Fault weakening and earthquake instability by powder lubrication

Ze’ev Reches () and David A. Lockner ()
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Ze’ev Reches: School of Geology and Geophysics, University of Oklahoma
David A. Lockner: US Geological Survey, 345 Middlefield Road

Nature, 2010, vol. 467, issue 7314, 452-455

Abstract: Weak faults and earthquake instability Ze'ev Reches and David Lockner present laboratory evidence for dynamic weakening of faults that are sheared at velocities approaching earthquake slip rates. Their experimental faults, which were made of solid granite blocks, quickly wore away to form a fine-grained rock powder, known as gouge, which reduced the fault's strength by a factor of two to three. After slip had ceased, the gouge rapidly 'aged' and the fault regained its strength in a matter of hours to days. They thus conclude that only newly formed gouge can weaken the experimental faults.

Date: 2010
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DOI: 10.1038/nature09348

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