Hydrothermal Friction data of gouges derived from the Alpine Fault

Niemeijer, Andre;

2017-07 || GFZ Data Services

The Alpine Fault, New Zealand, is a major plate-bounding fault that accommodates 65–75% of the total relative motion between the Australian and Pacific plates.



Here we present data on the hydrothermal frictional properties of Alpine Fault rocks that surround the principal slip zones (PSZ) of the Alpine Fault and those comprising the PSZ itself. The samples were retrieved from relatively shallow depths during phase 1 of the Deep Fault Drilling Project (DFDP-1) at Gaunt Creek. Simulated fault gouges were sheared at temperatures of 25, 150, 300, 450, and 600°C in order to determine the friction coefficient as well as the velocity dependence of friction.



Friction remains more or less constant with changes in temperature, but a transition from velocity-strengthening behavior to velocity-weakening behavior occurs at a temperature of T = 150°C. The transition depends on the absolute value of sliding velocity as well as temperature, with the velocity-weakening region restricted to higher velocity for higher temperatures.Friction was substantially lower for low-velocity shearing (V<0.3 μm/s) at 600°C, but no transition to normal stress independence was observed. In the framework of rate-and-state friction, earthquake nucleation is most likely at an intermediate temperature of T = 300°C.



The velocity-strengthening nature of the Alpine Fault rocks at higher temperatures may pose a barrier for rupture propagation to deeper levels, limiting the possible depth extent of large earthquakes. Our results highlight the importance of strain rate in controlling frictional behavior under conditions spanning the classical brittle-plastic transition for quartzofeldspathic compositions.



The data is provided in a .zip folder with 33 subfolders for 33 samples. Detailed information about the files in these subdfolders as well as sensors used, conversions and data specifications is given in the explanatory file Niemeijer-2017-DFDP-explanation-of-folder-structure-and-file-list.pdf.



Originally assigned keywords

Corresponding MSL vocabulary keywords

MSL enriched keywords

Originally assigned sub domains
  • rock and melt physics
MSL enriched sub domains
  • rock and melt physics
  • analogue modelling of geologic processes
  • geochemistry
Source http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.5880/ICDP.5052.002
Source publisher GFZ Data Services
DOI 10.5880/ICDP.5052.002
License CC BY 4.0
Authors
References
  • Niemeijer, A. R., Boulton, C., Toy, V. G., Townend, J., & Sutherland, R. (2016). Large‐displacement, hydrothermal frictional properties of DFDP‐1 fault rocks, Alpine Fault, New Zealand: Implications for deep rupture propagation. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 121(2), 624–647. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015jb012593
  • 10.1002/2015JB012593
  • IsSupplementTo
  • Marone, C. (1998). LABORATORY-DERIVED FRICTION LAWS AND THEIR APPLICATION TO SEISMIC FAULTING. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 26(1), 643–696. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.earth.26.1.643
  • 10.1146/annurev.earth.26.1.643
  • References
  • Reinen, L. A., & Weeks, J. D. (1993). Determination of rock friction constitutive parameters using an iterative least squares inversion method. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 98(B9), 15937–15950. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1029/93jb00780
  • 10.1029/93JB00780
  • References
Contact
  • Niemeijer, Andre
  • Utrecht University, The Netherlands
  • arniemeyer@gmail.com
Citation Niemeijer, A. (2017). Hydrothermal Friction data of gouges derived from the Alpine Fault [Data set]. GFZ Data Services. https://doi.org/10.5880/ICDP.5052.002
Spatial coordinates
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  • nLat -43.31607
  • sLat -43.31607
  • wLong 170.32550
  • eLong 170.32673
  • nLat -43.31602
  • sLat -43.31602
  • wLong 170.32673