Hiroko Kitajima

Displacement and dynamic weakening processes in smectite‐rich gouge from the Central Deforming Zone of the San Andreas Fault

The strength of clay-rich gouge from the Central Deforming Zone (CDZ) of the San Andreas Fault (SAF) was measured using a high-speed rotary shear apparatus to evaluate the potential for unstable slip along the creeping segment of the SAF. Wet and dry gouge was sheared at 0.1–1.3 m/s, 0.5–1.5 MPa normal stress, and 1–20 m displacement. CDZ gouge is weaker wet than dry and exhibits displacement strengthening to peak friction followed by weakening to steady state strength that decreases with increasing velocity. A clay foliation (Unit 2) develops from the initial microstructure (Unit 1) during the first 1.5 m of slip coincident with increasing strength. Subsequent weakening occurs during shear within Unit 2, and subsequently with development of a localized foliated slip zone (Unit 4) and fluidized material (Unit 3). Displacement and dynamic weakening result from slip along clay foliation assisted by shear-heating pressurization of pore fluid in wet gouge and additional grain-size reduction and possible clay dehydration in dry gouge. Peak strength is proportional to normal stress, but steady state strength is insensitive to normal stress probably because pore pressure approaches the normal stress. As such, CDZ gouge is weak at coseismic rates relative to interseismic creep strength. The potential for sustaining rupture propagation into the CDZ from an adjacent seismic segment is sensitive to the relationship used to extrapolate the critical weakening displacement from experimental to in situ conditions. Rupture propagation from a microseismic patch within the CDZ is unlikely, but sustained propagation from a large earthquake (e.g., Parkfield event) may be possible.

Gas hydrate transect across Northern Cascadia Margin

Gas hydrate is a solid compound mainly comprised of methane and water that is stable under low temperature and high pressure conditions. Usually found in offshore environments with water depths exceeding about 500 meters and in arctic regions associated with permafrost, gas hydrates form an efficient storage system for natural gas. Hence, they may represent an important future energy resource [e.g., Kvenvolden, 1988]. Gas hydrates also form a natural geo-hazard, and may play a significant role in global climate change [e.g., Dillon et al., 2001].

Evolution of permeability across the transition from brittle failure to cataclastic flow in porous siltstone

Porous sedimentary rocks fail in a variety of modes ranging from localized, brittle deformation to pervasive, cataclastic flow. To improve our understanding of this transition and its affect on fluid flow and permeability, we investigated the mechanical behavior of a siltstone unit within the Marcellus Formation, PA USA, characterized by an initial porosity ranging from 41 to 45%. We explored both hydrostatic loading paths (σ1=σ2=σ3) and triaxial loading paths (σ1>σ2=σ3) while maintaining constant effective pressure (Pe=Pc-Pp). Samples were deformed with an axial displacement rate of 0.1 μm/s (strain rate of 2x10−6 s−1). Changes in pore water volume were monitored (drained conditions) to measure the evolution of porosity. Permeability was measured at several stages of each experiment. Under hydrostatic loading, we find the onset of macroscropic grain crushing (P*) at 39 MPa. Triaxial loading experiments show a transition from brittle behavior with shear localization and compaction to cataclastic-flow as confining pressure increases. When samples fail by shear localization, permeability decreases abruptly without significant changes in porosity. Conversely, for cataclastic deformation, permeability reduction is associated with significant porosity reduction. Post-experiment observation of brittle samples show localized shear zones characterized by grain comminution. Our data show how zones of shear localization can act as barriers to fluid flow and thus modify the hydrological and mechanical properties of the surrounding rocks. Our results have important implications for deformation behavior and permeability evolution in sedimentary systems, and in particular where the stress field is influenced by injection or pumping. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Consolidation state of incoming sediments to the Nankai Trough subduction zone: Implications for sediment deformation and properties

The hydromechanical properties of accreted and underthrust sediments are key parameters controlling the mechanics of earthquakes and the development of fluid pressure in subduction zones. We conducted consolidation tests on sediments from the Philippine Sea Plate (PSP) in the Nankai Trough to understand the consolidation state and hydraulic properties of the incoming sediment section before its incorporation into the subduction zone. We used mudstone and sandstone cores sampled from the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment at two reference sites (Site C0011 located on a basement low; and Site C0012 located on a basement high). Our experimental results indicate that most of the mudstone samples are normally consolidated or overconsolidated, with overconsolidation ratios (OCR) ranging from 0.89 to 2.52 at Site C0011 and 0.86 to 3.85 at Site C0012. Higher OCR values at Site C0012, at least at shallow depths, are likely caused by erosional unloading. This implies that Site C0011 may serve as a better geotechnical reference site. We also find that mudstones accreted along the frontal thrust are severely overconsolidated relative to coeval mudstones at Site C0011, which likely reflects enhanced consolidation due to increased horizontal tectonic stress. Sandstones in the incoming section on the PSP exhibit 2–3 orders of magnitude higher in situ permeability than the mudstones, and the siliciclastic sandstone we tested maintains a high permeability at stresses up to at least 70 MPa, suggesting that the sandstones may act as important pathways for drainage or pore pressure translation from depths of several kilometers.

Frictional strength of ground dolerite gouge at a wide range of slip rates

We conducted a series of rotary-shear friction experiments on ground dolerite gouges, in which the amount of adsorbed moisture increases with grinding time (tgr), at room temperature and humidity, a normal stress of 2 MPa, and constant equivalent slip rates (Veqs) ranging from 20 µm/s to 1.3 m/s. Their frictional strength changed with Veq and tgr in three different ways depending on Veq and the gouge temperature (T). At Veq ≤ 1.3 cm/s, T did not exceed 80°C, and the steady state friction coefficient (μss) ranged from 0.59 to 0.80. μss changes little with Veq, while μss at a given Veq systematically increases with tgr probably due to moisture-adsorbed strengthening of gouges. At Veq = 4 cm/s, T exceeded 100°C, and dehydration of gouges resulted in roughly the same μss values (0.60–0.66) among gouges with different periods of tgr. At Veq ≥ 13 cm/s, T reached 160–500°C, and μss dramatically decreases with Veq to 0.08–0.26 at Veq = 1.3 m/s, while μss at a given Veq systematically decreases with tgr. At these fast Veqs, dehydration of gouges likely occurred too fast for water vapor to completely escape out from the gouge layer. Therefore, faster dehydration at faster Veq possibly resulted in a larger pore pressure increase and lower frictional strength. In addition, because gouges with longer periods of tgr contain larger amounts of adsorbed moisture, they became weaker due to larger increases in pore pressure and hence larger amounts of reduction in frictional strength.