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C.A. Morrow

Publications and source records attributed to C.A. Morrow.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2025

Comparative properties of saponitic fault gouge and serpentinite muds cored from mud volcanoes of the Mariana subduction zone

We obtained 12 core samples for physical and chemical characterization from three serpentinite mud volcanoes (Yinazao, Asùt Tesoru, and Fantangisña) located on the forearc of the Mariana subduction system, that were drilled during International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 366. Two samples from the Fantangisña mud volcano are interpreted to be clay-rich fault gouges derived from the subduction channel. Their bulk compositions are intermediate between the serpentinites and oceanic basalts. The oceanic crustal materials in the gouges have been thoroughly metasomatized and the serpentinites extensively altered to the trioctahedral, Mg-rich smectite clays saponite and corrensite. The only relict phases in clasts of crustal rock are accessory Ti- and P-bearing minerals. The two fault gouge samples have lower frictional strengths ( μ < 0.2) than the serpentinites ( μ = 0.2–0.4), and their measured permeabilities are also somewhat lower. Their physical and compositional properties correspond to saponitic gouges from other faults that juxtapose serpentinite against crustal rocks, in particular gouges from the two creeping traces of the San Andreas Fault recovered in the core from the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth. The décollement beneath Fantangisña mud volcano is thus expected to be very weak and likely characterized by stable slip.

Geophysics, Geochemistry, Geosystems↗
USGS2012

Permeability of fault gouge under confining pressure and shear stress

The permeability of both clay-rich and non-clay gouges, as well as several pure clays, was studied as a function of confining pressures from 5 to 200 MPa and shear strain to 10. Permeability ranged over four orders of magnitude, from around 10 −22 to 10 −18 m 2 (1 darcy = 0.987 × 10 −12 m 2 ). The lowest values were characteristic of the montmorillonite-rich and finer grained non-clay gouges. Illite, kaolinite, and chlorite had intermediate permeabilities, while the highest values were typical of the serpentine and coarser grained non-clay gouges. Grain size was an important factor in determining permeability, particularly for the clay-rich samples. The coarse grained gouges were the most permeable and decreased in permeability after shearing. Conversely, the fine grained gouges had characteristically lower permeabilities that did not vary significantly after various amounts of shearing. The permeabilities of the non-clay samples were not significantly different than those of the clays. Therefore, comminuted rock flours can be equally as effective in reducing the flow of water as the characteristically low permeability clay gouges. The strengths of the samples were quite variable. The non-clay gouges were consistently the strongest, with yield points (beginning of nonelastic behavior) around 850 MPa, while montmorillonite had an anomalously low strength in relation to all the other gouges at 250 MPa. Strength of the saturated samples under drained (low pore pressure) conditions did not correlate with high or low permeability. However, the low permeabilities of these gouges could be a factor in the measured low shear stresses along fault regions if excess pore pressures were created as a result of shearing or compaction, and this pressure was unable to dissipate through a thick section of the material.

Journal of Geophysical Research Solid Earth↗
USGS2006

Frictional strength of cuttings and core from SAFOD drillhole phases 1 and 2

We investigated the frictional properties of drill cuttings and core obtained from 1.85-3.1 km true vertical depth in the SAFOD scientific borehole in central California. Triaxial frictional sliding experiments were conducted on samples from primary lithologic traits and significant shear zones, including the inferred active trace of the San Andreas fault. The samples were deformed at room temperature under constant effective normal stresses of 10, 40, and 80 MPa with axial shortening rates of 0.01-1.0 ??m s-1. The weakest samples were from shale, claystone, and siltstone units with friction coefficient ?? = 0.4-0.55. Stronger samples were from quartzo-feldspathic rocks with ?? ??? 0.6. Materials tested from two shear, zones at 2560 and 3067 m measured depth had ?? = 0.4-0.55 and velocity strengthening behavior consistent with fault creep at depths <4 km. The coefficient of friction for bulk samples from the inferred trace of the San Andreas fault was ???0.6. Copyright 2006 by the American Geophysical Union.

