JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 108, NO. B2, 2121, doi:10.1029/2001JB001653, 2003
Shear heating of a fluid-saturated slip-weakening dilatant fault zone 1. Limiting regimes Dmitry I. Garagash Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York, USA
John W. Rudnicki Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA Received 19 November 2001; revised 23 September 2002; accepted 14 November 2002; published 25 February 2003.
[1] The one-dimensional model of Rudnicki and Chen [1988] for a slip-weakening dilating fault is extended to include shear heating. Because inertia is not included, instability (a seismic event) corresponds to an unbounded slip rate. Shear heating tends to increase pore pressure and decrease the effective compressive stress and the resistance to slip and consequently tends to promote instability. However, the decrease of effective compressive stress also reduces the magnitude of shear heating. Consequently, in the absence of frictional weakening and dilation, there exists a steady solution for slip at the tectonic rate in which the pressure does not change and the shear heating is exactly balanced by heat flux from the fault zone. In the absence of shear heating, dilatancy tends to decrease pore pressure and inhibit instability; more rapid slip weakening promotes instability. Analysis of undrained, adiabatic slip (characteristic of rapid slip or hydraulically and thermally isolated faults) reveals that the interaction of these effects can cause increased slip weakening to be stabilizing and increased dilatancy to be destabilizing. These counterintuitive effects are due to the dependence of the shear heating on the total shear stress (not just its change). They occur for small thermal expansivity and for material parameters within a plausible range for 0–10 km depth. INDEX TERMS: 3210 Mathematical Geophysics: Modeling; 3299 Mathematical Geophysics: General or miscellaneous; 5104 Physical Properties of Rocks: Fracture and flow; 5134 Physical Properties of Rocks: Thermal properties; 7209 Seismology: Earthquake dynamics and mechanics; KEYWORDS: fault, slip, friction, frictional heating, dilatancy Citation: Garagash, D. I., and J. W. Rudnicki, Shear heating of a fluid-saturated slip-weakening dilatant fault zone, 1, Limiting regimes, J. Geophys. Res., 108(B2), 2121, doi:10.1029/2001JB001653, 2003.
1. Introduction 1990, 1993; Rice, 1992; Sibson, 1991; Sleep and Blanpied, 1992] have suggested that high (near lithostatic) pore [2] Coupling of shear deformation with changes in the pressures could resolve issues concerning low stress levels temperature and pressure of pore fluid can affect the on the San Andreas fault and modulate episodic occurrence stability of slip in fault gouge zones. Alterations of pore of earthquakes. fluid temperature and pressure arise from shear-induced [4] One mechanism by which pore pressure affects the dilatancy or compaction and shear heating. These effects stability of slip on faults is coupling with inelastic volume are examined using an extension of the model proposed by deformation in response to shear. Laboratory work has Rudnicki and Chen [1988] to study the stabilizing effects of documented volume changes accompanying frictional slip pore fluid pressure reductions due to dilatancy on frictional [Teufel, 1981] and shearing of simulated fault gouge [Mar- slip. one et al., 1990; Marone and Kilgore, 1993; Lockner and [3] The role of pore fluid pressure on fault slip and rock Byerlee, 1994]. If the volume deformation occurs rapidly, failure processes has been well documented by both labo- by comparison to the timescale of pore fluid mass diffusion, ratory [e.g., Brace and Martin, 1968] and field studies [e.g., it can cause an alteration of the local pore pressure and, via Raleigh et al., 1976]. In addition, direct observation of fluid the effective stress principle, an alteration of the resistance outflows following seismic events [Sibson, 1981] and geo- to inelastic shearing