Fault rupture as a series of nano-seismic events during high-velocity shear experiments

Abstract:

The rupture process of experimental faults is investigated here by monitoring nano-seismic events (NSE) during slip in a rotary shear apparatus. Our experimental faults are made of two rock blocks with one to four miniature 3D accelerometers that are glued to the stationary block at distance of ~ 2 cm from the fault surface. Accelerations in the frequency range of 1 Hz to 200 kHz are recorded in slip-parallel (x), slip-transverse (y), and slip-vertical (z) directions. We conducted a series of 45 experiments on diorite and dolomite samples in two loading styles: classical velocity controlled loading, and power-density loading, in which the power-density (shear stress times slip velocity) is selected, and stick-slip events develop spontaneously according to the experimental fault response. The 3D accelerometer data were recorded at 10⁶ samples/s, with acceleration resolution of 10 mV/g in recoding range of +/- 5 V.

The experiments were conducted at slip-velocity of 0.001-0.8 m/s and slip distance up to 1.38 m. The accelerometer observations revealed tens to hundreds of NSEs per slip in both loading styles; peak acceleration ranged from 1g to over 500g. A typical stick-slip with tens of NSEs in Fig. 1, shows: (1) An initial NSE at ~59.72 s (green) that coincides with a small stress drop (~10%, red); (2) Simultaneous macroscopic slip initiation (blue); (3) A swarm of NSEs occur as the fault slips, each NSE lasts 1-2 milliseconds; and (4) Details of the initial NSE are shown in Fig. 2. Based on waveform cross-correlation between frequency band from 20 kHz to 70kHz, we identify several groups of NSE clusters, and apply empirical Green’s function method to analyze event source spectra based on Brune-type source model. These NSEs are indicators of rupture propagation during the experimental fault slip.