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Experimental high temperature and high pressure faults
Author(s) -
Shelton Glenmore L.,
Tullis Jan,
Tullis Terry
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl008i001p00055
Subject(s) - fault gouge , albite , overburden pressure , ultimate tensile strength , high pressure , shear (geology) , geology , fault (geology) , pore water pressure , shearing (physics) , deformation (meteorology) , materials science , geotechnical engineering , coulomb , composite material , mechanics , seismology , quartz , physics , quantum mechanics , electron
Deformation experiments on Hale albite rock have produced faults at 5 to 15 kb confining pressure and 700° to 1125°C, when hydrolytic weakening is suppressed by either the absence of water or by low pressure. The faults are characterized by: 1) an angle of about 45° to σ 1 , 2) very little gouge, and 3) several percent permanent strain before failure. Temperature dependent friction is believed to allow frictional sliding and faulting at stresses below those predicted by the Coulomb failure criterion, but above those of hydrolytically weakened crystal plastic flow. High confining pressure, low friction and reduced tensile stress concentrations may allow the fault to propagate as a shear rather than a tensile crack.