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Seismic faults are known to exhibit a high level of spatial and temporal complexity, and the causes and consequences of this complexity have been the topic of numerous research works in the past decade. In this paper, we investigate the origins and the structure of this complexity by considering a numerical model of laboratory earthquake experiment, where we introduce a fault with homogeneous mechanical properties but allow it to evolve spontaneously to its natural level of complexity. This is achieved by coupling the elastic deformability of the off‐fault medium (and therefore allowing for heterogeneous stress fields to develop) and the discrete degradation and gouge formation at the fault plane (and therefore allowing for structural heterogeneity to develop). Numerical results show the development of persistent stress, damage, and gouge thickness heterogeneities, with a much larger variability in space than in time. Strong positive correlations are found between these quantities, which suggest a positive feedback between local normal stress and damage rate, only mildly mitigated by the mobility of the granular gouge in the interface. For a wide range of confining stresses, after a sufficient number of seismic cycles, the fault reaches a state of established disorder with a constant roughness, a certain amount of periodicity at the millimetric scale, and a power law decay of the Power Spectral Density at smaller spatial scales. The typical height‐to‐wavelength ratio of geometrical asperities and the correlations between stress and damage profiles are in good agreement with previous field or lab estimates. Plain Language Summary: Earthquakes occur on faults in the Earth curst, and these faults are known to be highly complex, both from a geometrical and structural point of view. This complexity is now introduced artificially in many numerical and theoretical models of faults in order to derive meaningful knowledge related to earthquake mechanics. There is little knowledge, however, about the way this complexity develops. In this paper, we employ a numerical model to observe the spontaneous development of this complexity, in order to understand its origin, its structure, and its evolution. Key Points: A coupled discrete‐continuum model of laboratory earthquakes allows the spontaneous development of fault complexity along seismic cyclesFault heterogeneity is persistent in space and time, with a strong positive correlation between normal stress, damage, and gouge thicknessStress fields exhibit a millimetric periodicity and a self‐affinity at smaller scales, in quantitative agreement with previous estimates [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frictional strength and sliding stability of faults are crucial in interpreting earthquake mechanisms and cycles. Herein, we report friction experiments on basalt fractures, using a self-designed triaxial apparatus that allows direct shear of samples under coupled hydro-mechanical conditions. Velocity-stepping (VS) and slide-hold-slide (SHS) experiments are performed on both bare and gouge-bearing surfaces of Xiashan basalt subjected to cyclic shear velocities at 1–30 μm/s, effective normal stresses of 1–5 MPa, and pore pressures of 70–300 kPa. The measured basalt friction coefficients are in the range of 0.67–0.74, which is sensitive to gouge thickness, normal stress, and water. Specifically, a reduction in friction coefficient is observed with an increment in gouge thickness, normal stress, and pore pressure. Based on the microscopic observation of the pre- and post-shearing sliding surfaces, this weakening effect in friction coefficient can be attributed to powder lubrication. Furthermore, the VS test results reveal predominantly velocity-strengthening behavior at investigated slip velocities, and this velocity strengthening behavior does not appear to be influenced by variations in normal stress, gouge thickness, and water. However, changes in sliding velocity and normal stress can lead to a shift between stable and unstable sliding. Specifically, stable sliding is favored by high sliding velocities and low normal stress applied in this study. Finally, we analyze the experimental data by calculating the rate-and-state parameters using the rate- and state-dependent friction (RSF) theory. Importantly, the calculated friction rate parameter (a-b) supports the velocity-strengthening behavior. Both frictional relaxation (Δμc) during hold periods and frictional healing (Δμ) upon re-shearing are linearly proportional to the logarithmic hold time, which may be attributed to the growth in true contact area with hold time. This study sheds light on the roles of sliding velocity, and gouge thickness in controlling frictional strength and stability of basalt fractures.

High strength and highly reflective metal sheets are widely applied in industry; industrial requirements for defect detection are extremely demanding, particularly in the aviation and automotive industries. Classifying and recognizing surface defects on steel plate surfaces is highly challenging. Currently, defect detection is still inspected visually by personnel. However, given the high temperatures at inspection sites and the high risks in the operating environments, machine vision inspection systems are expected to replace manual inspection processes eventually. Therefore, this study developed an automated defect detection system that reduces the high reflectivity of examined objects. The light sources emitted light rays to the rays diffused and reflected multiple times inside the hemispherical cover to produce uniform illumination. Subsequently, image processing was conducted to highlight defect features on the stainless-steel plates. Relatively favorable light source positions were identified, which reduced the difficulty of class identification, the omission rate in defect detection to be decreased, and frequently encountered reflection problems in the automated optical inspection of metallic products to be overcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unstable slip of a fault block is considered to be the main cause of shallow earthquakes. However, the underlying mechanism of the stability-to-instability transition of faults has not been fully understood. Here, we used the stiffness ratio, which is the ratio between the shear stiffness of the fault subjected