Shear heating by translational brittle reverse faulting along a single, sharp and straight fault plane

Abstract

Shear heating by reverse faulting on a sharp straight fault plane is modelled. Increase in temperature (T i ) of faulted hangingwall and footwall blocks by frictional/shear heating for planar rough reverse faults is proportional to the coefficient of friction (μ), density and thickness of the hangingwall block (ρ). T i increases as movement progresses with time. Thermal conductivity (K i ) and thermal diffusivity ( $k_{\mathrm {i}}^{\prime }$ ) of faulted blocks govern T i but they do not bear simple relation. T i is significant only near the fault plane. If the lithology is dry and faulting brings adjacent hangingwall and footwall blocks of the same lithology in contact, those blocks undergo the same rate of increase in shear heating per unit area per unit time.