singer, Wolfgang; Gelfman, Russell; Sheldon, Seth H; Seime, Richard J; Craft, Jennifer M; Staab, Jeffrey P; Kantor, Birgit; Low, Phillip A

2013-08-01

To describe and review autonomic complications of lightning strike. Case report and laboratory data including autonomic function tests in a subject who was struck by lightning. A 24-year-old man was struck by lightning. Following that, he developed dysautonomia, with persistent inappropriate sinus tachycardia and autonomic storms, as well as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and functional neurologic problems. The combination of persistent sinus tachycardia and episodic exacerbations associated with hypertension, diaphoresis, and agitation was highly suggestive of a central hyperadrenergic state with superimposed autonomic storms. Whether the additional PTSD and functional neurologic deficits were due to a direct effect of the lightning strike on the central nervous system or a secondary response is open to speculation.

Intermittent stick-slip dynamics during the peeling of an adhesive tape from a roller.

Science.gov (United States)

Cortet, Pierre-Philippe; Dalbe, Marie-Julie; Guerra, Claudia; Cohen, Caroline; Ciccotti, Matteo; Santucci, Stéphane; Vanel, Loïc

2013-02-01

We study experimentally the fracture dynamics during the peeling at a constant velocity of a roller adhesive tape mounted on a freely rotating pulley. Thanks to a high speed camera, we measure, in an intermediate range of peeling velocities, high frequency oscillations between phases of slow and rapid propagation of the peeling fracture. This so-called stick-slip regime is well known as the consequence of a decreasing fracture energy of the adhesive in a certain range of peeling velocity coupled to the elasticity of the peeled tape. Simultaneously with stick slip, we observe low frequency oscillations of the adhesive roller angular velocity which are the consequence of a pendular instability of the roller submitted to the peeling force. The stick-slip dynamics is shown to become intermittent due to these slow pendular oscillations which produce a quasistatic oscillation of the peeling angle while keeping constant the peeling fracture velocity (averaged over each stick-slip cycle). The observed correlation between the mean peeling angle and the stick-slip amplitude questions the validity of the usually admitted independence with the peeling angle of the fracture energy of adhesives.

Tectonic Implication of the 5th March 2005, Doublet Earthquake in Ilan, Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

En-Chao Yeh

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The 5th March 2005 earthquake doublet focal mechanism was determined as strike-slip faulting from Harvard and BATS moment tensor inversion. However, based on first motion polarities, the first shock has a normal focal mechanism (Wu et al. 2008a. This discrepancy has caused a debate over the focal mechanism solution because different focal mechanisms have different tectonic implications. Based on the dislocation determination from Global Position System (GPS measurements, we find this event includes both tensile and strike-slip components. This finding illustrates the reason for the differences in the determined focal mechanisms using two different types of seismic data and analyzing methods. Field mapping and microstructure examination results indicate that the ductile deformation around the study area was characterized by the evolution from transpression to transtension with a predominant strike-slip component, but present-day active structures may be dominated by normal faulting. Thus, the active tensile slip result determined from dislocation modeling strongly suggests that the back arc extension of the Okinawa trough influences the stress state in this region, and changes the major transtension from strike-slip faulting to normal faulting.

Shear localization in a mature mylonitic rock analog during fast slip

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, M.; van den Ende, M. P. A.; Niemeijer, A. R.; Spiers, C. J.

2017-02-01

Highly localized slip zones developed within ductile shear zones, such as pseudotachylyte bands occurring within mylonitic fabric rocks, are frequently interpreted as evidence for earthquake nucleation and/or propagation within the ductile regime. To understand brittle/frictional shear localization processes in ductile shear zones and to relate these to earthquake nucleation and propagation, we performed tests with large changes in velocity on a brine-saturated, 80:20 (wt %) mixture of halite and muscovite gouge after forming a mature mylonitic structure through frictional-viscous flow. The direct effect a on shear strength that occurs in response to an instantaneous upward velocity-step is an important parameter in determining the nature of seismic rupture nucleation and propagation. We obtained reproducible results regarding low-velocity mechanical behavior compared with previous work, but also obtained new insights into effects of sudden increases in slip velocity on localization and strength evolution, at velocities above a critical velocity Vc (˜20 μm/s). We found that once a ductile, mylonitic structure has developed in a shear zone, subsequent cataclastic deformation is consistently localized in a narrow zone. This switch to localized deformation is controlled by the imposed velocity and becomes most apparent at velocities above Vc. In addition, the direct effect drops rapidly when the velocity exceeds Vc. This implies that slip can accelerate toward seismic velocities almost instantly and without much loss of fracture energy, once Vc is exceeded. Obtaining a measure for Vc in natural faults is therefore of key importance for understanding earthquake nucleation and propagation in the brittle-ductile transitional regime.