to direct shear and the critical stiffness to evaluate the fault stability degree from stable to unstable slip, and examined the effects of normal stress, roughness, and slip displacement on the fault stability. Our experimental results show that with the increase in slip displacement, the shear stiffness change in stable slip mainly includes four stages, namely "rapid increase–keep unchanged–slow increase–rapid decrease", and unstable slip tends to occur in the last two stages. This process of shear stiffness change is accelerated by the increase in normal stress and the decrease in fault roughness. Our study reveals that fault stability over slip is mutually dictated by asperity interlocking and wear-induced gouge. Asperity interlocking controls fault stability when the gouge amount is low, whereas the fault gouge prevails with the increased wear of the fault surface since the gouge generated during slip can participate in the subsequent friction process. Thus, we infer that the stable–unstable transition of fault over slip is a spontaneous process due to the interplay of asperity interlocking and wear-induced gouge lubrication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We experimentally determined the hydraulic properties of fractures within various rock types, focusing on a variety of Variscan rocks. Flow-through experiments were performed on slate, graywacke, quartzite, granite, natural fault gouge, and claystone samples containing an artificial fracture with a given roughness. For slate samples, the hydraulic transmissivity of the fractures was measured at confining pressures, pc, at up to 50 MPa, temperatures, T, between 25 and 100 °C, and differential stress, σ, acting perpendicular to the fracture surface of up to 45 MPa. Fracture transmissivity decreases non-linearly and irreversibly by about an order of magnitude with increasing confining pressure and differential stress, with a slightly stronger influence of pc than of σ. Increasing temperature reduces fracture transmissivity only at high confining pressures when the fracture aperture is already low. An increase in the fracture surface roughness by about three times yields an initial fracture transmissivity of almost one order of magnitude higher. Fractures with similar surface roughness display the highest initial transmissivity within slate, graywacke, quartzite and granite samples, whereas the transmissivity in claystone and granitic gouge material is up to several orders of magnitude lower. The reduction in transmissivity with increasing stress at room temperature varies with composition and uniaxial strength, where the deduction is lowest for rocks with a high fraction of strong minerals and associated high brittleness and strength. Microstructural investigations suggest that the reduction is induced by the compaction of the matrix and crushing of strong asperities. Our results suggest that for a given surface roughness, the fracture transmissivity of slate as an example of a target reservoir for unconventional EGS, is comparable to that of other hard rocks, e.g., granite, whereas highly altered and/or clay-bearing rocks display poor potential for extracting geothermal energy from discrete fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to characterise corrosion and gouging associated with metal loss and the identification of gouge type from metal loss defect types are two of the primary obstacles affecting magnetic flux leakage (MFL) internal inspection technology. Gouges in pipelines are not extraordinarily severe; however, the depth of corrosion increasing due to a certain corrosion rate can be quite serious. In this paper, a novel theoretical model combined with a new approach for the analysis of the signals that distinguish gouging and corrosion using a low magnetisation level is presented for MFL detection, since the traditional MFL internal detection tools are insensitive to stress characteristics in the case of saturation magnetisation. A two-stage finite element (FE) model for the prediction of magnetic flux leakage resulting from two types of defect is built. In the first stage, the stress distribution associated with gouging is obtained from a solid mechanics model and, in the second stage, the stress distribution is incorporated into a magnetic finite element model by mapping the stress levels to permeability. The possibility of detection and identification of corrosion and gouging using the MFL technique at low-level magnetisation was confirmed by experimentally comparing the characteristics of the MFL signals for each defect type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We document the mechanical and geochemical processes of fault rock development in the shallow San Andreas fault (Mojave segment), and quantify their importance in shaping the mineralogy, grain size, fabric, and frictional characteristics of gouge. Through a combination of field and laboratory analysis of an extensive suite of shallow (

Unstable slip of a fault block is considered to be the main cause of shallow earthquakes. However, the underlying mechanism of the stability-to-instability transition of faults has not been fully understood. Here, we used the stiffness ratio, which is the ratio between the shear stiffness of the fault subjected to direct shear and the critical stiffness to evaluate the fault stability degree from stable to unstable slip, and examined the effects of normal stress, roughness, and slip displacement on the fault stability. Our experimental results show that with the increase in slip displacement, the shear stiffness change in stable slip mainly includes four stages, namely “rapid increase–keep unchanged–slow increase–rapid decrease”, and unstable slip tends to occur in the last two stages. This process of shear stiffness change is accelerated by the increase in normal stress and the decrease in fault roughness. Our study reveals that fault stability over slip is mutually dictated by asperity interlocking and wear-induced gouge. Asperity interlocking controls fault stability when the gouge amount is low, whereas the fault gouge prevails with the increased wear of the fault surface since the gouge generated during slip can participate in the subsequent friction process. Thus, we infer that the stable–unstable transition of fault over slip is a spontaneous process due to the interplay of asperity interlocking and wear-induced gouge lubrication.

