John D. Platt

Stability and localization of rapid shear in fluid‐saturated fault gouge: 2. Localized zone width and strength evolution

Field and laboratory observations indicate that at seismic slip rates most shearing is confined to a very narrow zone, just a few tens to hundreds of microns wide, and sometimes as small as a few microns. Rice et al. (2014) analyzed the stability of uniform shear in a fluid-saturated gouge material. They considered two distinct mechanisms to limit localization to a finite thickness zone, rate-strengthening friction, and dilatancy. In this paper we use numerical simulations to extend beyond the linearized perturbation context in Rice et al. (2014), and study the behavior after the loss of stability. Neglecting dilatancy we find that straining localizes to a width that is almost independent of the gouge layer width, suggesting that the localized zone width is set by the physical properties of the gouge material. Choosing parameters thought to be representative of a crustal depth of 7 km, this predicts that deformation should be confined to a zone between 4 and 44 μm wide. Next, considering dilatancy alone we again find a localized zone thickness that is independent of gouge layer thickness. For dilatancy alone we predict localized zone thicknesses between 1 and 2 μm wide for a depth of 7 km. Finally, we study the impact of localization on the shear strength and temperature evolution of the gouge material. Strain rate localization focuses frictional heating into a narrower zone, leading to a much faster temperature rise than that predicted when localization is not accounted for. Since the dynamic weakening mechanism considered here is thermally driven, this leads to accelerated dynamic weakening.

Dynamic weakening of serpentinite gouges and bare surfaces at seismic slip rates

To investigate differences in the frictional behavior between initially bare rock surfaces of serpentinite and powdered serpentinite (“gouge”) at subseismic to seismic slip rates, we conducted single-velocity step and multiple-velocity step friction experiments on an antigorite-rich and lizardite-rich serpentinite at slip rates (V) from 0.003 m/s to 6.5 m/s, sliding displacements up to 1.6 m, and normal stresses (σn) up to 22 MPa for gouge and 97 MPa for bare surfaces. Nominal steady state friction values (μnss) in gouge at V = 1 m/s are larger than in bare surfaces for all σn tested and demonstrate a strong σn dependence; μnss decreased from 0.51 at 4.0 MPa to 0.39 at 22.4 MPa. Conversely, μnss values for bare surfaces remained ∼0.1 with increasing σn and V. Additionally, the velocity at the onset of frictional weakening and the amount of slip prior to weakening were orders of magnitude larger in gouge than in bare surfaces. Extrapolation of the normal stress dependence for μnss suggests that the behavior of antigorite gouge approaches that of bare surfaces at σn ≥ 60 MPa. X-ray diffraction revealed dehydration reaction products in samples that frictionally weakened. Microstructural analysis revealed highly localized slip zones with melt-like textures in some cases gouge experiments and in all bare surfaces experiments for V ≥ 1 m/s. One-dimensional thermal modeling indicates that flash heating causes frictional weakening in both bare surfaces and gouge. Friction values for gouge decrease at higher velocities and after longer displacements than bare surfaces because strain is more distributed. Key Points Gouge friction approaches that of bare surfaces at high normal stress Dehydration reactions and bulk melting in serpentinite in < 1 m of slip Flash heating causes dynamic frictional weakening in gouge and bare surfaces

Stability and localization of rapid shear in fluid-saturated fault gouge: 1. Linearized stability analysis

Field observations of major earthquake fault zones show that shear deformation is often confined to principal slipping zones that may be of order 1–100 μm wide, located within a broader gouge layer of order 10–100 mm wide. This paper examines the possibility that the extreme strain localization observed may be due to the coupling of shear heating, thermal pressurization, and diffusion. In the absence of a stabilizing mechanism shear deformation in a continuum analysis will collapse to an infinitesimally thin zone. Two possible stabilizing mechanisms, studied in this paper, are rate-strengthening friction and dilatancy. For rate-strengthening friction alone, a linear stability analysis shows that uniform shear of a gouge layer is unstable for perturbations exceeding a critical wavelength. Using this critical wavelength we predict a width for the localized zone as a function of the gouge properties. Taking representative parameters for fault gouge at typical centroidal depths of crustal seismogenic zones, we predict localized zones of order 5–40 μm wide, roughly consistent with field and experimental observations. For dilatancy alone, linearized strain rate perturbations with a sufficiently large wavelength will undergo transient exponential growth before decaying back to uniform shear. The total perturbation strain accumulated during this transient strain rate localization is shown to be largely controlled by a single dimensionless parameter E, which is a measure of the dilatancy of the gouge material due to an increase in strain rate.