or frictional slip. In particular, dilation logic observations of extensive dilatant fractures and min- tends to cause a reduction of pore fluid pressure, an increase eralized vein systems near faults [Sibson, 1981, 1987, 1988] in effective compressive stress, and, hence, an increase in provide further evidence of the connection between fault resistance. Compaction produces the opposite effect. Dila- slip and pore fluid processes. Several authors [Byerlee, tant hardening is the cause of apparent deviations from effective stress principle observed by Brace and Martin Copyright 2003 by the American Geophysical Union. [1968] and stabilization of failure in axisymmetric com- 0148-0227/03/2001JB001653$09.00 pression tests on Westerly granite [Martin, 1980]. More
ESE 21 - 1 ESE 21 - 2 GARAGASH AND RUDNICKI: SHEAR HEATING OF FAULT ZONE, 1 recently, experiments by Lockner and Byerlee [1994] dem- the boundary of the fault zone (y = l) and fault dilatancy is onstrated that pore pressure reductions caused by dilatancy twice the normal displacement l(t) lo of the fault in hydraulically isolated faults can inhibit or even suppress boundary, where l(0) = lo is the initial half thickness of instability. Several models [Rudnicki and Chen, 1988; Sleep the fault zone. Pore fluid pressure p and temperature q at y = and Blanpied, 1992; Segall and Rice, 1995; Chambon and ‘ + l are equal to their ambient values po and qo. Rudnicki, 2001] have examined the effect of dilatancy on stabilizing and modifying the evolution of slip on fluid- 2.1. Stress Equilibrium saturated faults. [8] The stresses developed in the fault/crustal block [5] Shear heating is another mechanism by which pore system are a shear stress t, a normal stress s, and whatever pressure affects the stability of slip. Temperature rise due to reaction stresses are needed to maintain zero deformation in frictional heating causes thermal expansion of the pore fluid planes perpendicular to the y direction. Because we neglect and, consequently, an increase of the pore pressure. An inertia and any spatial dependence is only on y, equilibrium increase in pore pressure decreases the effective compres- requires that t and s be uniform throughout the layer. We sive stress and reduces the frictional resistance. Importantly, measure time and slip on the fault from the point at which shear heating introduces a dependence on the ambient the shear stress is to at a normal stress so. The material in compressive stress level (rather than just on the stress drop) the fault zone (0 y l) undergoes inelastic loading and, thus, introduces a depth dependence in addition to that whereas the material in the crustal block (l < y ‘ + l) of material or transport properties. Geological observations behaves elastically. Thus, the stress in the crustal block is of extensive vein systems near faults are interpreted as given by elastic relation evidence for hydraulic fracturing and, consequently, pore fluid pressure rise in excess of the least compressive stress t ¼ to þ GðÞg_ ‘t d=‘ ð1Þ [Sibson, 1981], which can be caused by shear heating. where G is elastic modulus. Lachenbruch [1980], Raleigh and Evernden [1981], and [9] The relation between the stress and slip in the fault Mase and Smith [1987] have examined the effects of factors zone is taken to have the simple form (which is explained in such as stress level, hydraulic and thermal diffusivities, fault more detail by Rudnicki and Chen [1988]) zone width, event duration, dilation and compressibility, on shear heating. These studies were, however, kinematic. That t ¼ t þ t ðÞþd m s0 s0 ð2Þ is, they specified the slip rather than determining it by o flt o o means of a fault constitutive relation in response to imposed where tflt(d) (with tflt(0) = 0) gives the slip dependence 0 0 remote loading. In addition, these models did not include under constant effective normal stress s = so. The third the possibility of slip instability. Other studies of the role of term in (2) corresponds to the