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

Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth

Volumn 119, Issue 11, 2014, Pages 8107-8131

  Proctor, B P ^a   Mitchell, T M ^b,c   Hirth, G ^a   Goldsby, D ^a,d   Zorzi, F ^e   Platt, J D ^f   Di Toro, G ^b,e  

^a BROWN UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI GEOFISICA E VULCANOLOGIA   (Italy)

^c UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON   (United Kingdom)

^d UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA   (United States)

^e UNIVERSITY OF PADOVA   (Italy)

^f HARVARD UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

dynamic weakening; flash heating; high velocity friction; pseudotachylyte; rapid metamorphism; serpentinite

Indexed keywords

DISPLACEMENT; FAULT GOUGE; FRICTION; GEODYNAMICS; METAMORPHISM; ONE-DIMENSIONAL MODELING; PSEUDOTACHYLITE; SERPENTINITE; SLIP RATE; STRAIN; STRESS;

EID: 84919625279     PISSN: 21699313     EISSN: 21699356     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1002/2014JB011057     Document Type: Article

References (78)

1. Abercrombie, R. E., (1995), Earthquake source scaling relationships from -1 to 5 ML using seismograms recorded at 2.5-km depth, J. Geophys. Res., 100 (B12), 24,015-24,036, doi: 10.1029/95JB02397.
2. Andrews, D. J., (2002), A fault constitutive relation accounting for thermal pressurization of pore fluid, J. Geophys. Res., 107 (B12), 2363, doi: 10.1029/2002JB001942.
3. Beeler, N. M., T. E. Tullis, and, D. L. Goldsby, (2008), Constitutive relationships and physical basis of fault strength due to flash heating, J. Geophys. Res., 113, B01401, doi: 10.1029/2007JB004988.
4. Bestmann, M., G. Pennacchioni, S. Nielsen, M. Göken, and, H. De Wall, (2012), Deformation and ultrafine dynamic recrystallization of quartz in pseudotachylyte-bearing brittle faults: A matter of a few seconds, J. Struct. Geol., 38, 21-38.
5. Brantut, N., A. Schubnel, J. N. Rouzaud, F. Brunet, and, T. Shimamoto, (2008), High-velocity frictional properties of a clay-bearing fault gouge and implications for earthquake mechanics, J. Geophys. Res., 113, B10401, doi: 10.1029/2007JB005551.
6. Brown, K. M., and, Y. Fialko, (2012), 'Melt welt' mechanism of extreme weakening of gabbro at seismic slip rates, Nature, 488 (7413), 638-641, doi: 10.1038/nature11370.
7. Chester, F. M., and, J. S. Chester, (1998), Ultracataclasite structure and friction processes of the Punchbowl fault, San Andreas system, California, Tectonophysics, 295 (1), 199-221, doi: 10.1016/S0040-1951(98)00121-8.
8. Chester, F. M., C. Rowe, K. Ujiie, J. Kirkpatrick, C. Regalla, F. Remitti, J. C. Moore, V. Toy, M. Wolfson-Schwehr, and, S. Bose, (2013), Structure and composition of the plate-boundary slip zone for the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake, Science, 342 (6163), 1208-1211, doi: 10.1126/science.1243719.
9. Cowie, P. A., C. H. Scholz, M. Edwards, and, A. Malinverno, (1993), Fault strain and seismic coupling on mid-ocean ridges, J. Geophys. Res., 98 (B10), 17,911-17,920, doi: 10.1029/93JB01567.
10. De Paola, N., T. Hirose, T. Mitchell, G. Di Toro, C. Viti, and, T. Shimamoto, (2011), Fault lubrication and earthquake propagation in thermally unstable rocks, Geology, 39 (1), 35-38, doi: 10.1130/G31398.1.
11. Di Toro, G., D. L. Goldsby, and, T. E. Tullis, (2004), Friction falls towards zero in quartz rock as slip velocity approaches seismic rates, Nature, 427 (6973), 436-439, doi: 10.1038/nature02249.
12. Di Toro, G., T. Hirose, S. Nielsen, G. Pennacchioni, and, T. Shimamoto, (2006), Natural and experimental evidence of melt lubrication of faults during earthquakes, Science, 311 (5761), 647-649, doi: 10.1126/science.1121012.
13. Di Toro, G., A. Niemeijer, A. Tripoli, S. Nielsen, F. Di Felice, P. Scarlato, G. Spada, R. Alessandroni, G. Romeo, and, G. Di Stefano, (2010), From field geology to earthquake simulation: A new state-of-the-art tool to investigate rock friction during the seismic cycle (SHIVA), Rend. Lincei, 21 (1), 95-114, doi: 10.1007/s12210-010-0097-x.
14. Di Toro, G., R. Han, T. Hirose, N. De Paola, S. Nielsen, K. Mizoguchi, F. Ferri, M. Cocco, and, T. Shimamoto, (2011), Fault lubrication during earthquakes, Nature, 471 (7339), 494-498, doi: 10.1038/nature09838.
15. Di Toro, G., M. Rempe, S. A. Smith, and, T. M. Mitchell, (2013), Strain localization in experimentally sheared gouge layers, AGU, Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract MR13A-2225.
16. Fondriest, M., S. A. F. Smith, G. Di Toro, D. Zampieri, and, S. Mittempergher, (2012), Fault zone structure and seismic slip localization in dolostones, an example from the Southern Alps, Italy, J. Struct. Geol., 45, 52-67, doi: 10.1010/j.jsg.2012.06.014.
17. Fondriest, M., S. A. F. Smith, T. Candela, S. B. Nielsen, K. Mair, and, G. Di Toro, (2013), Mirror-like faults and power dissipation during earthquakes, Geology, 41 (11), 1175-1178, doi: 10.1130/G34641.1.
18. Francis, T. J. G., (1981), Serpentinization faults and their role in the tectonics of slow spreading ridges, J. Geophys. Res., 86, 11,616-11,622, doi: 10.1029/JB086iB12p11616.
19. Friedman, M., J. M. Logan, and, J. A. Rigert, (1974), Glass-indurated quartz gouge in sliding-friction experiments on sandstone, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 85 (6), 937-942, doi: 10.1130/0016-7606(1974)85<937:GQGISE>2.0.CO;2.
20. Fujiwara, T., S. Kondaira, T. No, Y. Kaiho, N. Takahashi, and, Y. Kaneda, (2011), The 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake: Displacement reaching the trench axis, Science, 334 (6060), 1240, doi: 10.1126/science.1211554.
21. Fulton, P. M., E. E. Brodsky, Y. Kano, J. Mori, F. Chester, T. Ishikawa, R. N. Harris, W. Lin, N. Eguchi, and, S. Toczko, (2013), Low coseismic friction on the Tohoku-Oki fault determined from temperature measurements, Science, 343 (6163), 1214-1217, doi: 10.1126/science.1243641.
22. Goldsby, D. L., and, G. Hirth, (2006), Frictional behavior of serpentine at high sliding velocity: Implications for seismic coupling at oceanic transform faults, Eos Trans. AGU, 87 (52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract T11C-0458.
23. Goldsby, D. L., and, T. E. Tullis, (2002), Low frictional strength of quartz rocks at subseismic slip rates, Geophys. Res. Lett., 29 (17), 1844, doi: 10.1029/2002GL015240.
24. Goldsby, D. L., and, T. E. Tullis, (2011), Flash heating leads to low frictional strength of crustal rocks at earthquake slip rates, Science, 334 (6053), 216-218, doi: 10.1126/science.1207902.
25. Green, H., D. Lockner, K. Bozhilov, A. Maddon, N. Beeler, and, Z. Reches, (2010), Nanometric gouge in high-speed shearing experiments: Superplasticity?, AGU, Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract T31D-08.
26. Griffith, W. A., G. Di Toro, G. Pennacchioni, D. D. Pollard, and, S. Nielsen, (2009), Static stress drop associated with brittle slip events on exhumed faults, J. Geophys. Res., 114, B02402, doi: 10.1029/2008JB005879.
27. Han, R., T. Shimamoto, T. Hirose, J.-H. Ree, and, J.-I. Ando, (2007), Ultralow friction of carbonate faults caused by thermal decomposition, Science, 316 (5826), 878-881, doi: 10.1126/science.1139763.
28. Han, R., T. Hirose, and, T. Shimamoto, (2010), Strong velocity weakening and powder lubrication of simulated carbonate faults at seismic slip rates, J. Geophys. Res., 115, B03412, doi: 10.1029/2008JB006136.
29. Hilairet, N., I. Daniel, and, B. Reynard, (2006), Equation of state of antigorite, stability field of serpentines, and seismicity in subduction zones, Geophys. Res. Lett., 33, L02302, doi: 10.1029/2005GL024728.
30. Hirono, T., T. Yokoyama, Y. Hamada, W. Tanikawa, T. Mishima, M. Ikehara, V. Famin, M. Tanimizu, W. Lin, and, W. Soh, (2007), A chemical kinetic approach to estimate dynamic shear stress during the 1999 Taiwan Chi-Chi earthquake, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L19308, doi: 10.1029/2007GL030743.
31. Hirose, T., and, M. Bystricky, (2007), Extreme dynamic weakening of faults during dehydration by coseismic shear heating, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L14311, doi: 10.1029/2007GL030049.
32. Hirose, T., and, T. Shimamoto, (2003), Fractal dimension of molten surfaces as a possible parameter to infer the slip-weakening distance of faults from natural pseudotachylytes, J. Struct. Geol., 25 (10), 1569-1574, doi: 10.1016/S0191-8141(03)00009-9.
33. Hirose, T., and, T. Shimamoto, (2005), Slip-weakening distance of faults during frictional melting as inferred from experimental and natural pseudotachylytes, Seismol. Soc. Am. Bull., 95 (5), 1666-1673, doi: 10.1785/0120040131.
34. Holdsworth, R., N. De Paola, I. Faoro, R. Bullock, C. Viti, and, C. Collettini, (2013), Nano-scale diffusion-accommodated weakening triggered by frictional sliding during earthquakes in carbonate rocks, Geol. Soc. Am. Abstr. Programs, 45, 679.
35. Imanishi, K., and, W. L. Ellsworth, (2006), Source scaling relationships of microearthquakes at Parkfield, CA, determined using the SAFOD pilot hole seismic array, Geophys. Monogr. Ser., 170, 81-90.
36. Kanamori, H., and, T. H. Heaton, (2000), Microscopic and macroscopic physics of earthquakes, Geophys. Monogr. Ser., 120, 147-163.
37. Kitajima, H., J. S. Chester, F. M. Chester, and, T. Shimamoto, (2010), High-speed friction of disaggregated ultracataclasite in rotary shear: Characterization of frictional heating, mechanical behavior, and microstructure evolution, J. Geophys. Res., 115, B08408, doi: 10.1029/2009JB007038.
38. Kohli, A. H., D. L. Goldsby, G. Hirth, and, T. Tullis, (2011), Flash weakening of serpentinite at near-seismic slip rates, J. Geophys. Res., 116, B03202, doi: 10.1029/2010JB007833.
39. Lachenbruch, A. H., and, J. H. Sass, (1992), Heat flow from Cajon Pass, fault strength, and tectonic implications, J. Geophys. Res., 97 (B4), 4995-5015, doi: 10.1029/91JB01506.
40. Lin, A., (2011), Seismic slip recorded by fluidized ultracataclastic veins formed in a coseismic shear zone during the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake, Geology, 39 (6), 547-550, doi: 10.1130/G32065.1.
41. MacLeod, C. J., J. Escartin, D. Banerji, G. J. Banks, M. Gleeson, D. H. B. Irving, R. M. Lilly, A. M. McCaig, Y. Niu, and, S. Allerton, (2002), Direct geological evidence for oceanic detachment faulting: The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, 15 45N, Geology, 30 (10), 879-882, doi: 10.1130/0091-7613(2002)030<0879:DGEFOD>2.0CO;2.
42. Malagnini, L., S. Nielsen, K. Mayeda, and, E. Boschi, (2010), Energy radiation from intermediate-to large-magnitude earthquakes: Implications for dynamic fault weakening, J. Geophys. Res., 115, B06319, doi: 10.1029/2009JB006786.
43. Marone, C., and, C. H. Scholz, (1988), The depth of seismic faulting and the upper transition from stable to unstable slip regimes, Geophys. Res. Lett., 15 (6), 621-624, doi: 10.1029/GL015i006p00621.
44. Mitchell, T. M., S. A. Smith, M. H. Anders, and, G. Di Toro, (2013), Catastrophic emplacement of giant landslides aided by thermal decomposition, Geol. Soc. Am. Abst. Programs., 45 (7), 679.
45. Mizoguchi, K., T. Hirose, T. Shimamoto, and, E. Fukuyama, (2007), Reconstruction of seismic faulting by high-velocity friction experiments: An example of the 1995 Kobe earthquake, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L01308, doi: 10.1029/2006GL027931.
46. Mizoguchi, K., T. Hirose, T. Shimamoto, and, E. Fukuyama, (2009), High-velocity frictional behavior and microstructure evolution of fault gouge obtained from Nojima fault, southwest Japan, Tectonophysics, 471 (3), 285-296, doi: 10.1016/j.tecto.2009.02.033.
47. Moore, D. E., and, M. J. Rymer, (2007), Talc-bearing serpentinite and the creeping section of the San Andreas fault, Nature, 448 (7155), 795-797, doi: 10.1038/nature06064.
48. Niemeijer, A., G. Di Toro, S. Nielsen, and, F. Di Felice, (2011), Frictional melting of gabbro under extreme experimental conditions of normal stress, acceleration, and sliding velocity, J. Geophys. Res., 116, B07404, doi: 10.1029/2010JB008181.
49. Niemeijer, A., G. Di Toro, W. A. Griffith, A. Bistacchi, S. A. F. Smith, and, S. Nielsen, (2012), Inferring earthquake physics and chemistry using an integrated field and laboratory approach, J. Struct. Geol., 39, 2-36, doi: 10.1016/j.jsg.2012.02.018.
50. Noda, H., E. M. Dunham, and, J. R. Rice, (2009), Earthquake ruptures with thermal weakening and the operation of major faults at low overall stress levers, J. Geophys. Res., 114, B07302, doi: 10.1029/2008JB006143.
51. Osako, M., A. Yoneda, and, E. Ito, (2010), Thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity and heat capacity of serpentine (antigorite) under high pressure, Phys. Earth Planet. Inter., 183 (1), 229-233, doi: 10.1016/j.pepi.2010.07.005.
52. Perrillat, J. P., I. Daniel, K. T. Koga, B. Reynard, H. Cardon, and, W. A. Crichton, (2005), Kinetics of antigorite dehydration: A real-time X-ray diffraction study, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 236 (3), 899-913, doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2005.06.006.
53. Platt, J. D., J. W. Rudnicki, and, J. R. Rice, (2014), Stability and localization of rapid shear in fluid-saturated fault gouge: 2. Localized zone width and strength evolution, J. Geophys. Res. Solid Earth, 119, 4334-4359, doi: 10.1002/2013JB010711.
54. Polissar, P. J., H. M. Savage, and, E. E. Brodsky, (2011), Extractable organic material in fault zones as a tool to investigate frictional stress, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 311 (3), 439-447, doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2011.09.004.
55. Reches, Z., and, T. A. Dewers, (2005), Gouge formation by dynamic pulverization during earthquake rupture, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 235 (1), 361-374, doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2005.04.009.
56. Reches, Z., and, D. A. Lockner, (2010), Fault weakening and earthquake instability by powder lubrication, Nature, 467 (7314), 452-455, doi: 10.1038/nature09348.
57. Reinen, L. A., J. D. Weeks, and, T. E. Tullis, (1991), The frictional behavior of serpentinite: Implications for aseismic creep on shallow crustal faults, Geophys. Res. Lett., 18 (10), 1921-1924, doi: 10.1029/91GL02367.
58. Reinen, L. A., T. E. Tullis, and, J. D. Weeks, (1992), Two-mechanism model for frictional sliding of serpentinite, Geophys. Res. Lett., 19 (15), 1535-1538, doi: 10.1029/92GL01388.
59. Rice, J. R., (2006), Heating and weakening of faults during earthquake slip, J. Geophys. Res., 111, B05311, doi: 10.1029/2005JB004006.
60. Rice, J. R., and, M. Cocco, (2007), Seismic fault rheology and earthquake dynamics, in Tectonic Faults: Agents of Change on a Dynamic Earth, edited by, M. R. Handy, G. Hirth, and, N. Hovius, pp. 99-137, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass.
61. Rowe, C. D., (2013), Do faults preserve records of the seismic cycle? 14 years of advancements from field observations and laboratory experiments, Geol. Soc. Am. Abstr. Programs, 45 (7), 519.
62. Scholz, C. H., (2002), The Mechanics of Eqrthquakes and Faulting, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, U. K.
63. Schubnel, A., F. Brunet, N. Hilairet, J. Gasc, Y. Wang, and, H. W. Green, (2013), Deep-focus earthquake analogs recorded at high pressure and temperature in the laboratory, Science, 341 (6152), 1377-1380, doi: 10.1126/science.1240206.
64. Sibson, R. H., (1975), Generation of pseudotachylyte by ancient seismic faulting, Geophys. J. Int., 43 (3), 775-794, doi: 10.1111/j.1365-246X.1975.tb06195.
65. Sibson, R. H., (1977), Fault rocks and fault mechanisms, Geol. Soc. London, 133, 191-213, doi: 10.1007/s00024-011-0267-5.
66. Sibson, R. H., (2003), Thickness of the seismic slip zone, Seismol. Soc. Am. Bull., 93 (3), 1169-1178, doi: 10.1785/0120020061.
67. Siman-Tov, S., E. Aharonov, A. Sagy, and, S. Emmanuel, (2013), Nanograins form carbonate fault mirrors, Geology, 41 (6), 703-706, doi: 10.1130/G34087.1.
68. Smith, S. A., G. Di Toro, S. Nielsen, and, M. Fondriest, (2012), Field and experimental constraints on seismic localization in granular fault gouge, AGU, Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract S11A-06.
69. Smith, S. A. F., G. Di Toro, and, S. Nielsen, (2013a), Localization-controlled transition to extreme weakening in granular fault gouge, EGU, Gen. Ass., Vienna, 8793.
70. Smith, S. A. F., G. Di Toro, S. Kim, J. H. Ree, S. Nielsen, A. Billi, and, R. Spiess, (2013b), Coseismic recrystallization during shallow earthquake slip, Geology, 41 (1), 63-66, doi: 10.1130/G33588.1.
71. Snoke, A. W., T. J. Kalakay, J. E. Quick, and, S. Sinigoi, (1999), Development of a deep-crustal shear zone in response to syntectonic intrusion of mafic magma into the lower crust, Ivrea-Verbano zone, Italy, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 166 (1), 31-45, doi: 10.1016/S0012-821X(98)00280-5.
72. Spray, J. G., (2005), Evidence for melt lubrication during large earthquakes, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L07301, doi: 10.1029/2004GL022293.
73. Stein, S., and, E. A. Okal, (2005), Seismology: Speed and size of the Sumatra earthquake, Nature, 434 (7033), 581-582, doi: 10.1038/434581a.
74. Till, C. B., T. L. Grove, and, A. C. Withers, (2012), The beginnings of hydrous mantle wedge melting, Contrib. Mineral. Petrol., 163 (4), 669-688, doi: 10.1007/s00410-011-0692-6.
75. Tisato, N., G. Di Toro, N. De Rossi, M. Quaresimin, and, T. Candela, (2012), Experimental investigation of flash weakening in limestone, J. Struct. Geol., 38, 183-199, doi: 10.1016/j.jsg.2011.11.017.
76. Tsutsumi, A., and, T. Shimamoto, (1997), High-velocity frictional properties of gabbro, Geophys. Res. Lett., 24 (6), 699-702, doi: 10.1029/97GL00503.
77. Viegas, G. M., L. G. Baise, and, R. E. Abercrombie, (2010), Regional wave propagation in New England and New York, Bull. Seismol. Soc. Am., 100 (5A), 2196-2218.
78. Violay, M., S. Nielsen, B. Gibert, E. Spagnuolo, A. Cavallo, P. Azais, S. Vinciguerra, and, G. Di Toro, (2014), Effect of water on the frictional behavior of cohesive rocks during earthquakes, Geology, 42 (1), 27-30, doi: 10.1130/G34916.1.