Width Of Damage Zone Research Articles

Flexural tests and analysis of notched specimens of glass fiber reinforced composite

Fracture of notched Specimens of laminar glass fiber reinforced composite is quasi-brittle and with noticeable delamination crack growth around the notch tip, as indicated by the non-linear load–deflection curve close to the peak fracture load. In order to analyze the fracture performance of the composite with highly heterogeneous and anisotropic microstructures, the boundary effect model (BEM) considering the composite layered structures and damage along and perpendicular to the notch was adopted in this study. Around 90 notched three-point bending specimens with the span from 40 to 90 mm, plate thickness around 10 mm, the initial notch depth from 3 to 6 mm were tested and the maximum load Pmax values were recorded. The average fiber ply or layer thickness Cch was the characteristic microstructure modelled by BEM for both the crack-tip damage zone length (crack-bridging) and width (delamination). Both the tensile strength ft and fracture toughness KIC were determined from the notched bending tests. Direct tensile tests were also conducted and the measured tensile strength ft was close to the measurement from the three-point bending tests with the relative error < 6 %.

Selective reactivation of inherited fault zones driven by stress field changes: Insights from structural and paleostress analysis of the Pocuro Fault Zone, Southern Central Andes (32.8°S)

This study aims to explain the selective reactivation of normal faults during the Andean orogeny at the Southern Central Andes western flank. We conducted a structural mapping and paleostress field reconstruction in the regional-scale Pocuro Fault Zone (PFZ) at 32.8°S. Results reveal that the architecture of the PFZ results from at least two deformation phases, each revealing an individual progressive and gradual evolution. The earliest deformation phase is recorded by two ∼ NS-striking normal faults involving a 5 km wide damage zone characterized by quartz-laumontite and calcite veins that were developed under an extensional regime with a WNW-ESE-trending σ3-axis. The latest deformation phase is recorded by one NS-striking reverse-dextral fault with goethite-hematite syn-tectonic precipitation and two NW-striking reverse-sinistral faults. Reverse faults were developed under a compressional/transpressional regime characterised by an ENE-WSW-trending σ1-axis with a σ2-/σ3-axis permutation. From a geophysical data reassessment, we inferred that observed faults in the surface within the PFZ are regional-scale deep-seated structures. Considering previous geochronological data, we correlated the earliest and latest phases with the Abanico Basin extension (middle Eocene-early Miocene) and its subsequent inversion (Miocene). Given the neotectonic evidence (geomorphic markers and deformation of unconsolidated deposits), the latter phase likely remains active. Quartz-laumontite cementation of the fault core's cataclastic material promotes mechanical strengthening leading to negative feedback for the reactivation of inherited normal faults as reverse ones. Conversely, the concentration of fractures in the damage zone between the normal faults promotes mechanical weakening resulting in a preferential area for the propagation of reverse fault during the compressive/transpressional phase.

Transient conduit permeability controlled by a shift between compactant shear and dilatant rupture at Unzen volcano (Japan)

Abstract. The permeability of magma in volcanic conduits controls the fluid flow and pore pressure development that regulates gas emissions and the style of volcanic eruptions. The architecture of the permeable porous structure is subject to changes as magma deforms and outgasses during ascent. Here, we present a high-resolution study of the permeability distribution across two conduit shear zones (marginal and central) developed in the dacitic spine that extruded towards the closing stages of the 1991–1995 eruption at Unzen volcano, Japan. The marginal shear zone is approximately 3.2 m wide and exhibits a 2 m wide, moderate shear zone with porosity and permeability similar to the conduit core, transitioning into a ∼ 1 m wide, highly sheared region with relatively low porosity and permeability, as well as an outer 20 cm wide cataclastic fault zone. The low-porosity, highly sheared rock further exhibits an anisotropic permeability network, with slightly higher permeability along the shear plane (parallel to the conduit margin), and is locally overprinted by oblique dilational Riedel fractures. The central shear zone is defined by a 3 m long by ∼ 9 cm wide fracture ending bluntly and bordered by a 15–40 cm wide damage zone with permeability enhanced by ∼ 3 orders of magnitude; directional permeability and resultant anisotropy could not be measured from this exposure. We interpret the permeability and porosity of the marginal shear zone to reflect the evolution of compactional (i.e. ductile) shear during ascent up to the point of rupture, which was estimated by Umakoshi et al. (2008) at ∼ 500 m depth. At this point the compactional shear zone would have been locally overprinted by brittle rupture, promoting the development of a shear fault and dilational Riedel fractures during repeating phases of increased magma ascent rate, enhancing anisotropic permeability that channels fluid flow into and along the conduit margin. In contrast, we interpret the central shear zone as a shallow, late-stage dilational structure, which partially tore the core of the spine, leaving a slight permanent displacement. We explore constraints from monitored seismicity and stick-slip behaviour to evaluate the rheological controls, which accompanied the shift from compactional toward dilational shear as magma approached the surface, and discuss their importance in controlling the permeability development of magma evolving from overall ductile to increasingly brittle behaviour during ascent and eruption.

The effects of fault-zone architecture, wall-rock competence and fluid pressure variations on hydrothermal veining and gold mineralization along the Sheba Fault, Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa

Hydrothermal vein systems illustrate the spatial and temporal evolution of structural permeabilities along the Sheba Fault, the first-order fault structure in the Sheba-Fairview complex of gold mines in the Archaean Barberton greenstone belt. The fault juxtaposes competent Moodies Group metapsammites against rheologically weaker metaturbidites and intercalated serpentinites of the Fig Tree and Onverwacht groups. Strain localization into the weaker lithologies results in the pronounced asymmetric zonation of the fault into a fault core and a fault-damage zone. The fault core in the weaker Fig Tree and Onverwacht lithologies is characterized by the transposition of earlier bedding and pervasive foliation development. In contrast, hydrothermal veining, alteration and mineralization are confined to competent Moodies Group rocks that form the tens of meter wide damage zone in the immediate footwall of the fault core. Vein systems of the Sheba West ore body disclose the multistage evolution of the fluid flow system along the fault. An early phase of crackle-breccia formation and associated carbonate (dolomite) alteration is regionally widespread and largely pre-dates the main phase of gold mineralization. Crackle breccias are overprinted by successive sets of subhorizontal and subvertical extension (mode I) veins, steeply inclined shear veins and moderately-dipping late-stage cataclasites. The orientation and controls of the vein sets demonstrate their formation during (1) progressive NW-SE directed subhorizontal shortening, and (2) waning fluid pressures from lithostatic values (mode I veins) to sub-lithostatic fluid pressures (mode II shear veins and cataclasites). The economic-grade mineralization of the Sheba West ore body relates to an undulation of the controlling Sheba Fault that corresponds to a releasing bend during top-to-the-NW thrusting. The vein systems along the Sheba Fault illustrate the controls of permeability structures as a result of lithological and rheological contrasts, geometric variations (fault bends) and fluid-pressure fluctuations during faulting.

Numerical simulation of water inrush in a tunnel crossing faults: impacts of fault width, damage zone width, and fault permeability

Numerical simulation of water inrush in a tunnel crossing faults: impacts of fault width, damage zone width, and fault permeability

The Effect of Fault Roughness and Earthquake Ruptures on the Evolution and Scaling of Fault Damage Zones

AbstractFault damage zones dominate the mechanical, hydraulic and seismological properties of faults yet the relative contributions from processes leading to their development and growth is obscure. In this study, we investigate the damage development related to slip on rough faults and passage of earthquake ruptures. We compare the cumulative damage with slip and damage distribution from numerical models against field data from exhumed faults with slip less than 3.5 m within the Atacama Fault Zone in northern Chile. Models are constrained by experimentally determined mechanical properties of the host rock. We perform simulations of damage accumulation during quasistatic slip on rough faults and during sequences of earthquakes on planar and rough faults governed by rate and state friction laws. Both sets of simulations include Drucker–Prager rheology of the bulk to identify off‐fault damage where the yield stress is exceeded. Our results indicate that the extent and distribution of damage depend on the characteristics of fault roughness, amount of slip, and, when present, the intensity and variability of dynamic ruptures. When typical values for fault roughness are used, the scaling of damage zone width versus slip during quasistatic slip is comparable to that observed in the field data. Earthquake rupture on smooth faults by itself does not explain the field data. Simulations of earthquake sequences on rough faults leads to significantly larger damage zone widths with slip than that observed in the field data, suggesting the development of damage for small displacement is dominated by quasistatic slip on rough faults.

Influence of non-persistent joint aperture and inclination angle on the shear behavior and fracture mode of solid rock and concrete material

Non-persistent joints or cracks are ubiquitous in both solid rock and concrete material. Numerous experimental and numerical studies have been conducted to study the influence of geometric properties (e.g., location, connectivity, number and length) of non-persistent joint on the mechanical characteristics of rock, but few focus on the effect of joint or crack aperture. In this study, PFC 2D numerical simulation is performed to study the influence of embedded joint aperture, joint inclination angle and normal stress on the shear behavior and fracturing modes of solid rock and concrete material. The results show that the aperture has a great impact on the mechanical behavior and fracturing process of rock and concrete, and the influence varies with the joint inclination angle and normal stress. There are usually two peaks on the shear stress curves, and the peak shear strength, the damage zone width and the total crack number all decrease with increasing joint apertures. For the specimen with the same joint aperture but of different inclination angles (−30°, 0° and 30°), the peak shear strength and shear modulus are the largest at an inclination angle of 30°, and the smallest at −30°. The damage extent and degree of the intact rock bridges is closely associated with the variation of the peak shear strength for the specimens with different joint inclination angles, which are caused by the different relative positions between the embedded joint and the shear direction. Furthermore, a higher normal stress leads to a larger width of the shear damage zone for all the joints and an earlier mobilization of the second peak shear strength for the joints with −30° inclination angle.

Signature of transition to supershear rupture speed in the coseismic off-fault damage zone.

Most earthquake ruptures propagate at speeds below the shear wave velocity within the crust, but in some rare cases, ruptures reach supershear speeds. The physics underlying the transition of natural subshear earthquakes to supershear ones is currently not fully understood. Most observational studies of supershear earthquakes have focused on determining which fault segments sustain fully grown supershear ruptures. Experimentally cross-validated numerical models have identified some of the key ingredients required to trigger a transition to supershear speed. However, the conditions for such a transition in nature are still unclear, including the precise location of this transition. In this work, we provide theoretical and numerical insights to identify the precise location of such a transition in nature. We use fracture mechanics arguments with multiple numerical models to identify the signature of supershear transition in coseismic off-fault damage. We then cross-validate this signature with high-resolution observations of fault zone width and early aftershock distributions. We confirm that the location of the transition from subshear to supershear speed is characterized by a decrease in the width of the coseismic off-fault damage zone. We thus help refine the precise location of such a transition for natural supershear earthquakes.

Energy Partitioning, Dynamic Fragmentation, and Off‐Fault Damage in the Earthquake Source Volume

AbstractSeismological fracture or breakdown energy represents energy expended in a volume surrounding the advancing rupture front and the slipping fault surface. Estimates are commonly obtained by inverting ground motions and using the results to model slip on the fault surface. However, this practice cannot identify contributions from different energy‐consumption processes, so our understanding of the importance of these processes comes largely from field‐ and laboratory‐based studies. Here, we use garnet fragment size data to estimate surface‐area energy density with distance from the fault core in the damage zone of a deeply exhumed strike‐slip fault/shear zone. Estimated energy densities per fragmentation event range from 2.87 × 103 to 2.72 × 105 J/m3 in the outer and inner portions of the dynamic damage zone, respectively, with the dynamic zone being inferred from the fractal dimensions of fragment size distributions and other indicators. Integrating over the ∼105 m width of the dynamic damage zone gives fracture surface‐area energy per unit fault area ranging from a lower bound of 6.63 × 105 J/m2 to an upper bound of 1.63 × 107 J/m2 per event. This range overlaps with most geological, theoretical, and kinematic slip‐model estimates of energy expenditure in the source volume for earthquakes characterized by seismic moments &gt;1017 N·m. We employ physics‐based fragmentation models to estimate equivalent tensile strain rates associated with garnet fragmentation, which range from 5.42 × 102 to 1.04 × 104 s−1 per earthquake in the outer and inner portions of the dynamic damage zone, respectively. Our results suggest that surface‐energy generation is a nonnegligible component of the earthquake energy budget.

Fault Planes, Fault Zone Structure and Detachment Fragmentation Resolved With High‐Precision Aftershock Locations of the 2016–2017 Central Italy Sequence

AbstractThree devastating earthquakes of MW ≥ 5.9 activated a complex system of high‐angle normal, antithetic, and sub‐horizontal detachment faults during the 2016–2017 central Italy seismic sequence. Waveform cross‐correlation based double‐difference location of nearly 400,000 aftershocks illuminate complex, fine‐scale structures of interacting fault zones. The Mt. Vettore–Mt. Bove (VB) normal fault exhibits wide and complex damage zones, including a system of bookshelf faults that intersects the detachment zone. In the Laga domain, a comparatively narrow, shallow dipping segment of the deep Mt. Gorzano fault progressively ruptures through the detachment zone in four subsequent MW ∼ 5.4 events. Reconstructed fault planes show that the detachment zone is fragmented in four sub‐horizontal, partly overlaying shear planes that correlated with the extent of the mainshock ruptures. We find a new, deep reaching seismic barrier that coincides with a bend in the VB fault and may play a role in controlling rupture evolution.