Transformation of fault slip modes in laboratory experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Martynov, Vasilii; Alexey, Ostapchuk; Markov, Vadim

2017-04-01

Slip mode of crust fault can vary because of many reasons. It's well known that fault structure, material of fault gouge, pore fluid et al. in many ways determines slip modes from creep and slow slip events to mega-earthquakes [1-3]. Therefore, the possibility of fault slip transformation due to external action is urgent question. There is popular and developing approach of fluid injection into central part of fault. The phenomenon of earthquakes induced due to pumping of water was investigated on small and large scales [4, 5]. In this work the laboratory experiments were conducted to study the evolution of the experimental fault slip when changing the properties of the interstitial fluid. The scheme of experiments is the classical slider-model set-up, in which the block under the shear force slips along the interface. In our experiments the plexiglas block 8x8x3 cm3 in size was put on the plexiglas base. The contact of the blocks was filled with a thin layer (about 3 mm thick) of a granular material. The normal load varied from 31 to 156 kPa. The shear load was applied through a spring with stiffness 60 kN/m, and the rate of spring deformation was 20 or 5 mcm/s. Two parameters were recorded during experiments: the shear force acting on the upper block (with an accuracy of 1 N) and its displacement relatively the base (with an accuracy of 0.1 μm). The gouge was composed of quartz sand (97.5%) and clay (2.5%). As a moisturizer were used different fluids with viscosity varying from 1 to 103 mPa x s. Different slip modes were simulated during slider-experiments. In our experiments slip mode is the act of instability manifested in an increase of slip velocity and a drop of shear stress acting on a movable block. The amplitude of a shear stress drop and the peak velocity of the upper block were chosen as the characteristics of the slip mode. In the laboratory experiments, slip events of one type can be achieved either as regularly recurring (regular mode) or as random

Frictional properties of the Nankai frontal thrust explain recurring shallow slow slip events

Science.gov (United States)

Saffer, D. M.; Ikari, M.; Kopf, A.; Roesner, A.

2017-12-01

Recent observations provide evidence for shallow slip reaching to the trench on subduction megathrusts, both in earthquakes and slow slip events (SSE). This is at odds with existing friction studies, which report primarily velocity-strengthening behavior (friction increases with slip velocity) for subduction fault material and synthetic analogs, which leads only to stable sliding. We report on direct shearing experiments on fault rocks from IODP Site C0007, which sampled the frontal thrust of the Nankai accretionary prism. This fault has been implicated in both coseimic slip and recurring SSE. We focus on material from 437.2 meters below seafloor, immediately above a localized shear zone near the base of the fault. In our experiments, a 25 mm diameter cylindrical specimen is loaded in an assembly of two steel plates. After application of normal stress (3, 10, or 17 MPa) and subsequent equilibration, the lower plate is driven at a constant velocity while the upper plate remains stationary; this configuration forces shear to localize between the two plates. After reaching a steady state residual friction coefficient (µss), we conducted velocity-stepping tests to measure the friction rate parameter (a-b), defined as the change in friction for a change in velocity: (a-b) = Δuss/ln(V/Vo), over a range of velocities from 0.1-100 µm s-1. We find that µss ranges from 0.26 to 0.32 and exhibits a slight decrease with normal stress. We observe velocity-weakening behavior at low normal stresses (3-10 MPa) and for low sliding velocities (30 µm s-1. At higher normal stress (17 MPa), we observe dominantly velocity-strengthening, consistent with previously reported measurements for 25 MPa normal stress. Our observation of rate weakening at slip rates matching those of SSE in the outer Nankai forearc provide a potential explanation for periodic strain accumulation and subsequent release during SSE near the trench. The observation of rate weakening behavior only at low normal

Slow Earthquake Hunters: A New Citizen Science Project to Identify and Catalog Slow Slip Events in Geodetic Data

Science.gov (United States)

Bartlow, N. M.