change in frictional resistance shear heating in frictional instability include the studies of due to the changes in effective normal stress, s0 = s p, Shaw [1995], Sleep [1995], and Vardoulakis [2000]. where s is the total normal stress and p is the pore fluid [6] Here and in the companion paper (D. I. Garagash and pressure. The friction coefficient mo is assumed here to be J. W. Rudnicki, Shear heating of a fluid-saturated slip- constant but, may, in general, depend on effective normal weakening dilatant fault zone, 2, Quasi-drained regime, stress, slip, slip history, temperature, and fluid pressure. submitted to Journal of Geophysical Research, 2002, here- Because equilibrium requires that the stress in the layer be inafter referred to as Garagash and Rudnicki, submitted uniform, expressions (1) and (2) must be equal manuscript, 2002), we extend the model of Rudnicki and 0 0 Chen [1988] to study in detail the interaction of dilatancy GðÞ¼g_ ‘t d=‘ tfltðÞþd mo s so ð3Þ and thermal pressurization on slip instability. As noted above, dilatancy tends to stabilize slip; more severe slip 2.2. Pore Fluid Flow weakening tends to promote instability. We will show, [10] Fluid mass conservation for the fault zone can be however, that the interaction between shear heating, slip expressed as weakening, and dilatancy can cause dilatancy to promote instability and more severe slip weakening to stabilize slip. l z_ þ q ¼ 0 ð4Þ These surprising effects are due to the dependence of shear o heating on the absolute stress level, not just its change. where z_ is the average volumetric rate of fluid content variation per unit reference volume (averaged over the thickness of the fault zone and q is the fluid exchange 2. Problem Formulation between the layer and the adjacent crustal block. (The [7] Figure 1 shows the geometry of the problem and the superposed dot denotes the derivative with respect to time). _ loading: a crustal block of thickness 2‘ contains a fault zone For constant mean stress, the rate of fluid content variation z of thickness 2l with l ‘. Because the geometry and can be expressed as [e.g., Coussy, 1995] loading are symmetric about y = 0, the dashed line in Figure p_ 1, only the portion y 0 is shown. The slab extends z_ b0q_ f_ p 5 ¼ 0 þ ð Þ indefinitely in the other directions so that the problem is K one dimensional. The crustal block is loaded at its top where q is temperature, f_ p is inelastic rate of change of surface (y = ‘ + l) by a normal stress s and a shear porosity f, K 0 is an effective fluid bulk modulus, and b0 is the displacement d‘(t) related to the constant tectonic strain rate effective fluid thermal expansion coefficient. The effective 0 g_ ‘ by d‘ = ‘g_ ‘t. Because the problem is symmetric about bulk modulus K can be expressed as follows in terms of the y = 0, the fault slip is twice the shear displacement d(t)at drained (constant pore pressure) bulk modulus K, the fluid GARAGASH AND RUDNICKI: SHEAR HEATING OF FAULT ZONE, 1 ESE 21 - 3
Figure 1. Sketch of the problem.
0 00 bulk modulus Kf and two additional bulk moduli K s and K s diffusion length ‘k is bounded by the crustal block thickness [Rice and Cleary, 1976; Detournay and Cheng, 1993] ‘ and, presumably, much larger than fault half thickness l, at least if slip rates are not too high. An implication of the 1 1 1 f f o o 6 approximation (8) is that the pore fluid pressure is uniform 0 ¼ 0 þ 00 ð Þ K K Ks Kf Ks in the fault zone. This is reasonable if the fault zone is 0 composed of gouge (crushed rock) with permeability much where fo is initial porosity. Similarly, b can be expressed as higher than the intact rock in the adjacent crustal block. [McTigue, 1986; Coussy, 1995] Substituting (5) and (8) into (4) yields a fluid continuity 0 equation for the slip layer b ¼ fo bf bs ð7Þ p_ p p where bf and bs are the expansion coefficients of the fluid f_ p b0q_ k o 9 þ 0 ¼ ð Þ and solid constituents, respectively. K lo‘k [11] Slip on the fault is accompanied by inelastic changes