How pressure solution creep and fracturing processes interact in the upper crust to make it behave in both a brittle and viscous manner

Abstract

The upper crust has been described as being dominated by brittle deformation along faults, or ductile where folds and cleavage have developed. These two mechanical behaviors are explained by two different mechanisms of deformation: (i) fracture; and (ii) fluid-enhanced deformation (e.g. pressure solution). These two mechanisms operate at two time scales: fast for brittle deformation, slow for pressure solution. Natural observations of relationships between pressure solution and fractures in sandstones, or indented pebbles, and experimental results of pressure solution with an indenter technique indicate that both mechanisms can interact: fracture development increases the kinetics of the pressure solution process, pressure solution relaxes the stress between fracturing events. A simple model of brittle–ductile deformation, applied to indented limestone pebbles, shows that cycles of slow deformation can alternate with short-time fracture.