Abstract
We designed and manufactured several types of simulated faults with different-size rectangular zigzag gouges, and sheared them by traditional double-direct shear tests. Simultaneously, the shear force and corresponding acoustic emissions were recorded during shear-slip of rectangular zigzag gouge, and the variations of shear force and acoustic emission energy characteristics related to shear-slip events were analyzed. Especially, the relationship between shear-slip characteristics and zigzag length and width was also revealed. In addition, the significant differences of slip characteristic parameters between shear-slip of an intact zigzag and friction and sliding on rough plane of a sheared zigzag were summarized, and it might be used to judge the different stages of a fault slip with zigzag gouge. In conclusion, this work may reveal the characteristics of shear-slip and friction under conditions of different-size rectangular zigzag gouges of simulated fault and thus provide valuable insights into precursors of earthquake.
Highlights
Earthquake resulted from dynamic slip on a stressed fault often produces more serious consequence, and it is always the core research topic for geological community to reveal the mechanism and precursors, and propose the corresponding control strategies of earthquake
Shear force and the released energy recorded by press machine and acoustic emission (AE) system, respectively, were selected to analyze shear-slip characteristics during zigzags fracturing of simulated fault
Our tests suggest that shear force and corresponding AE energy correspond with micro-fracture events during zigzag gouge shear-slip, and the variations of shear force and AE energy are closely related to the length and width of zigzags of a simulated fault
Summary
Earthquake resulted from dynamic slip on a stressed fault often produces more serious consequence, and it is always the core research topic for geological community to reveal the mechanism and precursors, and propose the corresponding control strategies of earthquake. Many new studies about earthquake mechanism have shown that the variations in fault-slip rate caused by irregularity of fault plane can directly change the state of store or release of strain energy, which is the main inducing factor for earthquakes.[1,2] the experimental investigation of slip mechanism, energy release, and precursors of instability and failure of a fault is critical. According to recent research on fault-slip simulation experiments, there are three experimental configurations, the triaxial configuration,[3,4] the biaxial configuration,[5,6] or the ring-shear configuration,[7,8,9] which are widely used to simulate shear-slip of artificial faults.
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