2017-12-01

Slow Earthquake Hunters is a new citizen science project to detect, catalog, and monitor slow slip events. Slow slip events, also called "slow earthquakes", occur when faults slip too slowly to generate significant seismic radiation. They typically take between a few days and over a year to occur, and are most often found on subduction zone plate interfaces. While not dangerous in and of themselves, recent evidence suggests that monitoring slow slip events is important for earthquake hazards, as slow slip events have been known to trigger damaging "regular" earthquakes. Slow slip events, because they do not radiate seismically, are detected with a variety of methods, most commonly continuous geodetic Global Positioning System (GPS) stations. There is now a wealth of GPS data in some regions that experience slow slip events, but a reliable automated method to detect them in GPS data remains elusive. This project aims to recruit human users to view GPS time series data, with some post-processing to highlight slow slip signals, and flag slow slip events for further analysis by the scientific team. Slow Earthquake Hunters will begin with data from the Cascadia subduction zone, where geodetically detectable slow slip events with a duration of at least a few days recur at regular intervals. The project will then expand to other areas with slow slip events or other transient geodetic signals, including other subduction zones, and areas with strike-slip faults. This project has not yet rolled out to the public, and is in a beta testing phase. This presentation will show results from an initial pilot group of student participants at the University of Missouri, and solicit feedback for the future of Slow Earthquake Hunters.

Static stress changes associated with normal faulting earthquakes in South Balkan area

Science.gov (United States)

Papadimitriou, E.; Karakostas, V.; Tranos, M.; Ranguelov, B.; Gospodinov, D.

2007-10-01

Activation of major faults in Bulgaria and northern Greece presents significant seismic hazard because of their proximity to populated centers. The long recurrence intervals, of the order of several hundred years as suggested by previous investigations, imply that the twentieth century activation along the southern boundary of the sub-Balkan graben system, is probably associated with stress transfer among neighbouring faults or fault segments. Fault interaction is investigated through elastic stress transfer among strong main shocks ( M ≥ 6.0), and in three cases their foreshocks, which ruptured distinct or adjacent normal fault segments. We compute stress perturbations caused by earthquake dislocations in a homogeneous half-space. The stress change calculations were performed for faults of strike, dip, and rake appropriate to the strong events. We explore the interaction between normal faults in the study area by resolving changes of Coulomb failure function ( ΔCFF) since 1904 and hence the evolution of the stress field in the area during the last 100 years. Coulomb stress changes were calculated assuming that earthquakes can be modeled as static dislocations in an elastic half-space, and taking into account both the coseismic slip in strong earthquakes and the slow tectonic stress buildup associated with major fault segments. We evaluate if these stress changes brought a given strong earthquake closer to, or sent it farther from, failure. Our modeling results show that the generation of each strong event enhanced the Coulomb stress on along-strike neighbors and reduced the stress on parallel normal faults. We extend the stress calculations up to present and provide an assessment for future seismic hazard by identifying possible sites of impending strong earthquakes.

Magmatic versus tectonic influence in the Eolian arc: the case of Vulcano and Lipari islands revisited

Science.gov (United States)

Ruch, Joel; Di Lorenzo, Riccardo; Vezzoli, Luigina Maria; De Rosa, Rosanna; Acocella, Valerio; Catalano, Stefano; Romagnoli, Gino

2014-05-01

The prevalent influence of magma versus tectonics for the edification and the evolution of volcanic zones is matter of debate. Here we focus on Vulcano and Lipari, two active volcanic islands located in the central sector of the Eolian arc (North of Sicily). Both systems are influenced by regional tectonics and affected by historical magmatic events taking place along a NS oriented structure, connecting both islands. We revisit and implement previous structural studies performed during the 1980's considering several new geophysical, geochemical and geodynamical findings. Four extensive structural campaigns have been performed on both islands and along the shorelines in 2012-2013 covering about 80% of the possible accessible outcrops. We collected ~500 measurements (e.g. faults, fractures and dikes) at 40 sites. Overall, most of the observed structures are oriented N-S and NNW-SSE, confirming previous studies, however, almost all features are strikingly dominated by an EW-oriented extensive regime, which is a novelty. These findings are supported by kinematic indicators and suggest a predominant dip-slip component (pitch from 80 and 130°) with alternating left and right kinematics. Marginal faulting in most recent formations have been observed, suggesting that the deformation may occur preferentially during transient deformation related to periods of magmatic activity, instead of resulting from continuous regional tectonic processes. Overall, fault and dike planes are characterized by a dominant eastward immersion, suggesting an asymmetric graben-like structure of the entire area. This may be explained by the presence of a topographic gradient connecting both islands to the deep Gioia basin to the East, leading to a preferential ample gravitational collapse. Finally, we propose a model in which the stress field rotates northward. It transits from a pure right lateral strike-slip regime along the Tindari fault zone (tectonic-dominant) to an extensive regime

Oscillatory slip flow past a spherical inclusion embedded in a Brinkman medium

Science.gov (United States)

Palaniappan, D.

2016-11-01

Non-steady flow past an impermeable sphere embedded in a porous medium is investigated based on Brinkman model with Navier slip conditions. Exact analytic solution for the stream-function - involving modified Bessel function of the second kind - describing the slow oscillatory flow around a rigid spherical inclusion is obtained in the limit of low-Reynolds-number. The key parameters such as the frequency of oscillation λ, the permeability constant δ, and the slip coefficient ξ control the flow fields and physical quantities in the entire flow domain. Local streamlines for fixed times demonstrate the variations in flow patterns. Closed form expressions for the tangential velocity profile, wall shear stress, and the force acting on the sphere are computed and compared with the existing results. It is noted that the slip parameter in the range 0 <= ξ <= 0 . 5 has a significant effect in reducing the stress and force. The steady-state velocity overshoot behavior in the vicinity of the sphere is re-iterated. In the limit of large permeability, Darcy (potential) flow is recovered outside a boundary layer. The results are of some interest in predicting maximum wall stress and pressure drop associated with biological models in fibrous media.

Constant Fault Slip-Rates Over Hundreds of Millenia Constrained By Deformed Quaternary Palaeoshorelines: the Vibo and Capo D'Orlando Faults, Southern Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Meschis, M.; Roberts, G.; Robertson, J.; Houghton, S.; Briant, R. M.

2017-12-01

Whether slip-rates on active faults accumulated over multiple seismic events is constant or varying over tens to hundreds of millenia timescales is an open question that can be addressed through study of deformed Quaternary palaeoshorelines. It is important to know the answer so that one can judge whether shorter timescale measurements (e.g. Holocene palaeoseismology or decadal geodesy) are suitable for determining earthquake recurrence intervals for Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment or more suitable for studying temporal earthquake clustering. We present results from the Vibo Fault and the Capo D'Orlando Fault, that lie within the deforming Calabrian Arc, which has experienced damaging seismic events such as the 1908 Messina Strait earthquake ( Mw 7) and the 1905 Capo Vaticano earthquake ( Mw 7). These normal faults deform uplifted Late Quaternary palaeoshorelines, which outcrop mainly within their hangingwalls, but also partially in their footwalls, showing that a regional subduction and mantle-related uplift outpaces local fault-related subsidence. Through (1) field and DEM-based mapping of palaeoshorelines, both up flights of successively higher, older inner edges, and along the strike of the faults, and (2) utilisation of synchronous correlation of non-uniformly-spaced inner edge elevations with non-uniformly spaced sea-level highstand ages, we show that slip-rates decrease towards fault tips and that slip-rates have remained constant since 340 ka (given the time resolution we obtain). The slip-rates for the Capo D'Orlando Fault and Vibo Fault are 0.61mm/yr and 1mm/yr respectively. We show that the along-strike gradients in slip-rate towards fault tips differ for the two faults hinting at fault interaction and also discuss this in terms of other regions of extension like the Gulf of Corinth, Greece, where slip-rate has been shown to change through time through the Quaternary. We make the point that slip-rates may change through time as fault systems grow

Stick-slip behavior of Indian gabbro as studied using a NIED large-scale biaxial friction apparatus

Science.gov (United States)

Togo, Tetsuhiro; Shimamoto, Toshihiko; Yamashita, Futoshi; Fukuyama, Eiichi; Mizoguchi, Kazuo; Urata, Yumi

2015-04-01

This paper reports stick-slip behaviors of Indian gabbro as studied using a new large-scale biaxial friction apparatus, built in the National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED), Tsukuba, Japan. The apparatus consists of the existing shaking table as the shear-loading device up to 3,600 kN, the main frame for holding two large rectangular prismatic specimens with a sliding area of 0.75 m2 and for applying normal stresses σ n up to 1.33 MPa, and a reaction force unit holding the stationary specimen to the ground. The shaking table can produce loading rates v up to 1.0 m/s, accelerations up to 9.4 m/s2, and displacements d up to 0.44 m, using four servocontrolled actuators. We report results from eight preliminary experiments conducted with room humidity on the same gabbro specimens at v = 0.1-100 mm/s and σ n = 0.66-1.33 MPa, and with d of about 0.39 m. The peak and steady-state friction coefficients were about 0.8 and 0.6, respectively, consistent with the Byerlee friction. The axial force drop or shear stress drop during an abrupt slip is linearly proportional to the amount of displacement, and the slope of this relationship determines the stiffness of the apparatus as 1.15 × 108 N/m or 153 MPa/m for the specimens we used. This low stiffness makes fault motion very unstable and the overshooting of shear stress to a negative value was recognized in some violent stick-slip events. An abrupt slip occurred in a constant rise time of 16-18 ms despite wide variation of the stress drop, and an average velocity during an abrupt slip is linearly proportional to the stress drop. The use of a large-scale shaking table has a great potential in increasing the slip rate and total displacement in biaxial friction experiments with large specimens.