in porosity f p. Although, in general, compaction (f_ p <0)is 2.3. Energy Conservation possible, porosity changes due to slip on frictional surfaces [13] In a manner similar to (4), energy conservation for or well-consolidated fault zones appear to be primarily the fluid-infiltrated fault zone layer, averaged through the dilatant. Dilation may be due to a variety of processes, half thickness l, can be expressed as such as microcrack opening in or near the fault zone, uplift in sliding over asperity contacts, or grain rearrangement. As _ p loCq ¼ Q þ Y ð10Þ noted by Rudnicki and Chen [1988], dilation that is a p p simple, nondecreasing function of the slip f = f (d)is where q_ is the rate of temperature change, C is heat capacity consistent with experiments. of the gouge, Q is the heat flux at the slip layer boundary, [12] According to Darcy’s law, fluid flux q is proportional y = l, and Yp is the thickness averaged rate of mechanical to the negative of the pore pressure gradient, but following energy dissipation due to inelastic deformation. This form the studies of Rudnicki and Chen [1988] and Segall and of the energy balance neglects contributions to the rate of Rice [1995], we simplify this relation in a manner consistent energy storage from elastic strain of the solid skeleton and with the one degree of freedom approximation used here. In pore pressure changes by comparison with the thermal heat particular, the fluid flux from the fault zone is assumed to be storage Cq_ [McTigue, 1986; Coussy, 1995]. proportional to the difference of fault zone pressure p and [14] The thickness averaged rate of mechanical energy the remote far-field ambient pressure, po, dissipation is given by
p po q ’ k ð8Þ Yp ¼ td_ ð11Þ ‘k where ‘k is a length scale that has to be chosen to reflect In general, there may be an additional term from the product pore fluid diffusion on the timescale of interest. This of the effective normal stress and the thickness change. ESE 21 - 4 GARAGASH AND RUDNICKI: SHEAR HEATING OF FAULT ZONE, 1
Because the ratio of dilation (or compaction) to slip is small, pressure; the second term dfp/dd will also tend to increase this term is negligible by comparison with td_. The heat flux the pore pressure if negative (compaction) but tends to Q, which satisfies Fourier’s law, is approximated in the decrease it if positive (dilation). Note, however, that the same way as the fluid flux (8) shear stress t also depends on the pore pressure through the effective normal stress (2) and is decreased by increasing q q Q ’ c o ð12Þ pore pressure. Thus, pore pressure increases caused by shear ‘c heating will tend to diminish the rate of pore pressure change. Solutions developed later will demonstrate the where c is thermal conductivity of the crustal rock and ‘c is importance of this effect. the lumped parameter (analogous to ‘k in (8)) which [18] Substitution of (15) into (14) yields characterizes the thermal diffusion length for timescale of 0 0 p interest. Substituting (11) and (12) into (10) yields the form G dtflt moK b t 0 df _ mo þ þ moK d ¼ Gg_ ‘ ðÞp po of the energy conservation for the slip layer ‘ dd loC dd tk 0 0 moK b _ _ q qo ðÞðq qo 16Þ loCq ¼ td c ð13Þ tc ‘c As discussed in connection with (15), the last two terms 2.4. Qualitative Discussion of Slip Governing reflect the contributions of fluid mass flux and heat Equations conduction and, as discussed in connection with (14), the [15] The evolution of slip on the fault is governed by (3), vanishing of the coefficient of d_ corresponds to the onset of (9), and (13). In this subsection, we rearrange these equa- an inertial instability. Because the slip rate must be positive tions to illustrate the main effects that will be discussed in and the right-hand side of (16) is initially positive ( p = po more detail in the remainder of the paper. and q = qo), the term in square brackets multiplying the slip [16] Differentiating (3) with respect to time and assuming rate must also be positive