Geophysical Research Letters↗
USGS2006

Physical properties of two core samples from Well 34-9RD2 at the Coso geothermal field, California

The Coso geothermal field, located along the Eastern California Shear Zone, is composed of fractured granitic rocks above a shallow heat source. Temperatures exceed 640 ?F (~338 ?C) at a depth of less than 10000 feet (3 km). Permeability varies throughout the geothermal field due to the competing processes of alteration and mineral precipitation, acting to reduce the interconnectivity of faults and fractures, and the generation of new fractures through faulting and brecciation. Currently, several hot regions display very low permeability, not conducive to the efficient extraction of heat. Because high rates of seismicity in the field indicate that the area is highly stressed, enhanced permeability can be stimulated by increasing the fluid pressure at depth to induce faulting along the existing network of fractures. Such an Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS), planned for well 46A-19RD, would greatly facilitate the extraction of geothermal fluids from depth by increasing the extent and depth of the fracture network. In order to prepare for and interpret data from such a stimulation experiment, the physical properties and failure behavior of the target rocks must be fully understood. Various diorites and granodiorites are the predominant rock types in the target area of the well, which will be pressurized from 10000 feet measured depth (MD) (3048m MD) to the bottom of the well at 13,000 feet MD (3962 m MD). Because there are no core rocks currently available from well 46A-19RD, we report here on the results of compressive strength, frictional sliding behavior, and elastic measurements of a granodiorite and diorite from another well, 34-9RD2, at the Coso site. Rocks cored from well 34-9RD2 are the deepest samples to date available for testing, and are representative of rocks from the field in general.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2001

Permeability reduction in granite under hydrothermal conditions

The formation of impermeable fault seals between earthquake events is a feature of many models of earthquake generation, suggesting that earthquake recurrence may depend in part on the rate of permeability reduction of fault zone materials under hydrothermal conditions. In this study, permeability measurements were conducted on intact, fractured, and gouge-bearing Westerly granite at an effective pressure of 50 MPa and at temperatures from 150° to 500°C, simulating conditions in the earthquake-generating portions of fault zones. Pore fluids were cycled back and forth under a 2 MPa pressure differential for periods of up to 40 days. Permeability of the granite decreased with time t , following the exponential relation k = c (10 − rt ). For intact samples run between 250° and 500°C the time constant for permeability decrease r was proportional to temperature and ranged between 0.001 and 0.1 days −1 (i.e., between 0.4 and 40 decades year −1 loss of permeability). Values of r for the lower-temperature experiments differed little from the 250°C runs. In contrast, prefractured samples showed higher rates of permeability decrease at a given temperature. The surfaces of the fractured samples showed evidence of dissolution and mineral growth that increased in abundance with both temperature and time. The experimentally grown mineral assemblages varied with temperature and were consistent with a rock-dominated hydrothermal system. As such mineral deposits progressively seal the fractured samples, their rates of permeability decrease approach the rates for intact rocks at the same temperature. These results place constraints on models of precipitation sealing and suggest that fault rocks may seal at a rate consistent with earthquake recurrence intervals of typical fault zones.

California↗
USGS2001

Hayward Fault rocks: porosity, density, and strength measurements

Porosity, density and strength measurements were conducted on rock samples collected from the Hayward Fault region in Northern California as part of the Hayward Fault Working Group’s efforts to create a working model of the Hayward Fault. The rocks included in this study were both fine and coarse grained gabbros, altered keratophyre, basalt, sandstone, and serpentinite from various rock formations adjacent to the Hayward Fault. Densities ranged from a low of 2.25 gm/cc (altered keratophyre) to 3.05 gm/cc (fine gabbro), with an average of 2.6 gm/cc, typical of many other rocks. Porosities were generally around 1% or less, with the exception of the sandstone (7.6%) and altered keratophyre (13.5%). Failure and frictional sliding tests were conducted on intact rock cylinders at room temperature under effective pressure conditions of up to 192 MPa, simulating depths of burial to 12 km. Axial shortening of the samples progressed at a rate of 0.1 µm/sec (fine samples) or 0.2 µm/sec (porous samples) for 6 mm of displacement. Velocity stepping tests were then conducted for an additional 2 mm of displacement, for a total of 8 mm. Both peak strength (usually failure strength) and frictional strength, determined at 8 mm of displacement, increased systematically with effective pressure. Coefficients of friction, based on the observed fracture angles, ranged from 0.6 to 0.85, consistent with Byerlee’s Law. Possible secondary influences on the strength of the Hayward rock samples may be surface weathering, or a larger number of pre-existing fractures due to the proximity to the Hayward Fault. All samples showed velocity strengthening, so that the average a-b values were all strongly positive. There was no systematic relation between a-b values and effective pressure. Velocity strengthening behavior is associated with stable sliding (creep), as observed in the shallow portions of the Hayward Fault.