Numerical estimates of the maximum sustainable pore pressure in anticline formations using the tensor based concept of pore pressure-stress coupling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Eckert

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The advanced tensor based concept of pore pressure-stress coupling is used to provide pre-injection analytical estimates of the maximum sustainable pore pressure change, ΔPc, for fluid injection scenarios into generic anticline geometries. The heterogeneous stress distribution for different prevailing stress regimes in combination with the Young's modulus (E contrast between the injection layer and the cap rock and the interbedding friction coefficient, μ, may result in large spatial and directional differences of ΔPc. A single value characterizing the cap rock as for horizontal layered injection scenarios is not obtained. It is observed that a higher Young's modulus in the cap rock and/or a weak mechanical coupling between layers amplifies the maximum and minimum ΔPc values in the valley and limb, respectively. These differences in ΔPc imposed by E and μ are further amplified by different stress regimes. The more compressional the stress regime is, the larger the differences between the maximum and minimum ΔPc values become. The results of this study show that, in general compressional stress regimes yield the largest magnitudes of ΔPc and extensional stress regimes provide the lowest values of ΔPc for anticline formations. Yet this conclusion has to be considered with care when folded anticline layers are characterized by flexural slip and the friction coefficient between layers is low, i.e. μ = 0.1. For such cases of weak mechanical coupling, ΔPc magnitudes may range from 0 MPa to 27 MPa, indicating imminent risk of fault reactivation in the cap rock.

Electrical Potentials Observed During Frictional Stick-Slip - A Semiconductor Mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Leeman, J.; Scuderi, M.; Marone, C.; Saffer, D. M.

2013-12-01

Electromagnetic phenomena are commonly reported during and after large earthquakes. Various lines of evidence including charring of plant roots, magnetic remnant signatures in pseudotachylite, and visible earthquake lights indicate a strong electrical potential separation during co-seismic rupture. Suggested explanations have included triboelectricity, piezoelectricity, and streaming potentials. The 'semiconductor effect', or migration of electron holes, has been proposed as an alternative explanation and studied extensively in solids. We present evidence of a similar migration effect in a granular material that exhibits repeated frictional stick-slip events under a variety of conditions. Soda-lime glass beads were sheared in a double-direct shear configuration in a biaxial loading frame. Glass beads exhibit consistent, repetitive stick-slip and rate/state friction effects that are similar to rock. Layers of 5 mm thickness were sheared under a constant normal load of 4MPa, at load point velocities of 1, 30, and 100 μm/s. This was done for mono-disperse particle size distributions of 100-150 μm and 420-500 μm. Tests were conducted at room humidity, at 100% humidity, and under submerged conditions. During shearing, the electrical potential of the surface was monitored relative to the system ground with a non-contact electrostatic volt meter (ESVM) manufactured by Trek Incorporated. During stick-slip events, we observe electrical potential anomalies that appear to be related to failure of force chains supporting the shear load. Two distinct types of behavior are delineated by the attainment of steady state frictional sliding. In the pre-steady state phase, as shear stress is increasing, layers are observed to charge during stick-slip and the potential of the entire system rises. When shear stress rises to the level of steady state frictional sliding, the system begins to discharge, with superimposed anomalies characterized by potential drops of several volts that

Hydro-Mechanical Modelling of Slow Slip Phenomena at the Subduction Interface.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrini, C.; Gerya, T.; Madonna, C.; van Dinther, Y.

2016-12-01

Subduction zones experience a spectrum of slip phenomena, ranging from large devastating megathrust earthquakes to aseismic slow slip events. Slow slip events, lasting hours to years and being perceptible only by instruments, are believed to have the capability to induce large earthquakes. It is also repeatedly proposed that such slow events are controlled by fluid-rock interactions along the subduction interface, thus calling for development of fully coupled seismo-hydro-mechanical modeling approaches to identify their physics and controlling parameters. We present a newly developed finite difference visco-elasto-plastic numerical code with marker-in-cell technique, which fully couples mechanical deformation and fluid flow. We use this to investigate how the presence of fluids in the pore space of a (de)compacting rock matrix affects elastic stress accumulation and release along a fluid-bearing subduction interface. The model simulates the spontaneous occurrence of quasi-periodic slow slip phenomena along self-consistently forming highly localized shearbands, which accommodate shear displacement between two plates. The produced elastic rebound events show a slip velocity on the order of cm/yr, which is in good agreement with measured data. The governing gradual strength decrease along the slowly propagating shear bands is related to a drop in total pressure caused by shear localization at nearly constant (slightly decreasing) fluid pressure. Gradual reduction of the difference between the total and fluid pressure decreases brittle/plastic strength of fluid-bearing rocks along the shear bands, thus providing a dynamic feedback mechanism for the accumulated elastic stress release at the subduction interface.

