Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Experimental investigation of three-dimensional propagation process from surface fault

  • Published:
Science in China Series D: Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Experimental study of the formation and propagation of three-dimensional (3D) faults is of great significance in the understanding of the propagation process developing from initial natural faults. In the study described in this paper, experimental investigations of 3D propagation processes of a type of surface fault are carried out under biaxial compression. The strain field near the surface fault is dynamically measured and fully analyzed with a high-density Multi-Channel Digital Strain Gauge (MCDSG) and Digital Speckle Correlation Method (DSCM) based on the white-light image analysis. Simultaneously the micro-fracture process involved in fault formation is observed by a 3D acoustic emission (AE) location system with a set of multi-channel whole-wave record equipment. The experimental results show that the 3D propagation process of surface fault differs greatly from that of the two-dimensional (2D) state and that a new more complicated type of 3D morphological characters and deformation mechanisms are produced. The 3D propagation process of surface faults may be divided into three stages: 1) the first stage of crack propagation initiated by wing cracks; 2) the conversion stage propagated by petal cracks; and 3) the second stage of crack propagation formed by shell-shaped fracture surface. The primary propagation patterns of the three stages are different. The corresponding deformation fields and micro-fracture distributions are likewise different. The fracture activities from petal cracks especially are of vital importance during surface fault propagation. This is also a key conversion state and marks an intrinsic difference between 2D-like and the 3D state in fault development.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Ramsay J G. Folding and Fracturing of Rocks. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1967

    Google Scholar 

  2. Ma X Y. Discussion on the analytical tectonics. Earth Sci—J Wuhan College Geol (in Chinese), 1983, 8(3): 1-9

    Google Scholar 

  3. Zhu W S, Chen W Z, Shen J. Simulation experiment and fracture mechanism study on propagation of echelon pattern cracks. Acta Mech Solida Sin (in Chinese), 1998, 19(4): 355–360

    Google Scholar 

  4. Wong R H C, Chau K T, Tang C A, et al. Analysis of crack coalescence in rock, Part I: Experimental approach. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci, 2001, 38: 909–924

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Atkinson B K, ed. Fracture Mechanics of Rock (Translated by Yin X C). Beijing: Seismological Press, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  6. Ma R Y, Peng J B, Men Y M, et al. A study on mechanical mechanism on development of thrust fault. J Northwest Univ (Natural Science Edition) (in Chinese), 2003, 33(2): 196–199

    Google Scholar 

  7. Ma J, Zhang B T, Yuan S R. Preliminary study on the evolution of strain field near locked region of a fault. Seismol Geol (in Chinese), 1979, 1(3): 47–55

    Google Scholar 

  8. Ma J. An experimental study on behavior of deformation and acoustic emission near the intersections of faults. Acta Seismol Sin (in Chinese), 1983, 5(2): 69–80

    Google Scholar 

  9. Liu L Q, Ma J, Wu X Q. An experimental study on deformation and destabilization of en-echelon fault. Acta Seismol Sin (in Chinese), 1986, 8(4): 393–403

    Google Scholar 

  10. Du Y J, Ma J, Li J G. Investigation and stability of en-echelon cracks. Acta Geophys Sin (in Chinese), 32(Suppl): 218–231

  11. Ma S L, Deng Z H, Ma W T, et al. Experimental study on evolution of physical field during deformation of en-echelon faults. Seismol Geol (in Chinese), 1995, 17(4): 327–335

    Google Scholar 

  12. Liu L Q, Ma J, Ma S L. Numerical simulation on geometry and stress field of en-echelon structure. Seismol Geol (in Chinese), 1998, 20(1): 43–62

    Google Scholar 

  13. Liu P X, Ma J, Liu L Q, et al. An experimental study on variation of thermal fields during the deformation of a compressive en echelon fault set. Prog Nat Sci (in Chinese), 2007, 17(4): 454–459

    Google Scholar 

  14. Teng C K, Yin X C, Li S Y, et al. An experimnental investigation on 3D fractures of non-penetrating crack in plane samples. Acta Geophys Sin (in Chinese), 1987, 30(4): 371–378

    Google Scholar 

  15. Yin X C, Li S Y, Li H, et al. Experimental study of interaction between two flanks of closed crack. Acta Geophys Sin (in Chinese), 1988, 31(3): 307–314

    Google Scholar 

  16. Yin X C, Li S Y, Li H, et al. An experimental investigation on extension of non-penetrating crack in rocks and other brittle solids. In: The Collection of Chinese Scholars for 17th International Conference of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (in Chinese). Beijing: Peking University Press, 1991. 156–166

    Google Scholar 

  17. Dyskin A V, Sahouryeh E, Jewell R J, et al. Influence of shape and locations of initial 3D cracks on their growth in uniaxial compression. Eng Fract Mech, 2003, 70 (15): 2115–2136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Sahouryeh E, Dyskin A V, Germanovich L N. Crack growth under biaxial compression. Eng Fract Mech, 2002, 69(18): 2187–2198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Wong R H C, Huang M L, Jiao M R, et al. The mechanisms of crack propagation from surface 3-D fracture under uniaxial compression. Key Eng Mater, 2004, 261: 219–224

    Google Scholar 

  20. Wong R H C, Law C M, Chau K T, et al. Crack propagation from 3-D surface fractures in PMMA and marble specimens under uniaxial compression. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci, 2004, 41(3): 360–366

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Wong R H C, Guo Y S H, Li L Y, et al. Anti-wing crack growth from surface fault in real rock under uniaxial compression. In: Gdoutos E E, eds. The 16th European Conference of Fracture (ECF16), 2006, July 3-7, Alexandropoulos, Greece. Amsterdam: Springer, 2008. 825–826

    Google Scholar 

  22. Wong R H C, Guo Y S H, Chau K T, et al. The fracture mechanism of 3D surface fault with strain and acoustic emission measurement under axial compression. Key Eng Mater, 2007, 358: 2360–3587

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Guo Y S H, Wong H C, Zhu W S, et al. Study on fracture pattern of open surface-flaw in gabbro. Chin J Rock Mech Eng (in Chinese), 2007, 26(3): 525–531

    Google Scholar 

  24. Ma S P, Jin G C, Pan Y S, et al. Deformation measurement method for rock materials based on natural speckle pattern. Chin J Rock Mech Eng (in Chinese), 2002, 21(6): 792–796

    Google Scholar 

  25. Ma S P, Xu X H, Zhao Y H. The Geo-DSCM system and its application to the deformation measurement of rock materials. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci, 2004, 41(3): 411–412

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Liu P X, Liu L Q. Software for three-dimensional location of acoustic emission in laboratory. Seismol Geol (in Chinese), 2007, 29(3): 674–679

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Earthquake Dynamics, Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing, 100029, China

    LiQiang Liu, PeiXun Liu & YanShuang Guo

  2. Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China

    HonChu Wong & YanShuang Guo

  3. Department of Mechanics, School of Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100083, China

    ShaoPeng Ma

Authors
  1. LiQiang Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. PeiXun Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. HonChu Wong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. ShaoPeng Ma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. YanShuang Guo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to LiQiang Liu.

Additional information

Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2004CB18405) and Open Founds of State Key Laboratory of Earthquake Dynamics (Grant No. LED0501 and LED0502)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Liu, L., Liu, P., Wong, H. et al. Experimental investigation of three-dimensional propagation process from surface fault. Sci. China Ser. D-Earth Sci. 51, 1426–1435 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-008-0108-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-008-0108-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation