Abstract
To the current common belief, grain size segregation in granular matter requires sufficient porosity. Therefore, grain size segregation found in a natural fault gouge could imply elevated fluid pressure and the reduced normal stress on fault, possibly caused by the frictional heat during an earthquake. To clarify whether fluidization is essential to grain size segregation, we conduct numerical simulation on a simple model of fault gouge in a plane shear geometry under constant volume condition: the volume fraction is fixed at 0.6, at which the granular system possesses yield stress. We observe apparent grain size segregation at this volume fraction, meaning that grain size segregation alone does not imply fluidization of granular matter. We also show that segregation is driven by the nonlinear velocity profile, and that the gravity is not essential to segregation. The physical condition tested here may be relevant to earthquake faults: the normal stress of 1 MPa, the sliding velocity of 1 m s−1, and the duration of 0.1 s.This article is part of the theme issue ‘Statistical physics of fracture and earthquakes’.
Highlights
A fault zone generally contains narrow slip bands consisting of fine rock powders that are referred to as fault gouge
We investigate grain size segregation in a simple model of fault gouge by means of numerical simulation
We address whether fluidization is essential to grain size segregation in granular matter
Summary
A fault zone generally contains narrow slip bands consisting of fine rock powders that are referred to as fault gouge. Grain size segregation was observed in the water-saturated clay-rich fault gouge subjected to large displacement with a high slip velocity of 1.3 m s−1 under the normal stress of 0.6–2.0 MPa [7,8]. Size segregation here is caused by the nonlinearity in the velocity profile, but not by the gravity.
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