initially. If not, slip is inherently constant total normal stress s = so, yields unstable or the point of instability has already been passed in the slip history. Rudnicki and Chen [1988] began their G dtflt calculations at peak stress on the fault, dt /dd = 0, assumed þ d_ ¼ Gg_ þ m p_ ð14Þ flt ‘ dd ‘ o dilation (dfp/dd > 0) and neglected thermal coupling (b0 = 0). Consequently, the slip rate was initially positive and If the pore fluid pressure is constant, then the slip rate d_ is remained so until instability. When thermal coupling is 0 simply proportional to the imposed strain rate g_ ‘ with the included (b 6¼ 0), it is possible that the bracket multiplying _ proportionality factor depending on the fault stress versus d is initially negative unless either or both dtflt/dd and p slip relation. As long as dtflt/dd is positive (slip strengthen- df /dd are positive (slip hardening and dilation) and ing) or not so negative (slip weakening) that the square sufficiently large. Here we also begin calculations at peak bracket multiplying the slip rate in (14) becomes negative, stress. As a result the requirement of an initially positive slip the slip rate will be positive and finite. As dtflt/dd becomes rate introduces the following restriction more negative, the value of the bracket decreases and the _ G m K0b0t dfp ratio of the fault slip rate d to the imposed strain rate g_ ‘ o þ m K0 > 0 ð17Þ ‘ l C o dd becomes large. This ratio becomes unbounded if dtflt/dd is o d¼0 _ sufficiently negative as to equal G/‘ and the coefficient of d Alternatively, we could view the requirement of initially in (14) is zero. This corresponds to an unstable, dynamic slip positive slip rate as restricting the initial value of dtflt/dd to event. In other words, an inertial instability occurs when the be sufficiently positive (slip strengthening). stress on the fault decreases faster due to slip than the p adjacent material can unload elastically. If we had not 2.5. Particular Form of Tflt and F neglected inertia or included a damping term [Rice, 1993; [19] To complete the formulation, we adopt particular Segall and Rice, 1995], the slip rate would become large (of forms of shear resistance slip dependence (tflt(d)) and fault the order of wave speeds) but not unbounded. Equation (14) dilation (fp(d)) used by Rudnicki and Chen [1988]. The shows that an increase in pore fluid pressure ( p_ > 0) increases shear resistance is given by: the slip rate and a decrease ( p_ < 0) decreases the slip rate. [17] Using (13) to eliminate the temperature rate q_ from tflt ¼ ðÞto tr gðÞd=dr ð18Þ (9) yields an expression for the rate of change of pore where to and tr (tr < to) are initial peak shear stress and pressure: residual shear stress (under constant effective normal 0 0 0 p 0 0 loading s = so), respectively. The function g(d/dr) describes 0 b t df _ 1 K b p_ ¼ K d ðÞ p po ðÞðq qo 15Þ the decrease of t from to to tr over the slip distance dr loC dd tk tc (Figure 2a), i.e., g(0) = 0 and g(1) = 1. The inelastic change 0 of porosity is where tk = lo‘k/kK and tc = lo‘cC/c are timescales of pore fluid and thermal diffusion, respectively. If both t and t p p k c f ¼ f f ðÞd=dr ð19Þ are large (undrained, adiabatic conditions), then the last two r terms in (15) can be neglected. Because K0d_ is positive, the where the function f increases from zero to unity as its sign of the pore pressure change is governed by the sign of argument increases from zero to unity, corresponding to an 0 p the quantity in the square bracket. The first term b t/loC inelastic increase of the porosity from zero to fr over the reflects the tendency of shear heating to increase the pore slip distance dr (see Figure 2b). GARAGASH AND RUDNICKI: SHEAR HEATING OF FAULT ZONE, 1 ESE 21 - 5
Figure 2. Fault constitutive relations: (a) decrease of shear stress t on the fault with the slip d under 0 0 p constant effective normal stress (s = so) (2) and (b) fault gauge dilation: inelastic changes in porosity f with the slip d (19).
