Microcracks in New England granitoids: A record of thermoelastic relaxation during exhumation of intracontinental crust

Bulletin of the Geological Society of America

Volumn 121, Issue 1-2, 2009, Pages 80-99

  Nadan, Brett J ^a   Engelder, Terry ^a  

^a PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

Exhumation; Granite; Microcracks; Remnant stress; Thermoelastic relaxation

Indexed keywords

BEDROCK SURFACES; EARTH STRESS; EXHUMATION; FLUID INCLUSION; FOCAL MECHANISM; GRANITOIDS; HORIZONTAL PLANES; HORIZONTAL STRESS; ISOBARIC COOLING; LATERAL UNLOADING; MICROCRACK GROWTH; MICROSCOPIC SCALE; NEAR-SURFACE; NEW ENGLAND; OVERBURDEN STRESS; REMNANT STRESS; ROCKY MOUNTAINS; SHEET FRACTURE; THERMOELASTIC RELAXATION; THRUST FAULTS; VERTICAL COMPRESSIVE STRESS;

COMPRESSIVE STRESS; COOLING; FATIGUE OF MATERIALS; GRANITE; INTERCHANGES; MICROCRACKS; MINERALOGY; SURFACE RELAXATION; TENSILE STRESS; THERMOELASTICITY; UNLOADING;

STRESS RELIEF;

BUCKLING; COMPRESSION; CONTINENTAL CRUST; DECOMPRESSION; EXHUMATION; FOCAL MECHANISM; FRACTURE ORIENTATION; GRANITOID; MICROCRACK; STRESS; TENSION; THERMOELASTICITY; THRUST FAULT; UNLOADING;

NEW ENGLAND; NORTH AMERICA; ROCKY MOUNTAINS; UNITED STATES;

EID: 69149105438     PISSN: 00167606     EISSN: 00167606     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1130/B26202.1     Document Type: Article

References (92)

1. Adams, J., 1982, Stress-relief buckles in the McFarland quarry, Ottawa: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 19, p. 1883-1887.
2. Adams, J., 1989, Postglacial faulting in Eastern Canada: Nature, origin and seismic hazard implications: Tectonophysics, v. 163, p. 323-331, doi: 10.1016/0040-1951(89)90267-9.
3. Bergbauer, S., and Martel, S.J., 1999, Formation of joints in cooling plutons: Journal of Structural Geology, v. 21, p. 821-825, doi: 10.1016/ S0191-8141(99)00082-6.
4. Birch, F., 1966, Compressibility: Elastic constants, in Clark, S.P., Jr., Handbook of physical constants: Geological Society of America Memoir 97, p. 97-173.
5. Bokelmann, G.H.R., and Beroza, G.C., 2000, Depth-dependent earthquake focal mechanism orientation: Evidence for a weak zone in the lower crust: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 105, p. 21,683-21,695, doi: 10.1029/2000JB900205.
6. Brace, W.F., and Kohlstedt, D.L., 1980, Limits on lithospheric stress imposed by laboratory experiments: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 85, p. 6248-6252, doi: 10.1029/JB085iB11p06248.
7. Brace, W.F., Paulding, B., and Scholz, C.H., 1966, Dilatancy in the fracture of crystalline rocks: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 71, p. 3939-3954.
8. Bradley, D.C., Tucker, R.D., Lux, D.R., Harris, A.G., and McGregor, D.C., 2000, Migration of the Acadian Orogen and Foreland Basin across the northern Appalachians of Maine and adjacent areas: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1624, 49 p.
9. Brown, E.T., and Hoek, E., 1978, Trends in relationships between measured in situ stresses and depth: International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences and Geomechanics Abstracts, v. 15, p. 211-215, doi: 10.1016/0148-9062(78)91227-5.
10. Brudy, M., Zoback, M.D., Fuchs, K., Rummel, F., and Baumgartner, J., 1997, Estimation of the complete stress tensor to 8 km depth in the KTB scientific drill holes: Implications for crustal strength: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 102, p. 18,453-18,475, doi: 10.1029/96JB02942.
11. Bruner, W.M., 1979, Crack growth and the thermoelastic behavior of rocks: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 84, p. 5578-5590, doi: 10.1029/JB084iB10p05578.
12. Bruner, W.M., 1984, Crack growth during unroofing of crustal rocks: Effects on thermoelastic behavior and near-surface stresses: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 89, p. 4167-4184, doi: 10.1029/JB089iB06p04167.
13. Byerlee, J., 1978, Friction in rocks: Pure and Applied Geophysics, v. 116, p. 615-626, doi: 10.1007/BF00876528.
14. Carlson, S.R., and Wang, H.F., 1986, Microcrack porosity and in situ stress in Illinois borehole UPH 3: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 91, p. 10,421-10,428, doi: 10.1029/JB091iB10p10421.
15. Chen, Y., Nishiyama, T., Kusuda, H., Kita, H., and Sato, T., 1999, Correlation between microcrack distribution patterns and granitic rock splitting planes: International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, v. 36, p. 535-541, doi: 10.1016/S0148-9062(99)00014-5.
16. Coates, D.F., 1964, Residual stress in rocks, in Judd, W.R., ed., State of stress in the Earth's crust: Proceedings of the International Conference, 1-14 June 1963, Santa Monica, California: New York, Elsevier, p. 679-688.
17. Dale, T.N., 1923, The commercial granites of New England: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 738, 488 p.
18. DeGraff, J.M., and Aydin, A., 1987, Surface morphology of columnar joints and its significance to mechanics and direction of joint growth: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 99, p. 605-617, doi: 10.1130/ 0016-7606(1987)99<605:SMOCJA>2.0.CO;2.
19. Dezayes, C., Villemin, T., and Pêcher, A., 2000, Microfracture pattern compared to core-scale fractures in the borehole of soultz-sous-Forêts granite, Rhine graben, France: Journal of Structural Geology, v. 22, p. 723-733, doi: 10.1016/ S0191-8141(00)00003-1.
20. Douglass, P.M., and Voight, B., 1969, Anisotropy of granites - A reflection of microscopic fabric: Geotechnique, v. 19, p. 376-398.
21. Durucan, S., Korre, A., and Diehl, M., 2000, Classification of micro-geoparametric parting planes in granites: International Journal of Surface Mining, Reclamation, and Environment, v. 14, p. 103-119, doi: 10.1080/13895260008953307.
22. Eberhardt, E., Stead, D., and Stimpson, B., 1999, Quantifying progressive pre-peak brittle fracture damage in rock during uniaxial compression: International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, v. 36, p. 361-380, doi: 10.1016/S0148-9062(99)00019-4.
23. Engelder, T., 1984, The time-dependent strain relaxation of Algerie granite: International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences and Geomechanics Abstracts, v. 21, p. 63-73, doi: 10.1016/ 0148-9062(84)91174-4.
24. Engelder, T., 1993, Stress regimes in the lithosphere: Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton Press, 451 p.
25. Ericson, K., and Olvmo, M., 2004, A-tents in the central Sierra Nevada, California: A geomorphological indicator of tectonic stress: Physical Geography, v. 25, p. 291-312, doi: 10.2747/0272-3646.25.4.291.
26. Fleischmann, K.H., 1990, Rift and grain in two New England granites: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 95, p. 21,463-21,474, doi: 10.1029/ JB095iB13p21463.
27. Friedman, M., 1972, Residual elastic strain in rocks: Tectonophysics, v. 15, p. 297-330, doi: 10.1016/0040-1951(72)90093-5.
28. Friedman, M., and Bur, T.R., 1974, Investigation of the relations among residual strain, fabric, fracture and ultrasonic attenuation and velocity in rocks: International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences and Geomechanics Abstracts, v. 11, p. 221-234, doi: 10.1016/ 0148-9062(74)90129-6.
29. Haas, C.J., 1989, Static stress-strain relationships, in Touloukian, Y.S., Judd, W.R., and Roy, R.F., eds., Physical properties of rocks and minerals: CINDAS Data Series on Material Properties, v. II-2, p. 123-176.
30. Haimson, B.C., and Doe, T.W., 1983, State of stress, permeability, and fractures in the Precambrian granite of northern Illinois: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 88, p. 7355-7372, doi: 10.1029/JB088iB09p07355.
31. Hancock, P.L., and Engelder, T., 1989, Neotectonic joints: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 101, p. 1197-1208, doi: 10.1130/ 0016-7606(1989)101<1197:NJ>2.3.CO;2.
32. Harper, T.R., Appel, G., Pendleton, M.W., Szmanski, J.S., and Taylor, R.K., 1979, Swelling strain development in sedimentary rocks in northern New York: International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences and Geomechanics Abstracts, v. 16, p. 271-292, doi: 10.1016/ 0148-9062(79)90239-0.
33. Haxby, W.F., and Turcotte, D.L., 1976, Stresses induced by the addition or removal of overburden and associated thermal effects: Geology, v. 4, p. 181-184, doi: 10.1130/0091-7613(1976)4<181:SIBTAO>2.0.CO;2.
34. Hazzard, J.F., Young, R.P., and Maxwell, S.C., 2000, Micromechanical modeling of cracking and failure in brittle rocks: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 105, p. 16,683-16,697, doi: 10.1029/ 2000JB900085.
35. Herget, G., 1993, Rock stresses and rock stress monitoring in Canada, in Hudson, J.A., ed., Rock testing and site characterization: Comprehensive rock engineering: Oxford, Pergamon Press, p. 473-496.
36. Holzhausen, G.R., 1989, Origin of sheet structures, 1, Morphology and boundary conditions: Engineering Geology, v. 27, p. 225-278, doi: 10.1016/0013-7952(89)90035-5.
37. Hondros, G., 1959, The evaluation of Poisson's ratio and the modulus of materials of low tensile resistance by the Brazilian (indirect tensile) test with particular reference to concrete: Australian Journal of Applied Science, v. 10, p. 243-268.
38. Hooker, V.E., and Johnson, C.F., 1969, Near-surface horizontal stresses, including the effects of rock anisotropy: Washington, D.C., Report of Investigations 7224, U.S. Bureau of Mines, 29 p.
39. Jahns, R.H., 1943, Sheet structure in granites: Its origin and use as a measure of glacial erosion in New England: The Journal of Geology, v. 51, p. 71-98.
40. Jang, B.-A., and Wang, H.F., 1991, Micromechanical modeling of healed crack orientations as a paleostress indicator: Application to Precambrian granite from Illinois and Wisconsin: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 96, p. 19,655-19,664, doi: 10.1029/91JB01938.
41. Johnson, A.M., 1970, Physical processes in geology: New York, Freeman, Cooper and Company, 577 p.
42. Karig, D.E., and Hou, G., 1992, High-stress consolidation experiments and their geological implications: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 97, p. 289-300, doi: 10.1029/91JB02247.
43. Kowallis, B.J., Wang, H.F., and Jang, B.A., 1987, Healed microcrack orientations in granite from Illinois borehole UPH-3 and their relationship to the rocks stress history: Tectonophysics, v. 135, p. 297-306, doi: 10.1016/0040-1951(87)90114-4.
44. Kranz, R.L., 1983, Microcracks in review: Tectonophysics, v. 100, p. 449-480, doi: 10.1016/0040-1951(83)90198-1.
45. Laubach, S.E., 1989, Paleostress directions from the preferred orientation of closed microfractures (fluid-inclusion planes) in sandstone, East Texas basin, U.S.A: Journal of Structural Geology, v. 11, p. 603-612, doi: 10.1016/0191-8141(89)90091-6.
46. Lawn, B., 1993, Fracture of brittle solids: Second edition: Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 378 p.
47. Lespinasse, M., and Pecher, A., 1986, Microfracturing and regional stress field: A study of the preferred orientations of fluid inclusion planes in a granite from the Massif Central, France: Journal of Structural Geology, v. 8, p. 169-180, doi: 10.1016/0191-8141(86)90107-0.
48. Lespinasse, M., Désindes, L., Fratczak, P., and Petrov, V., 2005, Microfissural mapping of natural cracks in rocks: Implications for fluid transfers quantification in the crust: Chemical Geology, v. 223, p. 170-178, doi: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2005.05.009.
49. Lund, B., and Zoback, M.D., 1999, Orientation and magnitude of in situ stress to 6.5 km depth in the Baltic Shield: International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, v. 36, p. 169-190, doi: 10.1016/ S0148-9062(98)00183-1.
50. Martel, S.J., 2006, Effect of topographic curvature on near-surface stresses and application to sheeting joints: Geophysical Research Letters, v. 33, L01208, 5 p.
51. Martin, R.J., 1972, Time-dependent crack growth in quartz and its application to the creep of rocks: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 77, p. 1406-1419, doi: 10.1029/JB077i008p01406.
52. McGarr, A., and Gay, N.C., 1978, State of stress in the Earth's crust: Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, v. 6, p. 405-436, doi: 10.1146/annurev.ea.06.050178.002201.
53. Miller, D.J., and Dunne, T., 1996, Topographic perturbations of regional stresses and consequent bedrock fracturing: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 101, p. 25,523-25,536, doi: 10.1029/96JB02531.
54. Narr, W., and Currie, J.B., 1982, Origin of fracture porosity - Example from Altamont field, Utah: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 66, p. 1231-1247.
55. Nasseri, M.H.B., Mohanty, B., and Robin, P.-Y.F., 2005, Characterization of microstructures and fracture toughness in five granitic rocks: International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, v. 42, p. 450-460, doi: 10.1016/j.ijrmms.2004.11.007.
56. Nur, A., and Simmons, G., 1970, The origin of small cracks in igneous rocks: International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences and Geomechanics Abstracts, v. 7, p. 307-314, doi: 10.1016/ 0148-9062(70)90044-6.
57. O'Connell, R.J., and Budiansky, B., 1974, Seismic velocities in dry and saturated cracked solids: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 79, p. 5412-5426, doi: 10.1029/JB079i035p05412.
58. Olson, J.E., and Pollard, D.D., 1989, Inferring paleostress from natural fracture patterns: A new method: Geology, v. 17, p. 345-348, doi: 10.1130/0091-7613(1989)017<0345:IPFNFP>2.3.CO;2.
59. Osborne, F.F., 1935, Rift, grain, and hardway in some Precambrian granites, Quebec: Economic Geology and the Bulletin of the Society of Economic Geologists, v. 30, p. 540-551.
60. Pecher, A., Lespinasse, M., and Leroy, J., 1985, Relations between fluid inclusion trails and regional stress field: A tool for fluid chronology - An example of an intragranitic uranium ore deposit (northwest Massif Central, France): Lithos, v. 18, p. 229-237, doi: 10.1016/ 0024-4937(85)90027-1.
61. Plumb, R.A., 1994, Variations of the least horizontal stress magnitude in sedimentary rocks, in Nelson, P.P., and Laubach, S.E., eds., Rock mechanics models and measurements: Challenges from industry: Rotterdam, Netherlands, A.A. Balkema, p. 71-78.
62. Plumb, R.A., Engelder, T., and Yale, D., 1984, Near surface in situ stress, 3. Correlation with microcrack fabric within the New Hampshire granites: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 89, p. 9350-9364, doi: 10.1029/JB089iB11p09350.
63. Pollard, D.D., and Aydin, A., 1988, Progress in understanding jointing over the past century: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 100, p. 1181-1204, doi: 10.1130/0016-7606(1988)100<1181:PIUJOT>2.3.CO;2.
64. Pollard, D.D., and Segall, P., 1987, Theoretical displacements and stresses near fractures in rock: With applications to faults, joints, veins, dikes, and solution surfaces, in Atkinson, B., ed., Fracture mechanics of rock: Orlando, Academic Press, p.227-350.
65. Price, N.J., 1966, Fault and joint development in brittle and semi-brittle rock: London, Pergamon Press, 176 p.
66. Price, N.J., 1979, Fracture patterns and stresses in granites: Geoscience Canada, v. 6, p. 209-212.
67. Ranalli, G., and Chandler, T.E., 1975, The stress field in the upper crust as determined from in situ measurements: Geologische Rundschau, v. 64, p. 653-674, doi: 10.1007/BF01820688.
68. Robinson, P., Tucker, R.D., Bradley, D., Berry, H.N., IV, and Osberg, P.H., 1998, Paleozoic orogens in New England, USA: Geologiska Föreningens i Stockholm Förhandlingar (GFF), v. 120, p. 119-148.
69. Savage, W.Z., 1978, The development of residual stress in cooling rock bodies: Geophysical Research Letters, v. 5, p. 633-636, doi: 10.1029/ GL005i008p00633.
70. Sbar, M.L., Richardson, R.M., Flaccus, C., and Engelder, T., 1984, Near-surface in situ stress: 1. Strain relaxation measurements along the San Andreas fault in southern California: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 89, p. 9323-9332, doi: 10.1029/JB089iB11p09323.
71. Skinner, B.J., 1966, Thermal expansion, in Clark, S.P., Jr., Handbook of physical constants: Geological Society of America Memoir 97, p. 75-96.
72. Smith, D. L. and Evans, B., 1984, Diffusional crack healing in quartz: Journal of Geophysical Research, p. 89, p. 4125-4135.
73. Szczepanik, Z., Milne, D., Kostakis, K., and Eberhardt, E., 2003, Long term laboratory strength tests in hard rock, in Handley, M., and Stacey, D., Technology roadmap for rock mechanics: Johannesburg, Tenth Congress of the International Society for Rock Mechanics, South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, p. 1179-1184.
74. Takemura, T., Golshani, A., Oda, M., and Suzuki, K., 2003, Preferred orientations of open microcracks in granite and their relation with anisotropic elasticity: International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, v. 40, p. 443-454, doi: 10.1016/S1365-1609(03)00014-5.
75. Takeshita, T., and Yagi, K., 2001, Paleostress orientation from 3-D orientation distribution of microcracks in quartz from the Cretaceous granodiorite core samples drilled through the Nojima Fault, south-west Japan: The Island Arc, v. 10, p. 495-505, doi: 10.1046/ j.1440-1738.2001.00348.x.
76. Turcotte, D.L., and Schubert, G., 2002, Geodynamics - Second Edition: Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 456 p.
77. Tuttle, O.F., 1949, Structural petrology of planes of liquid inclusions: The Journal of Geology, v. 57, p. 331-356.
78. Twidale, C.R., and Bourne, J.A., 1998, Origin and age of bornhardts, southwest Western Australia: Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 45, p. 903-914, doi: 10.1080/08120099808728444.
79. Twidale, C.R., and Bourne, J.A., 2000, Rock bursts and associated neotectonic forms at Minnipa Hill, northwestern Eyre Peninsula, South Australia: Environmental and Engineering Geoscience, v. 6, p. 129-140.
80. Varnes, D.J., and Lee, F.T., 1972, Hypothesis of mobilization of residual stress in rock: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 83, p. 2863-2866, doi: 10.1130/0016-7606(1972)83[2863:HOMORS]2.0.CO;2.
81. Voight, B., 1966, Beziehung zwischen grossen horizontalen Spannungen im Begirge und der Tektonik und der Abtragung: Proceedings of the 1st Congress of International Society of Rock Mechanics, v. 2, p. 51-56.
82. Voight, B., 1974, A mechanism for "locking-in" orogenic stress: American Journal of Science, v. 274, p. 662-665.
83. Voight, B., and St. Pierre, B.H.P., 1974, Stress history and rock stress: Advances in rock mechanics: Proceedings Third Congress International Society of Rock Mechanics, v. 2, p. 580-582.
84. Vollbrecht, A., Rust, S., and Weber, K., 1991, Development of microcracks in granites during cooling and uplift: Examples from the Variscan basement of NE Bavaria, Germany: Journal of Structural Geology, v. 13, p. 787-799, doi: 10.1016/0191-8141(91)90004-3.
85. Wang, Q.Z., Jia, X.M., Kou, S.Q., Zhang, Z.X., and Lindqvist, P.A., 2004, The flattened Brazilian disc specimen used for testing elastic modulus, tensile strength and fracture toughness of brittle rocks: Analytical and numerical results: International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, v. 41, p. 245-253, doi: 10.1016/ S1365-1609(03)00093-5.
86. Wilson, J.E., Chester, J.S., and Chester, F.M., 2003, Microfracture analysis of fault growth and wear process, Punchbowl Fault, San Andreas system, California: Journal of Structural Geology, v. 25, p. 1855-1873, doi: 10.1016/S0191-8141(03)00036-1.
87. Winslow, D.M., Bodnar, R.J., and Tracy, R.J., 1994, Fluid inclusion evidence for an anticlockwise metamorphic P-T path in central Massachusetts: Journal of Metamorphic Geology, v. 12, p. 361-371, doi: 10.1111/j.1525-1314.1994.tb00029.x.
88. Wise, D.U., 1964, Microjointing in basement, Middle Rocky Mountains of Montana and Wyoming: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 75, p. 287-306, doi: 10.1130/0016-7606(1964)75[287:MIBMRM]2.0.CO;2.
89. Wise, D.U., 2005, Rift and grain in basement: Thermally triggered snapshots of stress fields during erosional unroofing of the Rocky Mountains of Montana and Wyoming: Rocky Mountain Geology, v. 40, p. 193-209, doi: 10.2113/40.2.193.
90. Wong, T.F., 1982, Micromechanics of faulting in Westerly granite: International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences and Geomechanics Abstracts, v. 19, p. 49-64, doi: 10.1016/ 0148-9062(82)91631-X.
91. Zoback, M.D., and Townend, J., 2001, Implications of hydrostatic pore pressures and high crustal strength for the deformation of intraplate lithosphere: Tectonophysics, v. 336, p. 19-30, doi: 10.1016/ S0040-1951(01)00091-9.
92. Zoback, M.D., 2007, Reservoir geomechanics: Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 449 p.