Compactive Deformation of Sandstone Under Crustal Pressure and Temperature Conditions

The transition from macroscopically brittle to macroscopically ductile deformation in porous sandstones is known to be pressure dependent, with compactive, ductile behavior occurring only once significant effective pressures have been reached. Within the crust, such effective pressures are associated with burial depths in the range 0.5 to 6 km, where the temperature is likely 35 ◦C to 200 ◦C. To test the importance of such elevated temperature on the strength and deformability of sandstone, a series of constant strain rate, triaxial deformation experiments were performed on three different water saturated sandstones at either ambient temperature or 150 ◦C. For each sandstone, an effective pressure range was used which spanned both the brittle and ductile deformation regimes, up to a maximum of 120 MPa. In the brittle regime, we observed a temperature‐dependent lowering of the yield stress of between 8 and 17%. Within the ductile regime, we observed an even greater reduction in the yield stress of between 9 and 37%. A further notable observation is that the transition from dilatant, brittle behavior to compactive, ductile behavior tends to occur at a lower effective pressure at elevated temperature. The weakening observed at elevated temperature can be explained by a reduction in fracture toughness, which is shown mathematically to cause greater weakening in the ductile regime than in the brittle regime. The apparent reduction in toughness at elevated temperature is potentially driven by a combination of a reduction in surface energy and, to a minor extent, an increase in subcritical crack growth rate

Compaction creep of sands due to time-dependent grain failure: Effects of chemical environment, applied stress, and grain size

Time-dependent brittle creep plays a role in controlling compaction of sands and sandstones under upper crustal conditions, influencing phenomena such as production-induced reservoir compaction, surface subsidence, and induced seismicity. Brittle creep also plays a role in determining the mechanical behavior of gouge-rich faults. We performed uniaxial creep experiments on sand to investigate the effects of chemical environment (dry versus solution flooded), grain size (d=196-378 mu m), and applied effective stress (sigma(a) up to 30MPa), at room temperature conditions favoring grain-scale brittle processes. Creep measurements were complemented with acoustic emission (AE) detection and microstructural analysis to characterize the main creep mechanism. Wet samples showed much higher creep strains than dry-tested samples. AE event counts showed a direct relation between grain failure and creep strain, with higher AE rates occurring in the wet samples. Therefore, we inferred that time-dependent deformation was dominated by subcritical crack growth, resulting in grain failure accompanied by intergranular sliding rearrangements, and that crack growth in the presence of chemically active fluids was controlled by stress corrosion. The sensitivity of the compaction rate of the sands to d and sigma(a) can be expressed as (epsilon) over bar proportional to d(i)sigma(j)(a) where i approximate to 6 and j approximate to 21 under dry conditions and i approximate to 9 and j approximate to 15 under wet conditions. Our results were compared to a simple model based on Hertzian contact theory, linear elastic fracture mechanics, and subcritical crack growth. This model showed agreement between the observed stress and grain size sensitivities of creep, within a factor of 2

Compaction creep of sands due to time-dependent grain failure : Effects of chemical environment, applied stress, and grain size

Time-dependent brittle creep plays a role in controlling compaction of sands and sandstones under upper crustal conditions, influencing phenomena such as production-induced reservoir compaction, surface subsidence, and induced seismicity. Brittle creep also plays a role in determining the mechanical behavior of gouge-rich faults. We performed uniaxial creep experiments on sand to investigate the effects of chemical environment (dry versus solution flooded), grain size (d=196-378 mu m), and applied effective stress (sigma(a) up to 30MPa), at room temperature conditions favoring grain-scale brittle processes. Creep measurements were complemented with acoustic emission (AE) detection and microstructural analysis to characterize the main creep mechanism. Wet samples showed much higher creep strains than dry-tested samples. AE event counts showed a direct relation between grain failure and creep strain, with higher AE rates occurring in the wet samples. Therefore, we inferred that time-dependent deformation was dominated by subcritical crack growth, resulting in grain failure accompanied by intergranular sliding rearrangements, and that crack growth in the presence of chemically active fluids was controlled by stress corrosion. The sensitivity of the compaction rate of the sands to d and sigma(a) can be expressed as (epsilon) over bar proportional to d(i)sigma(j)(a) where i approximate to 6 and j approximate to 21 under dry conditions and i approximate to 9 and j approximate to 15 under wet conditions. Our results were compared to a simple model based on Hertzian contact theory, linear elastic fracture mechanics, and subcritical crack growth. This model showed agreement between the observed stress and grain size sensitivities of creep, within a factor of 2