Internal architecture and earthquake rupture behavior of a long-lived intraplate strike–slip fault: A case study from the Southern Yangsan Fault, Korea

Deciphering the internal composition of large-scale fault zones helps to better understand the various geologic factors that govern their seismic rupture behavior. We used new detailed geologic, structural, and geomorphic map of an excellent natural laboratory in the Southern Yangsan Fault (SYF) in the southeastern part of the Korean Peninsula to elucidate the fault zone architecture and its controls on the rupture processes of neotectonic earthquakes. The Yangsan Fault is a major strike–slip fault, and a subsidiary fault within the fault zone ruptured during the 2016 ML 5.8 Gyeongju earthquake which is the largest instrumental record in the intraplate Korean Peninsula. The 12-km-long study area in the SYF shows along-strike variations in wall rock lithology and fault zone architecture. At the south of the study area, the fault zone surrounded by crystalline rocks consists of a single major fault core. In contrast, at the north, the fault zone is sandwiched between crystalline rocks and sedimentary rocks and exhibits multiple major fault cores bounding broken-up wall rock blocks. The width of the across-fault damage zone, which was estimated from the cumulative fracture frequency with the distance from the major fault core, widens northward, indicating the distributed deformation of the northern fault zone over a long history of fault evolution. The geometry of paleoearthquake surface ruptures traced by the geomorphic and stratigraphic evidence of deformed young deposits diverge to multiple strands in the northern fault zone but converge to a single strand in the southern fault zone, directly reflecting its internal architecture. We propose that the long-lived rupturing patterns have been primarily controlled by intrinsic discontinuity- and mineralogy-dependent deformation processes in terms of strain-hardening vs. strain-weakening, along with propagation arrest and rupture tip damage due to a fault-bend geometry (geometric barrier) and an abrupt change in wall rock lithology (relaxation barrier).

Analysis of Seismic Damage Zones: A Case Study of the Ordovician Formation in the Shunbei 5 Fault Zone, Tarim Basin, China

Fault damage zone has an important influence on subsurface fluid flow and petrophysical properties. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the characteristics of fault damage zone for oil and gas development of ultra-deep carbonate formation. This study uses seismic data and the derived variance attribute to identify two types of damage zones and analyze the spatial geometric characteristics of the damage zones. The results show that the type 1 damage zone is wider than the type 2 damage zone. The width of damage zones distributed on both sides of the Shunbei 5 fault core shows obvious asymmetry, and the damage zone width and throw conforms to the typical power-law distribution on the log-log plot. We discuss the factors affecting the width of the damage zone and its formation process. Finally, we discuss the influence of the damage zones on oil and gas exploration. It seems that the seismic variance attribute is a useful technique for characterizing the ultra-deep strike-slip fault damage zones.

Nonlinear fault damage zone scaling revealed through analog modeling

AbstractFault damage zones strongly influence fluid flow and seismogenic behavior of faults and are thought to scale linearly with fault displacement until reaching a threshold thickness. Using analog modeling with different frictional layer thicknesses, we investigate damage zone dynamic evolution during normal fault growth. We show that experimental damage zone growth with displacement is not linear but progressively tends toward a threshold thickness, being larger in the thicker models. This threshold thickness increases significantly at fault segment relay zones. As the thickness threshold is approached, the failure mode progressively transitions from dilational shear to isochoric shear. This process affects the whole layer thickness and develops as a consequence of fault segment linkage as inferred in nature when the fault matures. These findings suggest that fault damage zone widths are limited both by different scales of mechanical unit thickness and the evolution of failure modes, ultimately controlled in nature by lithology and deformation conditions.

Comparison of evolving gradient damage formulations with different activity functions

In the paper, two existing upgrades of the gradient damage model for the simulations of cracking in concrete are compared. The damage theory is made nonlocal via a gradient enhancement to overcome the mesh dependence of simulation results. The implicit gradient model with an averaging equation, where the internal length parameter is assumed as constant during the strain softening analysis, gives unrealistically broadened damage zones. The gradient enhancement of the scalar damage model can be improved via a function of an internal length scale, so an evolution of the gradient activity is postulated during the localization process. Two different modifications of the averaging equation and respective evolving gradient damage formulations are presented. Different activity functions are tested to see whether the formation of a too wide damage zone still occurs. Activating or localizing character of the gradient influence can be introduced and the impact of both approaches on the numerical results is shown in the paper. The aforementioned variants are implemented and examined using the benchmarks of tension in a bar and bending of a cantilever beam.

Effect of main frequencies on characterizing fault damage zones using forward modeling and attribute of variance

Faulting processes have created large damage zones with complex structures in the field; however, estimating the width and geometry of such fault structures in the subsurface is challenging due to a lack of data. Seismic attributes (e.g., coherence and variance) from seismic surveys have been used for the characterization of faults, but most cases do not detail the effectiveness of this approach. By using forward modeling and the associated seismic attributes of variance, four fault models of idealized damage zones are characterized and the frequency effect is evaluated on the width estimation of fault damage zones in the subsurface. The main results indicate that (1) the general geometric pattern of damage zones could be identified by using simulated amplitude and seismic variance with main frequencies of 10, 25, and 40 Hz; (2) the estimated widths of damage zones at a low frequency of 10 Hz are larger (up to twofold) than those at frequencies of 25 and 40 Hz; for large damage zones (&gt;400 m), the width is best estimated by a frequency of 25 Hz; and (3) scattering noise and diffraction around the fault are found in data at a high frequency of 40 Hz, which results in width overestimation of the damage zones by approximately 17%. The internal structures are difficult to distinguish as scattering noise and chaotic reflections dominate seismic signals. More factors that may influence the accuracy of damage zone width estimation via seismic attributes, include the bedding thickness, fracture density, and velocity. An in-depth understanding of this approach is useful in the application of seismic variance to characterize fault damage zones that may significantly control the fluid migration in the subsurface.

3D outcrop modelling of large discordant breccia bodies in basinal carbonates of the Apulian margin, Italy

Large discordant breccia bodies (LDBBs) are important record keepers of the tectonic and gravitational evolution in platform-to-basinal settings, and have important implications for fluid-flow migration and compartmentalization of tight carbonate reservoirs. In the Gargano Promontory of southern Italy, LDBBs occur within a Cretaceous slope and basinal carbonate succession. We use field mapping and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) -based Structure from Motion (SfM) Photogrammetry to document otherwise inaccessible cliff-side exposures of seismic-to subseismic-scale vertical discordant breccias. LDBBs are up to 50 m in width, more than 80 m in height and display internal chaotic or aligned clast fabrics. The formation which generally contains the LDBBs is characterized by beds of cherty pelagic limestone intercalated with calcarenites, calciturbidites and horizons of mass transport deposits. The mass-transport deposits can be correlated across the chaotic breccia bodies, indicating only slight or no vertical displacement across the adjacent walls. The bases of the breccia bodies are always hidden below current sea level, while the rarely exposed tops are capped by bedded intervals of the host rock formation. Timing and origin of the studied breccias were determined using several lines of evidence, such as stratigraphic provenance of clasts in breccias, mutual relationships of structural and sedimentologic features, and previous studies which establish that the age of dolomitizing cements in the LDBBs formed at different times and by different processes (fault shearing and solution collapse). This work investigates the size, shape and geometry of these breccia bodies whilst also providing cm-scale detail of the textural features in otherwise inaccessible outcrops. We suggest that breccias formed as a result of solution exploiting a pre-existing fracture network characterized by large-scale vertical strike-slip or oblique-slip faults. Initial displacement along these faults created a wide fault damage zone, where fluid migration was later focused to create a zone highly susceptible to solution and subsequent periodic sidewall collapse.

Geometry and kinematics of the Baza Fault (central Betic Cordillera, South Spain): insights into its seismic potential

The geometry and kinematics of active faults have a significant impact on their seismic potential. In this work, a structural characterization of the active Baza Fault (central Betic Cordillera, southern Spain) combining surface and subsurface data is presented. Two sectors are defined based on their surface geometry: a northern sector striking N–S to NNW–SSE with a narrow damage zone and a southern sector striking NW–SE with a wide damage zone. A kinematic analysis shows pure normal fault kinematics along most of the fault. Geometric differences between the northern and southern sectors are caused by i) a heterogeneous basement controlling the fault geometry at depth and in the cover; ii) different orientations of the Baza Fault in the basement with respect to the regional extension direction and iii) interaction with other active faults. We use this structural characterization to analyse the segmentation of the Baza Fault. According to segmentation criteria, the entire Baza Fault should be considered a single fault seismogenic segment. Consequently, the seismic potential of the fault is defined for a complete rupture. Magnitude for the Mmax event is calculated using several scale relationships, obtaining values ranging between Mw 6.6 and Mw 7.1. Recurrence times range between approximately 2,000 and 2,200 years for Mmax events and between 5,300 and 5,400 years for palaeo-events. A geodetic scenario modelled for an Mmax event of Mw 6.7 shows permanent vertical displacements of more than 0.40m and an overall WSW–ENE extension during entire ruptures of the Baza Fault.

Off‐Fault Damage Characterization During and After Experimental Quasi‐Static and Dynamic Rupture in Crustal Rock From Laboratory P Wave Tomography and Microstructures

AbstractElastic strain energy released during shear failure in rock is partially spent as fracture energy Γ to propagate the rupture further. Γ is dissipated within the rupture tip process zone, and includes energy dissipated as off‐fault damage, Γoff. Quantifying off‐fault damage formed during rupture is crucial to understand its effect on rupture dynamics and slip‐weakening processes behind the rupture tip, and its contribution to seismic radiation. Here, we quantify Γoff and associated change in off‐fault mechanical properties during and after quasi‐static and dynamic rupture. We do so by performing dynamic and quasi‐static shear failure experiments on intact Lanhélin granite under triaxial conditions. We quantify the change in elastic moduli around the fault from time‐resolved 3‐D P wave velocity tomography obtained during and after failure. We measure the off‐fault microfracture damage after failure. From the tomography, we observe a localized maximum 25% drop in P wave velocity around the shear failure interface for both quasi‐static and dynamic failure. Microfracture density data reveal a damage zone width of around 10 mm after quasi‐static failure, and 20 mm after dynamic failure. Microfracture densities obtained from P wave velocity tomography models using an effective medium approach are in good agreement with the measured off‐fault microfracture damage. Γoff obtained from off‐fault microfracture measurements is around 3 kJ m2 for quasi‐static rupture, and 5.5 kJ m2 for dynamic rupture. We argue that rupture velocity determines damage zone width for slip up to a few mm, and that shear fracture energy Γ increases with increasing rupture velocity.

Effects of Low‐Velocity Fault Damage Zones on Long‐Term Earthquake Behaviors on Mature Strike‐Slip Faults

AbstractMature strike‐slip faults are usually surrounded by a narrow zone of damaged rocks characterized by low seismic wave velocities. Observations of earthquakes along such faults indicate that seismicity is highly concentrated within this fault damage zone. However, the long‐term influence of the fault damage zone on complete earthquake cycles, that is, years to centuries, is not well understood. We simulate aseismic slip and dynamic earthquake rupture on a vertical strike‐slip fault surrounded by a fault damage zone for a thousand‐year timescale using fault zone material properties and geometries motivated by observations along major strike‐slip faults. The fault damage zone is approximated asan elastic layer with lower shear wave velocity than the surrounding rock. We find that dynamic wave reflections, whose characteristics are strongly dependent on the width and the rigidity contrast of the fault damage zone, have a prominent effect on the stressing history of the fault. The presence of elastic damage can partially explain the variability in the earthquake sizes and hypocenter locations along a single fault, which vary with fault damage zone depth, width and rigidity contrast from the host rock. The depth extent of the fault damage zone has a pronounced effect on the earthquake hypocenter locations, and shallower fault damage zones favor shallower hypocenters with a bimodal distribution of seismicity along depth. Our findings also suggest significant effects on the hypocenter distribution when the fault damage zone penetrates to the nucleation sites of earthquakes, likely being influenced by both lithological (material) and rheological (frictional) boundaries.

Damage zone characterization combining scan-line and scan-area analysis on a km-scale Digital Outcrop Model: The Qala Fault (Gozo)

Fault damage zones can act as a preferential corridor for fluid flow in the subsurface, and for this reason the characterization of their structure, including the attributes of the associated fracture network, is fundamental. In this work, we characterize the damage zone of the Qala fault, a normal fault developed in platform carbonates of the Gozo Island (Maltese Islands). We propose a new workflow that combines scanline and scan-area analysis applied on a high resolution DOM. Linear scanlines allow to characterize fracture spatial distribution, detect stationary area and identify damage zone width. Areal sampling permits to extract the fracture parameters matching the stationary 1D domains. This new approach allows us to: (1) univocally separate the damage zone from the background fractures, (2) identify fracture corridors, (3) collect fracture parameters (length, trend, density, intensity, spacing and topology), (4) identify the REV of the fracture density, intensity and topology and (5) characterize the fracture network connectivity.