Deformation‐induced melting in the margins of the West Antarctic ice streams

Flow of glacial ice in the West Antarctic Ice Sheet localizes in narrow bands of fast-flowing ice streams bordered by ridges of nearly stagnant ice, but our understanding of the physical processes that generate this morphology is incomplete. Here we study the thermal and mechanical properties of ice-stream margins, where flow transitions from rapid to stagnant over a few kilometers. Our goal is to explore under which conditions the intense shear deformation in the margin may lead to deformation-induced melting. We propose a 2-D model that represents a cross section through the ice stream margin perpendicular to the downstream flow direction. We limit temperature to the melting point to estimate melt rates based on latent heat. Using rheology parameters as constrained by laboratory data and observations, we conclude that a zone of temperate ice is likely to form in active shear margins.

The crucial role of temperature in high-velocity weakening of faults: Experiments on gouge using host blocks with different thermal conductivities

We study the important role of temperature rise in the dynamic weakening of fault gouge at seismic slip rates by using host blocks composed of brass, stainless steel, titanium alloy, and gabbro with thermal conductivities (λh) of 123, 15, 5.8, and 3.25 W/m/K, respectively. Our experiments are performed mostly on fault gouge collected from the Longmenshan fault, Sichuan, China, consisting primarily of illite and quartz. High-velocity weakening of gouge becomes more pronounced as λh decreases because the temperature in the gouge increases. Microstructure observations reveal welded slip-zone material and more compact slip surfaces for the gouge deformed with low-λh host blocks, which is probably caused by a sintering process indicative of higher temperatures. These conclusions are supported by temperature calculation performed using the finite-element method. The observed differences in frictional behaviors, deformation microstructures, and calculated temperature demonstrate that temperature rise driven by frictional heating is essential in causing dynamic weakening of gouge at seismic velocities. We show that our data are in good agreement with the flash-heating model, though thermochemical pressurization may also be important. Some of our experiments, where nanoparticles are present but show negligible weakening, demonstrate that the presence of nanoparticles alone is not sufficient to cause dynamic weakening of faults.

Strain localization driven by thermal decomposition during seismic shear

Field and laboratory observations show that shear deformation is often extremely localized at seismic slip rates, with a typical deforming zone width on the order of a few tens of microns. This extreme localization can be understood in terms of thermally driven weakening mechanisms. A zone of initially high strain rate will experience more shear heating and thus weaken faster, making it more likely to accommodate subsequent deformation. Fault zones often contain thermally unstable minerals such as clays or carbonates, which devolatilize at the high temperatures attained during seismic slip. In this paper, we investigate how these thermal decomposition reactions drive strain localization when coupled to a model for thermal pressurization of in situ groundwater. Building on Rice et al. (2014), we use a linear stability analysis to predict a localized zone thickness that depends on a combination of hydraulic, frictional, and thermochemical properties of the deforming fault rock. Numerical simulations show that the onset of thermal decomposition drives additional strain localization when compared with thermal pressurization alone and predict localized zone thicknesses of ∼7 and ∼13 μm for lizardite and calcite, respectively. Finally we show how thermal diffusion and the endothermic reaction combine to limit the peak temperature of the fault and that the pore fluid released by the reaction provides additional weakening of ∼20–40% of the initial strength.

