Quantitative parameters of primary roughness for describing the morphology of surface discontinuities at various scales

Abstract

In this paper, five different quantitative parameters were proposed for the characterization of the primary roughness which is the component of surface morphology that prevails during large strike-slip faults of more than 50 m. These parameters are mostly the anisotropic properties of rock surface morphology at various scales: (i) coefficient (ka) and degree (δa) of apparent structural anisotropy of surface; (ii) coefficient (kr) and degree (δr) of real structural anisotropy of surface; (iii) surface anisotropy function P(φ); and (iv) degree of surface waviness (Ws). The coefficient and degree of apparent structural anisotropy allow qualifying the anisotropy/isotropy of a discontinuity according to a classification into four classes: anisotropic, moderately anisotropic/isotropic and isotropic. The coefficient and degree of real structural anisotropy of surface captures directly the actual surface anisotropy using geostatistical method. The anisotropy function predicts directional geometric properties of a surface of discontinuity from measurements in two orthogonal directions. These predicted data may subsequently be used to highlight the anisotropy/isotropy of the surface (radar plot). The degree of surface waviness allows qualifying the undulation of anisotropic surfaces. The proposed quantitative parameters allows their application at both lab and field scales.