High-velocity frictional strength across the Tohoku-Oki megathrust determined from surface drilling torque

Abstract:

Frictional strength at seismic slip rates is a key to evaluate fault weakening and rupture propagation during earthquakes. The Japan Trench First Drilling Project (JFAST) drilled through the shallow plate-boundary thrust, where huge displacements of ~50 m occurred during the 2011 Tohoku-Oki earthquake. To determine the downhole frictional strength at drilled site (Site C0019), we analyzed surface drilling data. The equivalent slip rate estimated from the rotation rate and inner and outer radiuses of the drill bit ranges from 0.8 to 1.3 m/s. The measured torque includes the frictional torque between the drilling string and borehole wall, the viscous torque between the drilling string and seawater/drilling fluid, and the drilling torque between the drill bit and sediments. We subtracted the former two from the measured torque using the torque data during bottom-up rotating operations at several depths. Then, the shear stress was calculated from the drilling torque taking the configuration of the drill bit into consideration. The normal stress was estimated from the weight on bit data and the projected area of the drill bit. Assuming negligible cohesion, the frictional strength was obtained by dividing shear stress by normal stress. The results show a clear contrast in high-velocity frictional strength across the plate-boundary thrust: the friction coefficient of frontal prism sediments (hemipelagic mudstones) in hanging wall is 0.1–0.2, while that in subducting sediments (hemipelagic to pelagic mudstones and chert) in footwall increases to 0.2–0.4. The friction coefficient of smectite-rich pelagic clay in the plate-boundary thrust is ~0.1, which is consistent with that obtained from high-velocity (1.3 m/s) friction experiments and temperature measurements. We conclude that surface drilling torque provides useful data to obtain a continuous downhole frictional strength.