Dislocation self-organization under single slip straining and dipole properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiu, Y.-L.; Veyssiere, Patrick

2008-01-01

Spontaneous microstructural organization under single slip is investigated by transmission electron microscopy. The formation and the structure of dislocation entanglements are analyzed on three types of fcc-based systems, Al, Cu and TiAl, all deformed by {1 1 1} slip. Differences are found that depend on stacking fault energy and lattice friction. The importance of dipolar configurations is outlined. Selected properties of dipoles are analyzed theoretically under isotropic and anisotropic elasticity in cubic systems. At variance from screw and near-screw dipoles, the stress-free equilibrium angle of an edge dipole is little dependent on the material's elastic anisotropy. In Cu, for instance, a screw dipole is at equilibrium at around 59 deg. from the slip plane, and this angle is unchanged over a range of dislocation characters of approximately ±20 deg. On the other hand, given a dipole height, the passing stress is a maximum in the screw orientation. It is, however, not a minimum in the edge orientation. Static and dynamic dipole properties are but little affected by dissociation down to a dipole height of the order of a few times the dissociation distance

Kinematics of Post-obduction Deformation of the Tertiary Ridge at Al-Khod Village (Muscat, Oman

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Scharf

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Structural investigations in post-obductional Paleocene to Eocene limestones of the Tertiary Ridge reveal a ~1 km long WNW-ESE striking strike-slip fault system within the ridge, consisting of two main sub-parallel, strike-slip faults. Considering the geometry of the Harding Strain Ellipse, the orientation of structures between the two strike-slip faults (e.g., Riedel shears, folds, reverse faults point to left-lateral motion. The abundance of large-scale folds (up to 100 m in wave length and amplitude between the two strike-slip faults led us to the interpretation of transpressive conditions in a first approximation. Moreover, the Tertiary Ridge of the study area consists of three distinct structural domains. The faults of Domain A and C are oriented WNW-ESE, but the trend of the faults in the central Domain B differs by ~10°. The left-lateral strike-slip fault system exists only in Domain B. We propose that the direction of greatest stress during Miocene plate convergence (sigma 1 was oriented 032°/212°. Considering the trend of the strike-slip zone and the orientation of sigma 1, the left-lateral motion must have been transpressive. Sigma 1 is perpendicularly oriented to the domains A and C. Prior to the Miocene D2 compressional event the study area was affected by a D1 extensional event, related to the opening of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden or to gravity-driven normal faulting. The D2 compressional/transpressional structures of the Miocene are reactivating the D1 structures of the Oligocene.

Mechanical properties of conjugate faults in the Makran accretionary prism estimated from InSAR observations of coseismic deformation due to the 2013 Baluchistan (Mw 7.7) earthquake

Science.gov (United States)

Dutta, R.; Harrington, J.; Wang, T.; Feng, G.; Vasyura-Bathke, H.; Jonsson, S.

2017-12-01

Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) measurements allow us to study various mechanical and rheological properties around faults. For example, strain localizations along faults induced by nearby earthquakes observed by InSAR have been explained by the elastic response of compliant fault zones (CFZ) where the elastic moduli is reduced with respect to that of the surrounding rock. We observed similar strain localizations (up to 1-3 cm displacements in the line-of-sight direction of InSAR) along several conjugate faults near the rupture of the 2013 Mw7.7 Baluchistan (Pakistan) earthquake in the accretionary prism of the Makran subduction zone. These conjugate compliant faults, which have strikes of N30°E and N45°W, are located 15-30 km from the mainshock fault rupture in a N-S compressional stress regime. The long-term geologic slip direction of these faults is left-lateral for the N30°E striking faults and right-lateral for the N45°W striking faults. The 2013 Baluchistan earthquake caused WSW-ENE extensional coseismic stress changes across the conjugate fault system and the observed strain localizations shows opposite sense of motion to that of the geologic long-term slip. We use 3D Finite Element modeling (FEM) to study the effects extensional coseismic stresses have on the conjugate CFZs that is otherwise loaded in a compressional regional stress. We use coseismic static displacements due to the earthquake along the FEM domain boundaries to simulate the extensional coseismic stress change acting across the fault system. Around 0.5-2 km wide CFZs with reduction in shear modulus by a factor of 3 to 4 can explain the observed InSAR strain localizations and the opposite sense of motion. The InSAR measurements were also used to constrain the ranges of the length, width and rigidity variations of the CFZs. The FEM solution shows that the N45°W striking faults localize mostly extensional strain and a small amount of left-lateral shear (opposite sense to

