Abstract
Based on results obtained from experiments on clay models, it appeared possible to establish main regularities in the evolution of normal and strike-slip zones which structures are formed heterogeneously in time and space. The spatial heterogeneity is reflected in the regular pattern of the fault zone structure due to the fact that sectors of two different types are length-wisely alternating in the fault zone. Within sectors of Type 1, the main fault forms rapidly. Sectors of Type 2 are characterized by the long-term evolution of the pattern, significant width and high densities of fractures; in final development phases, they are represented by relay structures. The temporal heterogeneity is manifested by stages and sub-stages in the development of the fracture network, which are closely interrelated. Each of the three main stages is associated with specific deformational behaviour of the medium and a particular type of the fracture pattern, as suggested by results of our tectonophysical modelling of fracturing. The model is presented in the article; it is supported by data on natural normal and strikeslip faults.
Highlights
The article considers general spatial and temporal regularities in faulting which are manifested in fault zones when they develop due to strike- and dip-slip movements of the blocks composing such zones
Major visually recorded trends of temporal changes of the structure (Fig. 3, a) are quantitatively confirmed, and it is established that the zone’s width and the quantity of active fractures increase at the beginning and decrease, whereas the length of the longest fracture is steadily increasing during evolution of the fault zone
The experimental research of shearing zones which occur in mode II and mode III show that their formation takes place according to the general temporal and spatial formation regularities
Summary
The article considers general spatial and temporal regularities in faulting which are manifested in fault zones when they develop due to strike- and dip-slip movements of the blocks composing such zones. The knowledge on such regularities is fundamental for adequate understanding of many processes which accompany faulting as in certain structural conditions these regularities occur in the initial form, whereas in other cases these regularities can be used to interpret complex patterns of fracture zones varying in types and scales. By comparing the Riedel experiment structure and the «force – displacement» curve, [Tchalenko, 1970] has defined three stages in formation of shearing zones. Tchalenko’s concepts are universal [Tchalenko, 1970], and to characterize the stages of faulting in a more detail
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