Instability on a weakening fault

Abstract

Weakening of a prestressed sawcut in Westerly granite under laboratory condition is accomplished by injecting pressurized fluid into the sawcut. After injection a sequence of stick-slips is observed while the deviatoric stress decreases successively with each stick-slip. On the basis of the experimental observation we develop a model of fault instability due to inhomogeneous and progressive weakening of the fault. According to this model, the fault surface is divided into the ‘slipped’ and the ‘locked’ regions, depending on whether or not the local state of stress satisfies the friction criterion. The average shear stress in the slipped region decreases with time and, in order to maintain a quasi-static equilibrium, shear stress in the remaining ‘locked’ region on the fault surface increases. This situation may last until a critical state of stress on the fault is met, at which a sudden instability (stick0slip) may occur. We suggest that this mechanism of stress transfer may be a viable mechanism of induced seismicity and aftershocks, in addition to the well-known mechanism of a local increase of pore pressure. By comparing the experimental data with model predictions we show that the critical condition for slip instability is when the average shear stress over the ‘locked’ region becomes equal to the value given by the friction criterion. Thus the friction criterion established for slip on fractures on which the state of stress is macroscopically uniform may also be applicable to fractures on which the stress state is macroscopically heterogeneous.