Excitation of tsunami by a pure strike-slip earthquake. ; Izu Oshima kinkai earthquake tsunami on Feb. 20, 1990. Yokozure danso jishin ni yoru tsunami no reiki. ; 1990 nen 2 gatsu 20 nichi Izu Oshima kinkai jishin tsunami

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abe, K. (Nippon Dental University, Tokyo (Japan). Niigata Junior College); Okada, M. (Meteorological Research Institute, Tsukuba (Japan))

1993-06-24

A numerical experiment was performed to reproduce the tsunami from the Izu-Oshima Kinkai Earthquake which occurred on February 20, 1990, using a tsunami excited by a pure strike-slip fault. An existence of a vertical fault with a length of 15 km and a width of 12 km was hypothesized in the south-north direction on the ocean bottom around the focal region. Then, a tsunami was assumed to have been excited when the fault was given a side-slip movement to create discrepancies of 1 m in the fault. Water level change for one hour after onset of the tsunami was calculated in one-second interval in each unit square with a side length of 1 km over an ocean area of 200 km from east to west and 150 km from north to south centering on the wave source. The results obtained from the calculation were harmonious with tsunami waveforms observed at five stations in the subject region and their spectral analytic results. Reproduced were the two predominant frequencies commonly observed at more than two stations, and difference in predominant cycles that appear according to azimuths of the observation points to the epicenter. These facts endorse the reasonability of the above hypothesis. 9 refs., 11 figs.

Shear-induced Fracture Slip and Permeability Change. Implications for Long-term Performance of a Deep Geological Repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Min, Ki-Bok; Stephansson, Ove

2009-03-01

Opening of fractures induced by shear dilation or normal deformation can be a significant source of fracture permeability change in jointed rock, which is important for the performance assessment of geological repositories for spent nuclear fuel. As the repository generates heat and later cools the fluid-carrying ability of the rocks becomes a dynamic variable during the lifespan of the repository. Heating causes expansion of the rock close to the repository and, at the same time, contraction close to the surface. During the cooling phase of the repository, the opposite takes place. Heating and cooling together with the virgin stress can induce shear dilation of fractures and deformation zones and change the flow field around the repository. The objectives of this project are to examine the contribution of thermal stress to the shear slip of fracture in mid- and far-field around a KBS-3 type of repository and to investigate the effect of evolution of stress on the rock mass permeability. The first part of the study is about the evolution of thermal stresses in the rock during the lifetime of the repository. Critical sections of heat generated stresses around the repository are selected and classified. Fracture data from Forsmark is used to establish fracture network models (DFN) and the models are subjected to the sum of virgin stress and thermal stresses and the shear slip and related permeability change are studied. In the first part of this study, zones of fracture shear slip were examined by conducting a three-dimensional, thermo-mechanical analysis of a spent fuel repository model. Stress evolutions of importance for fracture shear slip are: (1) comparatively high horizontal compressive thermal stress at the repository level, (2) generation of vertical tensile thermal stress right above the repository, (3) horizontal tensile stress near the surface, which can induce tensile failure, and generation of shear stresses at the corners of the repository. In the

Shear-induced Fracture Slip and Permeability Change. Implications for Long-term Performance of a Deep Geological Repository

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Min, Ki-Bok (School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering, Univ. of Adelaide, Adelaide (Australia)); Stephansson, Ove (Steph Rock Consulting AB, Berlin (Germany))

2009-03-15

Opening of fractures induced by shear dilation or normal deformation can be a significant source of fracture permeability change in jointed rock, which is important for the performance assessment of geological repositories for spent nuclear fuel. As the repository generates heat and later cools the fluid-carrying ability of the rocks becomes a dynamic variable during the lifespan of the repository. Heating causes expansion of the rock close to the repository and, at the same time, contraction close to the surface. During the cooling phase of the repository, the opposite takes place. Heating and cooling together with the virgin stress can induce shear dilation of fractures and deformation zones and change the flow field around the repository. The objectives of this project are to examine the contribution of thermal stress to the shear slip of fracture in mid- and far-field around a KBS-3 type of repository and to investigate the effect of evolution of stress on the rock mass permeability. The first part of the study is about the evolution of thermal stresses in the rock during the lifetime of the repository. Critical sections of heat generated stresses around the repository are selected and classified. Fracture data from Forsmark is used to establish fracture network models (DFN) and the models are subjected to the sum of virgin stress and thermal stresses and the shear slip and related permeability change are studied. In the first part of this study, zones of fracture shear slip were examined by conducting a three-dimensional, thermo-mechanical analysis of a spent fuel repository model. Stress evolutions of importance for fracture shear slip are: (1) comparatively high horizontal compressive thermal stress at the repository level, (2) generation of vertical tensile thermal stress right above the repository, (3) horizontal tensile stress near the surface, which can induce tensile failure, and generation of shear stresses at the corners of the repository. In the