On the scale dependence in the dynamics of frictional rupture: Constant fracture energy versus size-dependent breakdown work

Potential energy stored during the inter-seismic period by tectonic loading around faults is released during earthquakes as radiated energy, frictional dissipation and fracture energy. The latter is of first importance since it is expected to control the nucleation, the propagation and the arrest of the seismic rupture. On one side, the seismological fracture energy estimated for natural earthquakes (commonly called breakdown work) ranges between 1 J/m2and tens of MJ/m2for the largest events, and shows a clear slip dependence. On the other side, recent experimental studies highlighted that, concerning rupture experiments, fracture energy is a material property (energy required to break the fault interface) independently of the size of the event, i.e. of the seismic slip. To reconcile these contradictory observations and definitions, we performed stick-slip experiments, as analog for earthquakes, in a bi-axial shear configuration. We estimated fracture energy through both Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) and a Cohesive Zone Model (CZM) and through the integration of the near-fault stress-slip evolution. We show that, at the scale of our experiments, fault weakening is divided into a near-tip weakening, corresponding to an energy of few J/m2, consistent with the one estimated through LEFM and CZM, and a long-tailed weakening corresponding to a larger energy not localized at the rupture tip, increasing with slip. Through numerical simulations, we demonstrate that only near-tip weakening controls the rupture initiation and that long-tailed weakening can enhance slip during rupture propagation and allow the rupture to overcome stress heterogeneity along the fault. We conclude that the origin of the seismological estimates of breakdown work could be related to the energy dissipated in the long-tailed weakening rather than to the one dissipated near the tip.LEM

On the scale dependence in the dynamics of rupture

International audiencePotential energy stored during the inter-seismic period by tectonic loading around faults can be released through earthquakes as radiated energy, heat and rupture energy. The latter is of first importance, since it controls both the nucleation and the propagation of the seismic rupture. On one side, the rupture energy estimated for natural earthquakes (also called Breakdown work) ranges between 1 J/m2 and tens of MJ/m2 for the largest events, and shows a clear slip dependence. On the other side, recent experimental studies highlighted that at the scale of the laboratory, rupture energy is a material property (energy required to break the fault interface), limited by an upper bound value corresponding to the rupture energy of the intact material (1 to 10 kJ/m2), independently of the size of the event, i.e. of the seismic slip.To reconcile these contradictory observations, we performed stick-slip experiments, as an analog for earthquakes, in a bi-axial shear configuration. We analyzed the fault weakening during frictional rupture by accessing to the on-fault (1 mm away) stress-slip curve through strain-gauge array. We first estimated rupture energy by comparing the experimental strain with the theoretical predictions from both Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) and the Cohesive Zone Model (CZM). Secondly, we compared these values to the breakdown work obtained from the integration of the stress-slip curve. Our results showed that, at the scale of our experiments, fault weakening is divided into two stages; the first one, corresponding to an energy of few J/m2, coherent with the estimated rupture energy (by LEFM and CZM), and a long-tailed weakening corresponding to a larger energy not observable at the rupture tip.Using a theoretical analysis and numerical simulations, we demonstrated that only the first weakening stage controls the nucleation and the dynamics of the rupture tip. The breakdown work induced by the long-tailed weakening can enhance slip during rupture propagation and can allow the rupture to overcome stress heterogeneity along the fault. Additionally, we showed that at a large scale of observation the dynamics of the rupture tip can become controlled by the breakdown work induced by the long-tailed weakening, leading to a larger stress singularity at the rupture tip which becomes less sensitive to stress perturbations. We suggest that while the onset of frictional motions is related to fracture, natural earthquakes propagation is driven by frictional weakening with increasing slip, explaining the large values of estimated breakdown work for natural earthquakes, as well as the scale dependence in the dynamics of rupture

Time-Dependent Weakening and Failure in the Crust: Subcritical Crack Growth and Brittle Creep

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