Subglacial hydrology and ice stream margin locations

Fast-flowing ice streams in West Antarctica are separated from the nearly stagnant ice in the adjacent ridge by zones of highly localized deformation known as shear margins. It is presently uncertain what mechanisms control the location of shear margins and possibly allow them to migrate. In this paper we show how subglacial hydrological processes can select the shear margin location, leading to a smooth transition from a slipping to a locked bed at the base of an ice stream. Our study uses a two-dimensional thermomechanical model in a cross section perpendicular to the direction of flow. We confirm that the intense straining at the shear margins can generate large temperate regions within the deforming ice. Assuming that the melt generated in the temperate ice collects in a drainage channel at the base of the margin, we show that a channel locally decreases the pore pressure in the subglacial till. Therefore, the basal shear strength just outside the channel, assuming a Coulomb-plastic rheology, can be substantially higher than that inferred under the majority of the stream. Results show that the additional basal resistance produced by the channel lowers the stress concentrated on the locked portion of the bed. Matching the model to surface velocity data, we find that shear margins are stable when the slipping-to-locked bed transition occurs less than 500 m away from a channel operating at an effective pressure of 200 kPa and for a hydraulic transmissivity equivalent to a basal water film of order 0.2 mm thickness.

Steadily propagating slip pulses driven by thermal decomposition

Geophysical observations suggest that mature faults weaken significantly at seismic slip rates. Thermal pressurization and thermal decomposition are two mechanisms commonly used to explain this dynamic weakening. Both rely on pore fluid pressurization with thermal pressurization achieving this through thermal expansion of native solids and pore fluid and thermal decomposition by releasing additional pore fluid during a reaction. Several recent papers have looked at the role thermal pressurization plays during a dynamically propagating earthquake, but no previous models have studied the role of thermal decomposition. In this paper we present the first solutions accounting for thermal decomposition during dynamic rupture, solving for steady state self-healing slip pulses propagating at a constant rupture velocity. First, we show that thermal decomposition leads to longer slip durations, larger total slips, and a distinctive along–fault slip rate profile. Next, we show that accounting for more than one weakening mechanism allows multiple steady slip pulses to exist at a given background stress, with some solutions corresponding to different balances between thermal pressurization and thermal decomposition, and others corresponding to activating a single reaction multiple times. Finally, we study how the rupture properties depend on the fault properties and show that the impact of thermal decomposition is largely controlled by the ratio of the hydraulic and thermal diffusivities χ = αhy/αth and the ratio of pore pressure generated to temperature rise buffered by the reaction Pr/Er.

Is frictional heating needed to cause dramatic weakening of nanoparticle gouge during seismic slip? Insights from friction experiments with variable thermal evolutions

To examine whether faults can be lubricated by preexisting and newly formed nanoparticles, we perform high-velocity friction experiments on periclase (MgO) nanoparticles and on bare surfaces of Carrara marble cylinders/slices, respectively. Variable temperature conditions were simulated by using host blocks of different thermal conductivities. When temperature rises are relatively low, we observe high friction in nano-MgO tests and unexpected slip strengthening following initial weakening in marble slice tests, suggesting that the dominant weakening mechanisms are of thermal origin. Solely the rolling of nanoparticles without significant temperature rise is insufficient to cause dynamic fault weakening. For nano-MgO experiments, comprehensive investigations suggest that flash heating is the most likely weakening mechanism. In marble experiments, flash heating controls the unique evolutions of friction, and the competition between bulk temperature rise and wear-induced changes of asperity contact numbers seems to strongly affect the efficiency of flash heating.

Time Scale for Rapid Draining of a Surficial Lake Into the Greenland Ice Sheet

A 2008 report by Das et al. documented the rapid drainage during summer 2006 of a supraglacial lake, of approximately 44×10^6 m^3, into the Greenland ice sheet over a time scale moderately longer than 1 hr. The lake had been instrumented to record the time-dependent fall of water level and the uplift of the ice nearby. Liquid water, denser than ice, was presumed to have descended through the sheet along a crevasse system and spread along the bed as a hydraulic facture. The event led two of the present authors to initiate modeling studies on such natural hydraulic fractures. Building on results of those studies, we attempt to better explain the time evolution of such a drainage event. We find that the estimated time has a strong dependence on how much a pre-existing crack/crevasse system, acting as a feeder channel to the bed, has opened by slow creep prior to the time at which a basal hydraulic fracture nucleates. We quantify the process and identify appropriate parameter ranges, particularly of the average temperature of the ice beneath the lake (important for the slow creep opening of the crevasse). We show that average ice temperatures 5–7  °C below melting allow such rapid drainage on a time scale which agrees well with the 2006 observations.