We present a magnetic fabric investigation of small oriented rock fragments from gouges and wall rocks from the Chelungpu fault (Taiwan), where the Chi‐Chi earthquake occurred (Mw 7.6, 1999). Samples are obtained from surface outcrops and at a depth of ~1 km, including the 3‐mm‐thick Chi‐Chi principal slip zone. Wall rocks at depth show magnetic foliation roughly parallel to bedding, whereas they are oblique at the surface. Within the gouges, the mean shape of magnetic ellipsoid is oblate, and the degree of anisotropy is up to 12%. The magnetic foliation diverges of ~40° from the fault plane, compatible with a simple shear westward. The magnetic lineation is oblique, resulting probably from coseismic and interseismic records. The reconstructed focal mechanism from the magnetic fabric closely matches the focal mechanism solutions for the Chi‐Chi earthquake. Our work demonstrates that magnetic fabric of gouge fragments can bring valuable kinematic information on modern earthquakes. Plain Language Summary: Fault gouges often provide important and valuable information that can help to understand the fault mechanisms and to assess the seismic hazard, but to get access to the shape preferred orientation of micrometric minerals is generally a complex, time consuming and expensive procedure. In this study, we show that the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility, which is a fast and nondestructive technique, can be a proxy of the structural fabric of historical gouges. This technique has already been previously applied to gouge zones, but this is the first time that it is used in the gouge from one of the best documented historical large seismic events: the 1999 Chi‐Chi earthquake (Mw 7.6) along the Chelungpu fault (Taiwan). Samples within and around this fault were obtained from fresh surface outcrop and 1‐km‐deep borehole (Hole B, Taiwan Chelungpu‐fault Drilling Project). The 1‐km‐deep gouge hosts the 3‐mm‐thick principal slip zone of the Chi‐Chi earthquake. The results show that the reconstructed focal mechanism based on the magnetic fabric geometry matches closely the focal mechanism solutions for the Chi‐Chi earthquake estimated by several previous studies. Key Points: For the first time, the bulk fabric of small fragments of historical gouge, including the 1999 Chi‐Chi earthquake (Mw 7.6) slip zone, has been analyzed successfullyThe bulk fabric of gouge is anisotropic, reflecting the grain orientation of billions of clays and magnetic particlesThe magnetic fabric of gouge mimics the focal mechanism solutions of historical earthquakeWe provide a new tool to elucidate earthquake properties from fault gouges [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grain size reduction due to cataclasis is a key process controlling fault frictional properties during the seismic cycle. We investigated the role of cleavage planes on fracturing and microstructural evolution during cataclasis in wet and dry carbonate fault gouges (50 wt% calcite, 50 wt% dolomite) deformed in a rotary-shear apparatus over a wide range of slip rates (30 μms−1 to 1 ms−1) and displacements (0.05–0.4 m). During shearing, progressive strain localization forms a narrow slip zone that undergoes significant frictional heating (at high slip rates), but the bulk gouge always accommodates low finite shear strains and deforms at low temperatures. Microstructural analysis of the bulk gouges indicates that deformation occurred by brittle fracturing and twinning. Microfractures in calcite are closely spaced, often exploit { 10 1 ¯ 4 } cleavage r -rhomb planes, and occur mainly subparallel to the expected principal stress orientation (σ 1). Instead, twin planes typically occur sub-perpendicular to σ 1. Electron backscatter diffraction analysis of the bulk gouges shows that calcite develops a well-defined crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) at all investigated deformation conditions. The CPO is defined by a clustering of the calcite c-axes around an orientation sub-parallel to σ 1. The calcite CPO is interpreted to result from grain rotation during granular flow, followed by brittle fracturing that occurred preferentially along calcite cleavage planes. This interpretation is supported by measurements of calcite grain shape-preferred orientations that show a population of elongate calcite grains oriented with their long axes sub-parallel to σ 1. Our experimental results indicate that well-defined CPOs can form at low temperature in cataclastic fault rocks, and that mineral cleavage can strongly influence the evolution of grain sizes and shapes during comminution. • CPO developed in coarse-grained, low-temperature carbonate fault gouges. • CPO formed by brittle processes at all studied slip rates and displacements. • Closely-spaced microfractures exploit { 10 1 ¯ 4 } rhomb cleavage planes in calcite. • CPO interpreted to form by grain rotation and cleavage-controlled fracturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, indentation responses of high strength steel pipe with local wall thinning (gouge) under internal pressure have been studied through experimental procedure and numerical analysis. The experimental study was carried out on laboratory scale specimens from API 5 L X80 steel. Dent produced by a hemi-spherical indenter with diameter of 20 mm and axial gouge introduced to the pipe’s outer surface. In experimental work, the influence of some parameters such as depth of dent, axial gouges of different sizes and presence of the internal pressure have been investigated. A numerical modeling approach has also been employed. The current numerical simulation has first been validated by experimental results previously conducted by the authors. The numerical results show well agreement with the experimental results. Effects of internal pressure level, boundary condition and D/t ratio on the response of pipelines subjected to lateral impacts numerically studied and the results have then been compared with analytical equations provided in some design codes. The results show that the analytical relations estimate greater lateral resistance than numerical results. Validated model were then used to derive a semi-empirical equation for predicting structural behavior of locally damaged tubes as a function of internal pressure. Furthermore, the elastic-plastic finite element analyses were performed to estimate the variations of failure depth with several internal pressures and gouge sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industry of metatuff axes and adzes on the western coast of Onega Lake (Eneolithic period, ca. 3500 – 1500 cal. BC) allows assuming some sort of craft specialization. Excavations of a workshop site Fofanovo XIII, conducted in 2010-2011, provided an extremely large assemblage of artefacts (over 350000 finds from just 30 m2, mostly production debitage). An attempt to estimate the output of production within the excavated area is based on experimental data from a series of replication experiments. Mass-analysis with the aid of image recognition software was used to obtain raw data from flakes from excavations and experiments. Statistical evaluation assures that the experimental results can be used as a basement for calculations. According to the proposed estimation, some 500 – 1000 tools could have been produced here, and this can be qualified as an evidence of “mass-production”.

Fractures are the location of various water-rock interactions within the Earth's crust; however, the impact of the chemical heterogeneity of fractures on hydraulic properties is poorly understood. We conducted flow-through experiments on the dissolution of granite with a tensile fracture at 350°C and fluid pressure of 20 MPa with confining pressure of 40 MPa. The aperture structures were evaluated by X-ray computed tomography before and after the experiments. Under the experimental conditions, quartz grains dissolve rapidly to produce grain-scale pockets on the fracture surface, whereas altered feldspar grains act as asperities to sustain the open cavities. The fracture contained gouge with large surface area. The feedback between fluid flow and the rapid dissolution of gouge material produced large fluid pockets, whereas permeability did not always increase significantly. Such intense hydrological-chemical interactions could strongly influence the porosity-permeability relationship of fractured reservoirs in the crust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure, frictional properties and permeability of faults within carbonate rocks exhibit a dynamic interplay that controls both seismicity and the exchange of fluid between different crustal levels. Here we review field and experimental studies focused on the characterization of fault zones in carbonate rocks with the aim of identifying the microstructural indicators of rupture nucleation and seismic slip. We highlight results from experimental research linked to observations on exhumed fault zones in carbonate rocks. From the analysis of these accumulated results we identify the meso and microstructural deformation styles in carbonates rocks and link them to the lithology of the protolith and their potential as seismic indicators. Although there has been significant success in the laboratory reproduction of deformation structures observed in the field, the range of slip rates and dynamic friction under which most of the potential seismic indicators is formed in the laboratory urges caution when using them as a diagnostic for seismic slip. We finally outline what we think are key topics for future research that would lead to a more in-depth understanding of the record of seismic slip in carbonate rocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) drilling project directly sampled a transitional (between creeping and locked) segment of the San Andreas Fault at 2.7 km depth. At the site, changes in strain rate occur between periods of coseismic slip (>10−7 s−1) and interseismic creep (10−10 s−1) over decadal scales (~30 years). Microstructural observations of core retrieved from the SAFOD site show throughgoing fractures and gouge-rich cores within the fractures, evidence of predominantly brittle deformation mechanisms. Within the gouge-rich cores, strong phases show evidence of deformation by pressure solution once the grain size is reduced to a critical effective grain size. Models of pressure solution-accommodated creep for quartz-phyllosilicate mixtures indicate that viscous weakening of quartz occurs during the interseismic period once a critical effective grain size of 1 μm is achieved, consistent with microstructural observations. This causes pronounced weakening, as the strength of the mixture is then controlled by the frictional properties of the phyllosilicate phases. These results have pronounced implications for the internal deformation of fault zones in the shallow crust, where at low strain rates, deformation is accommodated by both viscous and brittle deformation mechanisms. As strain rates increase, the critical effective grain size for weakening decreases, localizing deformation into the finest-grained gouges until deformation can no longer be accommodated by viscous processes and purely brittle failure occurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of mechanical damage of the gas transmission pipelines on safe pipelines operation was researched in the article. The paper presents the main pipelines damage types with actual parameters and influence on operational parameters. The main pipeline Kaunas – Kaliningrad part, which was removed as no longer usable, was analysed. This damaged part was removed and changed to a new part by a responsible company. The hardness measurement and micro hardness measurement, chemical analysis, impact strength test, metallography analysis with an optical microscope were used in experiments. The analysed pipeline part was also regenerated by the computer software ANSYS, which works by the finite elements method. Santrauka Straipsnyje nagrinėjama magistralinių dujotiekių mechaninių pažeidimų įtaka saugiam jų eksploatavimui. Darbe pateikti pagrindiniai vamzdynų pažeidimo tipai su jiems būdingais bruožais ir įtaka eksploataciniams parametrams. Ištirta magistralinio dujotiekio Kaunas – Kaliningradas dalis, kuri buvo pašalinta, kaip nebetinkama naudojimui. Tyrimams pasitelktas kietumo ir mikrokietumo matavimas, cheminės analizės tyrimas, smūginio tąsumo bandymas. Mikrostruktūros tyrimams naudotas optinis mikroskopas. Tiriamasis objektas buvo atkurtas kompiuterinės programos, veikiančios baigtinių elementų metodu, ANSYS erdvėje. Raktiniai žodžiai: defektas, dujotiekis, įlenkimas, išskaptavimas, liekamasis resursas, mechaniniai pažeidimai, vamzdynas.

We present a novel experimental approach devised to test the hydro-mechanical behaviour of different structural elements of carbonate fault rocks during experimental re-activation. Experimentally faulted core plugs were subject to triaxial tests under water saturated conditions simulating depletion processes in reservoirs. Different fault zone structural elements were created by shearing initially intact travertine blocks (nominal size: 240 × 110 × 150 mm) to a maximum displacement of 20 and 120 mm under different normal stresses. Meso-and microstructural features of these sample and the thickness to displacement ratio characteristics of their deformation zones allowed to classify them as experimentally created damage zones (displacement of 20 mm) and fault cores (displacement of 120 mm). Following direct shear testing, cylindrical plugs with diameter of 38 mm were drilled across the slip surface to be re-activated in a conventional triaxial configuration monitoring the permeability and frictional behaviour of the samples as a function of applied stress. All re-activation experiments on faulted plugs showed consistent frictional response consisting of an initial fast hardening followed by apparent yield up to a friction coefficient of approximately 0.6 attained at around 2 mm of displacement. Permeability in the re-activation experiments shows exponential decay with increasing mean effective stress. The rate of permeability decline with mean effective stress is higher in the fault core plugs than in the simulated damage zone ones. It can be concluded that the presence of gouge in un-cemented carbonate faults results in their sealing character and that leakage cannot be achieved by renewed movement on the fault plane alone, at least not within the range of slip measureable with our apparatus (i.e. approximately 7 mm of cumulative displacement). Additionally, it is shown that under sub seismic slip rates re-activated carbonate faults remain strong and no frictional weakening was observed during re-activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constraining the timing of fault zone formation is fundamentally important in terms of geotectonics to understand structural evolution and brittle fault processes. This paper presents the first authigenic illite K-Ar age data from fault gouge samples collected from the Red River Shear Zone at Lao Cai province, Vietnam. The fault gouge samples were separated into three grain-size fractions (<0.1 µm, 0.1-0.4 µm and 0.4-1.0 µm). The results show that the K-Ar age values decrease from coarser to finer grain fractions (24.1 to 19.2 Ma), suggesting enrichment in finer fraction of more-recently grown authigenic illites. The timing of the fault movement are the lower intercept ages at 0% detrital illite (19.2 ± 0.92 Ma and 19.4 ± 0.49 Ma). In combination with previous geochronological data, this result indicates that the metamorphism of the Day Nui Con Voi (DNCV) metamorphic complex took place before ca. 26.8 Ma. At about 26.8 Ma-25 Ma, the fault strongly acted to cause the rapid exhumation of the rocks along the Red River-Ailoa Shan Fault Zone (RR-ASFZ). During brittle deformation, the DNCV slowly uplifted, implying weak movement of the fault. This brittle deformation might have lasted for ca. 5 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing fracture aperture by lowering effective normal stress and by inducing dilatant shearing and thermo-elastic effects is essential for transmissivity increase in enhanced geothermal systems. This study investigates transmissivity evolution for fluid flow through natural fractures in granodiorite at the laboratory scale. Processes that influence transmissivity are changing normal loads, surface deformation, the formation of gouge and fracture offset. Normal loads were varied in cycles between 1 and 68 MPa and cause transmissivity changes of up to three orders of magnitude. Similarly, small offsets of fracture surfaces of the order of millimeters induced changes in transmissivity of up to three orders of magnitude. During normal load cycling, the fractures experienced significant surface deformation, which did not lead to increased matedness for most experiments, especially for offset fractures. The resulting gouge material production may have caused clogging of the main fluid flow channels with progressing loading cycles, resulting in reductions of transmissivity by up to one order of magnitude. During one load cycle, from low to high normal loads, the majority of tests show hysteretic behavior of the transmissivity. This effect is stronger for early load cycles, most likely when surface deformation occurs, and becomes less pronounced in later cycles when asperities with low asperity strength failed. The influence of repeated load cycling on surface deformation is investigated by scanning the specimen surfaces before and after testing. This allows one to study asperity height distribution and surface deformation by evaluating the changes of the standard deviation of the height, distribution of asperities and matedness of the fractures. Surface roughness, as expressed by the standard deviation of the asperity height distribution, increased during testing. Specimen surfaces that were tested in a mated configuration were better mated after testing, than specimens tested in shear offset configuration. The fracture surface deformation of specimen surfaces that were tested in an offset configuration was dominated by the breaking of individual asperities and grains, which did not result in better mated surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the role of bedding in the evolution of meso- and microstructural fabrics in fault zones, detailed microscopic, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses were conducted on bedding-oblique and bedding-parallel faults that cut a folded Neogene siliceous mudstone that contains opal-CT, smectite, and illite. An analysis of asymmetric structures in the fault gouges indicates that the secondary fractures associated with each fault exhibit contrasting characteristics: those of the bedding-oblique fault are R 1 shears, whereas those of the bedding-parallel fault are reactivated S foliation. The bedding-oblique fault shows the pervasive development of S foliation, lacks opal-CT, and has low SiO 2 /TiO 2 ratios only in gouge, whereas the bedding-parallel fault exhibits these characteristics in both gouge and wall rocks. The development of S foliation and the lack of silica can result from local ductile deformation involving the sliding of phyllosilicates, coupled with pressure solution of opal-CT. Although such deformation can occur in gouge, the above results indicate that it may occur preferentially along bedding planes, preceding the formation of a gouge/slip surface. Thus, in sedimentary rocks that contain phyllosilicates and soluble minerals, bedding can influence the rheological evolution of meso- and microstructural fabrics in fault zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Fault affecting silicoclastic sediments are commonly enriched in clay minerals. Clays are sensitive to fluid–rock interactions and deformation mechanisms; in this paper, they are used as proxy for fault activity and behavior. The present study focuses on clay mineral assemblages from the Point Vert normal fault zone located in the Annot sandstones, a Priabonian-Rupelian turbidite succession of the Alpine foredeep in SE France. In this area, the Annot sandstones were buried around 6–8 km below the front of Alpine nappes soon after their deposition and exhumed during the middle-late Miocene. The fault affects arkosic sandstone beds alternating with pelitic layers, and displays throw of about thirty meters. The fault core zone comprises intensely foliated sandstones bounding a corridor of gouge about 20 cm thick. The foliated sandstones display clay concentration along S–C structures characterized by dissolution of K-feldspar and their replacement by mica, associated with quartz pressure solution, intense microfracturation and quartz vein precipitation. The gouge is formed by a clayey matrix containing fragments of foliated sandstones and pelites. However, a detailed petrographical investigation suggests complex polyphase deformation processes. Optical and SEM observations show that the clay minerals fraction of all studied rocks (pelites and sandstones from the damage and core zones of the fault) is dominated by white micas and chlorite. These minerals have two different origins: detrital and newly-formed. Detrital micas are identified by their larger shape and their chemical composition with a lower Fe–Mg content than the newly-formed white micas. In the foliated sandstones, newly-formed white micas are concentrated along S–C structures or replace K-feldspar. Both types of newly formed micas display the same chemical composition confirmed microstructural observations suggesting that they formed in the same conditions. They have the following structural formulas: Na 0.05 K 0.86 (Al 1.77 Fe 0.08 Mg 0.15 ) (Si 3.22 Al 0.78 ) O 10 (OH) 2. They are enriched in Fe and Mg compared to the detrital micas. Newly-formed chlorites are associated with micas along the shear planes. According to microprobe analyses, they present the following structural formula: (Al 1,48 Fe 2,50 Mg 1,84 ) (Si 2,82 Al 1,18 ) O 10 (OH) 8 . All these data suggest that these clay minerals are synkinematic and registered the fault activity. In the gouge samples, illite and chlorite are the major clay minerals; smectite is locally present in some samples. In the foliated sandstones, Kubler Index (KI) ((001) XRD peak width at half height) data and thermodynamic calculations from synkinematic chlorite chemistry suggest that the main fault deformation occurred under temperatures around 220 °C (diagenesis to anchizone boundary). KI measured on pelites and sandstones from the hanging and footwall, display similar values coherent with the maximal burial temperature of the Annot sandstones in this area. The gouge samples have a higher KI index, which could be explained by a reactivation of the fault at lower temperatures during the exhumation of the Annot sandstones formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the role of strain localization during dynamic weakening of calcite gouge at seismic slip rates, single-slide and slide–hold–slide experiments were conducted on 2–3-mm thick layers of calcite gouge at normal stresses up to 26 MPa and slip rates up to 1 m s −1 . Microstructures were analyzed from short displacement ( < 35 cm ) experiments stopped prior to and during the transition to dynamic weakening. In fresh calcite gouge layers, dynamic weakening occurs after a prolonged strengthening phase that becomes shorter with increasing normal stress and decreasing layer thickness. Strain is initially distributed across the full thickness of the gouge layer, but within a few millimeters displacement the strain becomes localized to a boundary-parallel, high-strain shear band c. 20 μm wide. During the strengthening phase, which lasts between 3 and 30 cm under the investigated conditions, the shear band broadens to become c. 100 μm wide at peak stress. The transition to dynamic weakening in calcite gouges is associated with the nucleation of micro-slip surfaces dispersed throughout the c. 100 μm wide shear band. Each slip surface is surrounded by aggregates of extremely fine grained and tightly packed calcite, interpreted to result from grain welding driven by local frictional heating in the shear band. By the end of dynamic weakening strain is localized to a single 2 – 3 -μm wide principal slip surface, flanked by layers of recrystallized gouge. Calcite gouge layers re-sheared following a hold period weaken nearly instantaneously, much like solid cylinders of calcite marble deformed under the same experimental conditions. This is due to reactivation of the recrystallized and cohesive principal slip surface that formed during the first slide, reducing the effective gouge layer thickness to a few microns. Our results suggest that formation of a high-strain shear band is a critical precursor to dynamic weakening in calcite gouges. Microstructures are most compatible with dynamic weakening resulting from a thermally triggered mechanism such as flash heating that requires both a high degree of strain localization and a minimum slip velocity to activate. The delayed onset of dynamic weakening in fresh calcite gouge layers, particularly at low normal stresses, may inhibit large coseismic slip at shallow crustal levels in calcite-bearing fault zones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slickensided shear surfaces are ubiquitous in many fault zones. However the internal structure, the micromechanics and the evolution of these structures are not fully understood and the contributions of crystal plasticity, grain-boundary sliding, microfracturing, solution-precipitation and mineral transformation under different conditions are subject of debate. We studied well- preserved core samples from the Main Fault , an up to 3 m wide zone of approximately 10 m offset in the Mont Terri Underground Research Laboratory (CH), a site to evaluate long-term safety of radioactive waste disposal. The drill core breaks easily along many slickensided shear surfaces indicating reverse slip, which form an anastomosing network connected by branch lines. Broad ion beam polishing and scanning electron microscopy shows that the slickensides are invariably revealed by fracture of the drill core along a few μm thick shear zone, which acts as a crack guide for fracturing the samples. In this zone, a complex set of processes is inferred, leading to extreme localization of strain, development of strong particle preferred orientation, the formation of nanoparticles, and local precipitation of calcite veins in releasing sections. In lenses between shear zones, homogeneous gouge is formed with a well-developed oblique foliation and removal of calcite grains by pressure solution. We infer that with progressive deformation, the number and density of slickensided shear surfaces increases, generating tectonically derived scaly clay and more homogeneous gouge. In all deformed elements of the Main Fault , porosity is much smaller than in the undeformed Opalinus Clay. An interesting observation is the almost complete absence of cataclastic microstructures. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of focused ion beam lamellae of this micron-wide shear zone shows a strong preferred orientation of clay minerals, including nano-sized illite particles. In TEM, the shear zones envelop hard particles and confirm an almost complete loss of porosity compared to the protolith. We propose that inter- and transgranular microcracking, pressure solution, clay neoformation, crystal plasticity and grain boundary sliding are important micro-scale processes during the early stages of faulting in Opalinus Clay and thus need to be considered in extrapolating laboratory results to long-term mechanical behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To determine the ultrafine nano-scale grains in a fault gouge; the Chelungpu fault gouge was sampled and analyzed. It was separated into different particle size ranges and was analyzed by synchrotron X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The minerals of gouge are predominantly composed of quartz, plagioclase, smectite, illite, chlorite, and kaolinite. The mineral association of <100nm particles are quartz, smectite, and illite. However, only smectite and illite are included except quartz in the 1-to-25nm fractions. We propose that quartz is the index mineral associated with co-seismic fracture and the possible limit grain size is ~25nm on fracturing. The smectite and illite nano-particles may be associated with weathering process of gouge at shallow or surface conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Structural and K–Ar dating studies of gouge in N–S, NNE and E–W-trending faults in four locations in the Sydney–Hunter region are reported. The fault zones are manifest as joint swarms and highly brecciated zones containing gouge with authigenic illite produced as a result of fluid infiltration. Strike-slip movement accompanied by minor dip-slip, normal movement occurred on the NNE faults, with dip slip on N–S and E–W-trending faults. In this study, gouge from a NE-trending, steep, SE-dipping fault showing dip-slip movement at Cut 10, on the Hunter Expressway and from an E–W-trending, steep south-dipping, normal fault at the Westside Open Cut, Lake Macquarie have been analysed. K–Ar dating of illite and illite–smectite in fractions extracted from fault gouges in areas unaffected by a thermal overprint reveals ages varying from 166 to 119 Ma for the <2 μm and finer fractions, and a mean age ofca120 Ma for the <0.4 μm fraction. In the Sydney area and the Westside Open Cut coal mine, Lake Macquarie, the ages obtained from similar size fractions both for the gouge and for the host rocks are younger (134–76 Ma; av. <0.4 μm = 111 Ma). The data indicate influence of a thermal overprint associated with subsurface magmas emplaced during the early stages of the rifting of eastern Gondwana during the early Cretaceous. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Highlights: [•] Experimental burst tests have been performed on vessels containing a dent+gouge defect. [•] The gouge dimensions were identical for all the vessels. [•] The influence of the dent depth on burst pressure was analysed. [•] The most of time, failure occured on other place than that of the defect. [•] A criterion based on stress triaxiality was proposed to evaluate the burst pressure and failure location. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