Frictional processes in smectite-rich gouges sheared at slow to high slip rates

Science.gov (United States)

Aretusini, Stefano; Mittempergher, Silvia; Gualtieri, Alessandro; Di Toro, Giulio

2015-04-01

The slipping zones of shallow sections of megathrusts and of large landslides are often smectite-rich (e.g., montmorillonite type). Consequently, similar "frictional" processes operating at high slip rates (> 1 m/s) might be responsible of the large slips estimated in megathrust (50 m for the 2011 Tohoku Mw 9.1 earthquake) and measured in large landslides (500 m for the 1963 Vajont slide, Italy). At present, only rotary shear apparatuses can reproduce simultaneously the large slips and slip rates of these events. Noteworthy, the frictional processes proposed so far (thermal and thermochemical pressurization, etc.) remain rather obscure. Here we present preliminary results obtained with the ROtary Shear Apparatus (ROSA) installed at Padua University. Thirty-one experiments were performed at ambient conditions on pure end-members of (1) smectite-rich standard powders (STx-1b: ~68 wt% Ca-montmorillonite, ~30 wt% opal-CT and ~2 wt% quartz), (2) quartz powders (qtz) and (3) on 80:20 = Stx-1b:qtz mixtures. The gouges were sandwiched between two (1) hollow (25/15 mm external/internal diameter) or (2) solid (25 mm in diameter) stainless-steel made cylinders and confined by inner and outer Teflon rings (only outer for solid cylinders). Gouges were sheared at a normal stress of 5 MPa, slip rates V from 300 μm/s to 1.5 m/s and total slip of 3 m. The deformed gouges were investigated with quantitative (Rietveld method with internal standard) X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). In the smectite-rich standard endmember, (1) for 300 μm/s ≤ V ≤ 0.1 m/s, initial friction coefficient (μi) was 0.6±0.05 whereas the steady-state friction coefficient (μss) was velocity and slip strengthening (μss 0.85±0.05), (2) for 0.1 m/s 0.8 m/s, velocity and slip weakening (μi = 0.7±0.1 and μss = 0.25±0.05). In the 80:20 Stx-1b:qtz mixtures, (1) for 300 μm/s ≤ V ≤ 0.1 m/s, μi ranged was 0.7±0.05 and increased with slip to μss = 0.77±0

New geologic slip rates for the Agua Blanca Fault, northern Baja California, Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Gold, P. O.; Behr, W. M.; Fletcher, J. M.; Hinojosa-Corona, A.; Rockwell, T. K.

2015-12-01

Within the southern San Andreas transform plate boundary system, relatively little is known regarding active faulting in northern Baja California, Mexico, or offshore along the Inner Continental Borderland. The inner offshore system appears to be fed from the south by the Agua Blanca Fault (ABF), which strikes northwest across the Peninsular Ranges of northern Baja California. Therefore, the geologic slip rate for the ABF also provides a minimum slip rate estimate for the offshore system, which is connected to the north to faults in the Los Angeles region. Previous studies along the ABF determined slip rates of ~4-6 mm/yr (~10% of relative plate motion). However, these rates relied on imprecise age estimates and offset geomorphic features of a type that require these rates to be interpreted as minima, allowing for the possibility that the slip rate for the ABF may be greater. Although seismically quiescent, the surface trace of the ABF clearly reflects Holocene activity, and given its connectivity with the offshore fault system, more quantitative slip rates for the ABF are needed to better understand earthquake hazard for both US and Mexican coastal populations. Using newly acquired airborne LiDAR, we have mapped primary and secondary fault strands along the segmented western 70 km of the ABF. Minimal development has left the geomorphic record of surface slip remarkably well preserved, and we have identified abundant evidence meter to km scale right-lateral displacement, including new Late Quaternary slip rate sites. We verified potential reconstructions at each site during summer 2015 fieldwork, and selected an initial group of three high potential slip rate sites for detailed mapping and geochronologic analyses. Offset landforms, including fluvial terrace risers, alluvial fans, and incised channel fill deposits, record displacements of ~5-80 m, and based on minimal soil development, none appear older than early Holocene. To quantitatively constrain landform ages

Automated identification and modeling aseismic slip events on Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii