Physicochemical Processes and the Evolution of Strength in Calcite Fault Gouge at Room Temperature

Abstract:

The presence of calcite in and near faults, as the dominant material, cement, or vein fill, indicates that the mechanical behavior of carbonate-dominated material likely plays an important role in shallow- and mid-crustal faulting. Furthermore, a variety of physical and chemical processes control the evolution of strength and style of slip along seismogenic faults and thus play a critical role in the seismic cycle. Determining the role and contributions of these types of mechanisms is essential to furthering our understanding of the processes and timescales that lead to the strengthening of faults during interseismic periods and their behavior during the earthquake nucleation process.

To further our understanding of these processes, we performed laboratory-shearing experiments on calcite gouge at normal stresses from 1 to 100 MPa, under conditions of saturation and at room temperature. We performed velocity stepping (0.1-1000µm/s) and slide-hold-slide (1-3000s) tests, to measure the velocity dependence of friction and the amount of frictional strengthening respectively, under saturated conditions with pore fluid that was in equilibrium with CaCO₃. At 5 MPa normal stress, we also varied the environmental conditions by performing experiments under conditions of 5% RH and 50 % RH, and saturation with: silicone oil, demineralized water, and the equilibrated solution combined with 0.5M NaCl. Finally, we collected post experimental samples for microscopic analysis.

Our combined analyses of rate-dependence, strengthening behavior, and microstructures show that calcite fault gouge transitions from brittle to semi-brittle behavior at high normal stress and low sliding velocities. Furthermore, our results also highlight how changes in pore water chemistry can have significant influence on the mechanical behavior of calcite gouge in both the laboratory and in natural faults. Our observations have important implications for earthquake nucleation and propagation on faults in carbonate-dominated lithologies.