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Coseismic fault lubrication by viscous deformation

Nature Geoscience volume 14, pages 437–442 (2021)Cite this article

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Abstract

Despite the hazard posed by earthquakes, we still lack fundamental understanding of the processes that control fault lubrication behind a propagating rupture front and enhance ground acceleration. Laboratory experiments show that fault materials dramatically weaken when sheared at seismic velocities (>0.1 m s−1). Several mechanisms, triggered by shear heating, have been proposed to explain the coseismic weakening of faults, but none of these mechanisms can account for experimental and seismological evidence of weakening. Here we show that, in laboratory experiments, weakening correlates with local temperatures attained during seismic slip in simulated faults for diverse rock-forming minerals. The fault strength evolves according to a simple, material-dependent Arrhenius-type law. Microstructures support this observation by showing the development of a principal slip zone with textures typical of sub-solidus viscous flow. We show evidence that viscous deformation (at either sub- or super-solidus temperatures) is an important, widespread and quantifiable coseismic lubrication process. The operation of these highly effective fault lubrication processes means that more energy is then available for rupture propagation and the radiation of hazardous seismic waves.

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Fig. 1: Mechanical data.
Fig. 2: Microstructures.
Fig. 3: Deformation mechanisms.
Fig. 4: Mechanical data in Arrhenius space.

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Data availability

The mechanical data used for Figs. 1 and 4 are archived on Zenodo at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4639947. All data are available from the authors on request. Source data are provided with this paper.

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Acknowledgements

We thank B. Mendis, L. Bowen and F. Barou for their assistance with the acquisition of SEM and TEM images and discussion, and A. Beeby for acquiring Raman spectra on our samples. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement no. 642029 - ITN CREEP to N.D.P. and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) through a NERC standard grant NE/H021744/1 to N.D.P.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Rock Mechanics Laboratory, University of Durham, Durham, UK

    Giacomo Pozzi, Nicola De Paola, Stefan B. Nielsen & Robert E. Holdsworth

  2. Department of Geosciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy

    Telemaco Tesei

  3. Geosciences Montpellier, CNRS and Université de Montpellier, UMR5243, Montpellier, France

    Manuel Thieme & Sylvie Demouchy

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  1. Giacomo Pozzi
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Contributions

G.P. ran the experiments and carried out the microstructural analysis and interpretations. G.P., N.D.P., S.B.N., R.E.H. and T.T. contributed equally to the concept development and to the writing of the paper. All authors jointly supervised this work.

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Correspondence to Giacomo Pozzi or Nicola De Paola.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Peer review information Nature Geoscience thanks Stephen F. Cox and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Primary Handling Editor: Stefan Lachowycz.

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Supplementary information

Supplementary Information

Supplementary Sections I–VI, Figs. 1–16, Tables 1 and 2, and Equations 1–7.

Source data

Source Data Fig. 1

Tabulated mechanical data.

Source Data Fig. 4

Tabulated mechanical data.

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Pozzi, G., De Paola, N., Nielsen, S.B. et al. Coseismic fault lubrication by viscous deformation. Nat. Geosci. 14, 437–442 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-021-00747-8

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