[20] Although the relation (19) has the same form as that where the superposed dot now denotes the derivative with of Rudnicki and Chen [1988, equation (5)], they expressed respect to the nondimensional time T and the expression for the dilation directly in terms of fault opening. Because the dimensionless shear stress t is given by opening was zero at the initiation of slip, the initial normal o strain rate was unbounded. As a consequence, so was the t ¼ t þ moðÞT ð25Þ initial pressure decrease for undrained deformation and undrained deformation was always stable. The present The coefficients in these equations are the following six formulation removes this unrealistic feature, though at the dimensionless parameters: expense of requiring specification of the initial fault zone width. p tk tc fr ¼ ;c ¼ ; ¼ ; 0 1 ts ts p*ðÞK 3. Normalized Equations 26 0 ð Þ q b 3 to tr to [21] The relevant timescales and relative magnitudes of B¼ * ; A¼ ; o ¼ ; 0 1 t various parameters for in situ applications are most easily p*ðÞK 2 mop* p* determined by writing the equations in nondimensional form. To do so, a characteristic slip time ts, pressure p , where * ò and temperature q* are defined as follows: 1. is the ratio of the timescale for pore fluid diffusion to that of imposed strain dr G dr p* dr ò ts ¼ ; p* ¼ ; q* ¼ ð20Þ 2. c is the ratio of the timescale for heat fluid diffusion g_ ‘‘ mo ‘ C lo to that of imposed strain; in addition to the characteristic times for pore fluid and 3. is a measure of residual fault inelastic dilation thermal diffusion defined following (15). Using these, the relative to pore fluid compressibility; 4. B is a measure of the thermal expansivity of the pore dimensionless time T, slip , stress t, pressure change and temperature change are given by fluid relative to the pore fluid compressibility; 5. A is a measure of frictional stress drop in the course of t d t p po q qo the slip; and T ¼ ; ¼ ; t ¼ ; ¼ ; ¼ ð21Þ o ts dr p* p* q* 6. t is a measure of peak shear stress, which quantifies the absolute shear stress level. Equations (9), (3), and (13) can then be written in the [22] The case ò 1(òc 1) corresponds to ‘‘drained’’ dimensionless form (‘‘isothermal’’) conditions: diffusion of pore fluid between 2 the fault and its surroundings (heat exchange) occurs rapidly T þ AgðÞ ¼ ð22Þ compared with the timescale of slip. Therefore, there is no 3 change in the pore pressure (temperature), =0( = 0), in this limit. The case of ò 1(ò 1) corresponds to the 1 c f 0ðÞ _ þ _ B _ ¼ ð23Þ ‘‘undrained’’ (‘‘adiabatic’’) slip regime. In this regime, pore fluid diffusion (heat exchange) is very slow on the timescale of the slip, and, therefore, can be neglected. 1 _ _ 23 _ t ¼ ð24Þ [ ] Substituting the expressions for (22) and (24) c into (23) and combining the result with (24) yields a system ESE 21 - 6 GARAGASH AND RUDNICKI: SHEAR HEATING OF FAULT ZONE, 1
‘ 15 1 of two ordinary differential equations for the normalized to tr 10 MPa, g_ 10 s as representative in situ slip and temperature difference values for the crustal shear modulus, effective fluid mobility (diffusivity), friction coefficient, residual slip distance, fric- 1 NTðÞ; ; tional stress drop, and tectonic shear strain rate, respectively. _ ¼ ð27Þ DTðÞ; As Rudnicki and Chen [1988] discuss in more detail, in situ values of the diffusivity vary over several orders of magni- tude. A number of observations suggest that the value 0.1 _ _ 1 2 1 ¼ t ð28Þ m s is reasonable near active faults but values an order of c magnitude larger or smaller are widely observed. Similarly, the residual sliding distance is poorly constrained by obser- The numerator N and denominator D on the right-hand side vations. The value used here is considerably larger than of (27) are specified by values determined from laboratory specimens in order to reflect the larger-scale fault roughness and inhomogeneity B N ¼ þ 1 ð29Þ that exists in the field. c [27] Consider the thermal properties of the gouge mate- rial. Lachenbruch [1980] gives a value of 0.24 cal (g C) 1 2 for the specific heat (per unit mass) of gouge. (Mase and D ¼ f 0ðÞþ 1 Ag0ðÞ B ; ð30Þ 3 t Smith [1987] use an equivalent value in different units.) Multiplying by a typical rock density, 2.7 g cm 3, yields a where the pressure and shear stress t are functions of T value for the specific heat (per unit volume) of gouge C 3 and given by (22) and (25), respectively. In terms of the MPa C 1. Lachenbruch [1980] cites the range of (0.7–1.2) nondimensional parameters, the requirement of initially  10 2 cm2 s 1 as reasonable for thermal diffusivities of positive slip rate (17) becomes gouge zone material but suggests that the lower value is more appropriate for disaggregated material. Mase and o Smith [1987] use a value comparable to the lower end of 2 þ 1 B t > 0 ð31Þ the range given by Lachenbruch [1980] (6.65  10 3 cm2 1 where we have used f 0(0) = 2 for the form of the dilatancy s ). The thermal diffusivity corresponds here to the ratio function used in the calculations (see (A1) in Appendix A). c/C. Thus, multiplying the lower end value of Mase and 1 This condition can be expressed as a requirement that the Smith [1987] by C = 3 MPa C yields c =2N/s C. dilatancy must exceed a minimum value given by [28] The choice of the length ‘ is inevitably uncertain since it arises from approximating a fault in a continuum as 1 B o a one degree of freedom, spring-mass system but Rudnicki t 2 min ¼ ð32Þ and Chen [1988] suggest values in the range of ‘ 10 to 2 3 2 10 m. Values of the fault thickness in the range lo 10 to 1 m, are reasonable. Chester et al. [1993] report values of [24] Slip instability corresponding to an unbounded slip rate ( _ !1) occurs when the denominator of (27) D(T, about 0.1 m for a portion of the San Andreas fault. Values ) vanishes but the numerator N(T, , ) does not. The much smaller than 1 cm are not feasible and, on the other instability corresponds to the onset of dynamic slip and hand, values much larger than 1 m would contradict the _ view of a fault as a zone of localized deformation. earthquake nucleation. Stick ( = 0) is also a possibility if p [29] The residual value of the inelastic porosity fr is the numerator of (27) vanishes when the denominator 4 2 does not. takentobeintherange10 to 10 . This range is consistent with that estimated by Rudnicki and Chen [1988] (their o/do) from laboratory experiments of Teufel 4. Typical Values of the Problem Parameters [1981] and with values of the dilatancy parameter used by ò [25] The model, despite its simplicity, contains a number Segall and Rice [1995] (their ). 1 of material, geometric and loading parameters, but, as [30] The pore fluid compressibility Kf and thermal discussed above, these enter a smaller set of nondimen- expansivity bf that enter the effective compressibility 0 1 0 sional groups. Although the model is simple enough that it (K ) (6) and expansivity b (7) are functions of the pressure is possible to evaluate the response for a wide range of and temperature and, hence, will evolve with the slip. The parameters, we constrain that range to a realistic variation magnitude of the changes is, however, likely to be small for faults in situ. This section discusses the numerical values compared with values at the ambient pressure and temper- of dimensional parameters, corresponding values of dimen- ature. The solutions to be presented generally support this sionless constants governing the solution, and the variation supposition although very near instability or for hydrauli- of some of the relevant parameters with depth. For the most cally or thermally isolated faults, the changes can be part, we choose mechanical and hydraulic parameters con- sufficiently large that they should be included in a more 1 sistent with those used by Rudnicki and Chen [1988] and elaborate model. We do, however, include variations of Kf Segall and Rice [1995] and thermal parameters similar to and bf with depth because of variations of the ambient those of Lachenbruch [1980] and Mase and Smith [1987]. pressure po and temperature qo. Assuming hydrostatic con- ditions, the pore pressure gradient is about 10 MPa km 1 4.1. Dimensional Parameters and a representative geothermal gradient is 20–25 Ckm 1 [26] Following the study of Rudnicki and Chen [1988], [e.g., Henyey and Wasserburg, 1971; Lachenbruch and 2 1 we take G = 30 GPa, kG = 0.1 m s , mo = 0.6, dr =0.1m, Sass, 1973]. Assuming the pore fluid is liquid water, we GARAGASH AND RUDNICKI: SHEAR HEATING OF FAULT ZONE, 1 ESE 21 - 7