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http://hdl.handle.net/2122/13196
Authors: | Rowe, Christie D.* Lamothe, Kesley* Rempe, Marieke* Andrews, Mark* Mitchell, Thomas M.* Di Toro, Giulio* White, Joseph Clancy* Aretusini, Stefano* |
Title: | Earthquake lubrication and healing explained by amorphous nanosilica | Journal: | Nature Communications | Series/Report no.: | /10(2019) | Publisher: | id 320 | Issue Date: | 2019 | DOI: | 10.1038/s41467-018-08238-y | Abstract: | During earthquake propagation, geologic faults lose their strength, then strengthen as slip slows and stops. Many slip-weakening mechanisms are active in the upper-mid crust, but healing is not always well-explained. Here we show that the distinct structure and rate-dependent properties of amorphous nanopowder (not silica gel) formed by grinding of quartz can cause extreme strength loss at high slip rates. We propose a weakening and related strengthening mechanism that may act throughout the quartz-bearing continental crust. The action of two slip rate-dependent mechanisms offers a plausible explanation for the observed weakening: thermally-enhanced plasticity, and particulate flow aided by hydrodynamic lubrication. Rapid cooling of the particles causes rapid strengthening, and inter-particle bonds form at longer timescales. The timescales of these two processes correspond to the timescales of post-seismic healing observed in earthquakes. In natural faults, this nanopowder crystallizes to quartz over 10s–100s years, leaving veins which may be indistinguishable from common quartz veins. |
Appears in Collections: | Article published / in press |
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s41467-018-08238-y.pdf | 5.43 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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