SUMMARY This study aims at building a theoretical framework allowing for estimation of the macroscopic friction coefficient of a mixed quartz/clay fault gouge from the description of the microstructure and from relevant properties at the lower scale. The effect of clay content is particularly highlighted through two opposite morphology cases. The first one corresponds to a grain framework-supported microstructure with a predominant content of quartz grains forming a connected structure and some clay filling the intergranular space. The second considered morphology corresponds to a clay matrix-supported microstructure in which quartz grains are embedded. The friction coefficient of the gouge is derived with respect to the clay content for both morphologies because of theoretical homogenization techniques. The models prove to be in good agreement with experimental results from the literature. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Neoformed minerals in shallow fault rocks are increasingly recognized as key to the behavior of faults in the elasto-frictional regime, but neither the conditions nor the processes which wall-rock is transformed into clay minerals are well understood. Yet, understanding of these mineral transformations is required to predict the mechanical and seismogenic behavior of faults. We therefore present a systematic study of clay gouge mineralogy from 30 outcrops of 17 low-angle normal faults (LANF''s) in the American Cordillera to demonstrate the range and type of clay transformations in natural fault gouges. The sampled faults juxtapose a wide and representative range of wall rock types, including sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks under shallow-crustal conditions. Clay mineral transformations were observed in all but one of 28 faults; one fault contains only mechanically derived clay-rich gouge, which formed entirely by cataclasis. Clay mineral transformations observed in gouges show four general patterns: 1) growth of authigenic 1Md illite, either by transformation of fragmental 2M1 illite or muscovite, or growth after the dissolution of K-feldspar. Illitization of fragmental illite–smectite is observed in LANF gouges, but is less common than reported from faults with sedimentary wall rocks; 2) ‘retrograde diagenesis’ of an early mechanically derived chlorite-rich gouge to authigenic chlorite–smectite and saponite (Mg-rich tri-octahedral smectite); 3) reaction of mechanically derived chlorite-rich gouges with Mg-rich fluids at low temperatures (50–150 °C) to produce localized lenses of one of two assemblages: sepiolite + saponite + talc + lizardite or palygorskite +/− chlorite +/− quartz; and 4) growth of authigenic di-octahedral smectite from alteration of acidic volcanic wall rocks. These transformation groups are consistent with patterns observed in fault rocks elsewhere. The main controls for the type of neoformed clay in gouge appear to be wall-rock chemistry and fluid chemistry, and temperatures in the range of 60–180 °C. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We analyzed twelve fault gouge samples from the Bogd fault in south-western Mongolia to understand the origin and behavior of clay minerals. The investigation relies on x-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high energy synchrotron x-ray diffraction methods to investigate microstructure and preferred orientation. Smectite (montmorillonite), illite-smectite mixed layers, illite-mica and kaolinite are the major clay components, in addition to quartz and feldspars, which are present in all samples. The observations suggest that the protoliths and the fault rocks were highly altered by fluids. The fluid-rock interactions allow clay minerals to form, as well as alter feldspars to precipitate kaolinite and montmorillonite. Thus, newly formed clay minerals are heterogeneously distributed in the fault zone. The decrease of montmorillonite component of some of the highly deformed samples also suggests that dehydration processes during deformation were leading to illite precipitation. Based on synchrotron x-ray diffraction data, the degree of preferred orientation of constituent clay minerals is weak, with maxima for (001) ranging from 1.3 to 2.6 multiples of a random distribution (m.r.d). Co-existing quartz and feldspars have random orientation distributions. Microstructure and texture observations of the gouges from the foliated microscopic zone, alternating with micrometric isotropic clay-rich area, also indicate that the Bogd fault experienced brittle and ductile deformation episodes. The clay minerals may contribute to a slip weakening behavior of the fault. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Blue Lake Fault Zone occurs at a major crustal boundary between Otago Schist and Torlesse greywacke. This zone has been active since the middle Cretaceous (c. 112 Ma), when extensional exhumation of the Otago Schist belt was initiated. The Blue Lake Fault Zone is dominated by a set of normal faults that have caused juxtaposition of rocks of different metamorphic grade, from prehnite-pumpellyite facies turbidites to pervasively recrystallised greenschist facies schists. This metamorphic transition has been thinned from c. 15 km to c. 2 km by normal fault motion on the scale of kilometres. This condensed section is the narrowest such section on the Otago Schist margin. The faults in this condensed section are defined by gouge zones that are hundreds of metres wide and constitute about 30% of the section. Gouge zones were locally reactivated as thin Late Cenozoic reverse faults on the centimetre to metre scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well recognised that the strength of rock masses depends upon the strain history, extent of discontinuities, orientation of plane of weakness, condition of joints, fill material in closely packed joints and extent of confinement. Several solutions are available for strength of jointed rock mass with a set of discontinuities. There is a great multiplicity in the proposed relationships for the strength of jointed rocks. In the present study, the author conceives the effect of increasing stresses to induce permanent strains. This permanent strain appears as micro crack, macro crack and fracture. A fully developed network of permanent deformations forms joint. The joint may contain deposits of hydraulic and hydrothermal origin commonly known as gouge. The joint factor numerically captures varied engineering possibilities of joints in a rock mass. The joints grow as an effect of loading. The growth of the joints is progressive in nature. It increases the joint factor, which modifies the failure stresses. The dilatancy explains the progressive failure of granular media. Hence, a mutual relationship conjoins effectively the strength of jointed rock and a dilatancy-dependent parameter known as relative dilatancy. This study provides a simple and integral solution for strength of jointed rocks, interpreted in relation to the commonly used soil, and rock parameters, used for a realistic design of structure on rock masses. It has scope for prediction of an equivalent strength for tri-axial and plane strain conditions for unconfined and confined rock masses using a simple technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural studies in the Sydney region have revealed the presence of vertical to near-vertical, north-northeast-striking faults that are manifest as joint swarms and highly brecciated zones in which gouge of varying thickness is developed. Strike-slip movement accompanied by minor dip-slip, normal movement occurred on these faults. Timing of movement on these faults by K-Ar dating of illite and illite-smectite in fractions extracted from fault gouges, was attempted. These dates were compared with dates obtained from the host-rocks. K-Ar ages determined from the 2-10 μm to <0.1 μm fractions produced from the gouge and host-rocks, range from 159.5 ± 3.2 to 106.6 ± 2.1 Ma (n = 26). In <0.5 μm fractions extracted from the gouges that are less contaminated by detrital phases, K-Ar ages vary from 138 ± 4.4 to 106.5 ± 2.1 Ma (mean 121 Ma; n = 6) which are similar to ages obtained from host-rocks in the Sydney region. The similarity in age between the host rocks and gouge suggests that the K-Ar system has been reset. The resetting is attributed to a thermal event at ca 120 Ma related to the underplating of felsic intrusions associated with early stages of breakup of East Gondwana. Subsequent to this event, dykes of Early Eocene age (K-Ar whole-rock: 51.0 ± 1.1 Ma) exploited north-northeast-striking faults and subsequently developed brecciated margins. These observations and the fact that gouge formed before the thermal event suggests that movement took place on north-northeast-striking faults prior to 120 Ma and after 51 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gouges formed in north-northeast-striking fault zones of the Sydney region and associated host-rocks were investigated by XRD, SEM, TEM and optical microscopy in order to determine their mineralogy. XRD studies reveal that illite, illite-smectite, kaolinite, quartz and dickite are present in varying proportions. Kubler Indices (0.54-0.71) and low smectite contents in illite-smectite (<10% smectite) in most gouges and host-rocks, indicate the assemblages formed at temperatures between 120 and 150°C. Those at the Heathcote Road, Lucas Heights location formed at lower temperatures (<100°C). SEM images of the clays in host sublitharenites and gouges show a variety of sizes and habits that reflect variations in fluid temperature and rate of crystallisation. SEM studies also reveal that detrital quartz grains exhibit overgrowths and etch pits of varying density, size and shape that are more strongly developed in the gouges than in the host-rocks. These features are thought to be related to higher fluid/rock ratios brought about by major ingress of fluids into the fault zones. The mineral assemblage present and the features exhibited are believed to have formed in response to a thermal event associated with the early stages of the breakup of Gondwana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of the influence of laboratory specimen size (and scale effects) is critical to be obtained in the study of geological structures. The present work examines the influence of the small-scale size of specimens (in the range of a few tens of millimeters) on the behavior of analogue discontinuities with highly plastic clay filling material using a custom-built apparatus. The results showed that the displacement required to reach the peak friction increased with the specimen size, while the shearing stiffness showed an opposite trend. A slight increasing tendency of peak friction with increasing specimen size was also observed, but it needs further testing to be assertive. The weakening behavior in the gouge layer increased at larger normal stresses leading to significant post-peak softening, which was intensified as the gouge layer size increased. Application of pre-consolidation to the gouge layer intensified the weakening behavior. The degree of non-linearity in the stress-displacement curves and rigidity of the specimens were also quantified, and a hyperbolic-type model was implemented to measure the shear stress mobilization rate based on the stress-displacement curves. The data were further integrated with that from previously published works on experiments at smaller and larger scales to enhance the findings from this work on scale effects on the mechanical behavior of geological structures. • Scale effects are examined on rock blocks in the presence of clay gouges. • Both frictional strength and sliding stiffness are examined experimentally. • Significant influence of sample size is observed both in terms of friction and stiffness. • A hyperbolic model is used to model stiffness-displacement reduction curves. • Shear failure mechanisms are elaborated based on microscope digital images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite extensive research on fault rocks, and on their commercial importance, there is no non-genetic classification of fault breccias that can easily be applied in the field. The present criterion for recognizing fault breccia as having no 'primary cohesion' is often difficult to assess. Instead we propose that fault breccia should be defined, as with sedimentary breccia, primarily by grain size: with at least 30% of its volume comprising clasts at least 2 mm in diameter. To subdivide fault breccias, we advocate the use of textural terms borrowed from the cave-collapse literature - crackle, mosaic and chaotic breccia - with bounds at 75 % and 60 % clast content. A secondary breccia discriminant, more difficult to apply in the field, is the ratio of cement to matrix between the clasts. Clast-size issues concerning fault gouge, cataclasite and mylonite are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Mechanical damage in the form of dents and gouges is recognised as a severe and common form of mechanical damage to pipelines. In general terms, dents and gouges reduce both the static and cyclic strength of a pipeline. The severity of a dent depends on a number of factors, including: the size and shape of the dent; whether it affects the curvature of a girth or seam weld; and whether it contains other defects, such as a gouge or a crack. An understanding of the issues that influence the severity of mechanical damage is required to ensure that the appropriate action is taken on finding such damage, and that all of the necessary information is gathered for conducting an assessment. For example, what inspection method(s) are appropriate, and when is it better to repair such damage, rather than assess it? This paper discusses some of the issues that may arise during the assessment of mechanical damage, such as: when is a feature really a dent; when does a superficial scrape become classified as a gouge; and the limitations of existing assessment methods. These issues are illustrated with two recent case studies of damage to offshore gas transmissions pipelines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]