California↗
USGS2000

The effect of mineral bond strength and adsorbed water on fault gouge frictional strength

Recent studies suggest that the tendency of many fault gouge minerals to take on adsorbed or interlayer water may strongly influence their frictional strength. To test this hypothesis, triaxial sliding experiments were conducted on 15 different single-mineral gouges with various water-adsorbing affinities. Vacuum dried samples were sheared at 100 MPa, then saturated with water and sheared farther to compare dry and wet strengths. The coefficients of friction, μ, for the dry sheet-structure minerals (0.2-0.8), were related to mineral bond strength, and dropped 20-60% with the addition of water. For non-adsorbing minerals (μ = 0.6-0.8), the strength remained unchanged after saturation. These results confirm that the ability of minerals to adsorb various amounts of water is related to their relative frictional strengths, and may explain the anomalously low strength of certain natural fault gouges.

Geophysical Research Letters↗
USGS1997

Permeability and porosity of the Illinois UPH 3 drillhole granite and a comparison with other deep drillhole rocks

Permeability, porosity, and volumetric strain measurements were conducted on granite cores obtained at depths of 0.7 to 1.6 km from the Illinois UPH 3 drillhole at effective confining pressures from 5 to 100 MPa. Initial permeabilities were in the range of 10-17 to 10-19 m2 and dropped rapidly with applied pressure to values between 10-20 and 10-24 m2 at 100 MPa, typical of other deep granite core samples. These values are several decades lower than equivalent weathered surface granites at comparable effective confining pressures, where weathering products in cracks and pores inhibit crack closure with applied pressure. Permeabilities of the Illinois cores were inversely related to sample depth, suggesting that stress relief and thermal microfractures induced during core retrieval dominated the fluid flow. Thus these samples provide an upper bound on in situ matrix permeability values. A comparison of core permeability from UPH 3 and other deep drillholes shows that stress relief damage can often dominate laboratory permeability measurements. We conclude that it may be difficult to make meaningful estimates of in situ permeability based on either borehole samples (possible damage during retrieval) or surface-derived analogs (altered by weathering). Volumetric strain determined from porosity measurements was compared with differential strain analysis (DSA) data reported by other investigators on samples from the same depths in the drillhole. Our strain measurements (0.002 to 0.005 at 100 MPa) were nearly twice as large as the DSA values, probably because of the crack-enhancing effects of fluids present in our samples that are absent in the dry DSA cores, as well as other time-dependent deformation effects. This difference in observed strain magnitudes between the two measurement methods may be an important consideration if strain and/or porosity data from deep core samples are used in models of stress, fluid circulation, and excess fluid pressure generation in the midcrust.

Journal of Geophysical Research B: Solid Earth↗
USGS1991

A note on the frictional strength of laumontite from Cajon Pass, California

Laumontite mineralization is pervasive in joints and shear zones encountered in the Cajon Pass drillhole in southern California. In order to determine whether a gouge composed of this hydrated mineral affects shear strength in a manner similar to low-strength, clay-rich fault gouges, frictional sliding experiments were performed under dry, saturated and high pore pressure conditions at effective pressures up to 450 MPa. Coefficients of friction ranged between 0.66 and 0.84, consistent with most crustal rocks and well above the values typical of clay-rich San Andreas fault gouges. Saturation state had no effect on strength or sliding stability. These results suggest that the presence of laumontite in shear zones at Cajon Pass will not affect the shear strength of the rock in a way that can account for the inferred low ambient shear stresses. -Authors

Geophysical Research Letters↗
USGS1989

Experimental studies of compaction and dilatancy during frictional sliding on faults containing gouge

Transient strength changes are observed in fault gouge materials when the velocity of shearing is varied. A transient stress peak is produced when the strain rate in the gouge is suddenly increased, whereas a transient stress drop results from a sudden change to a slower strain rate. We have studied the mechanism responsible for these observations by performing frictional sliding experiments on sawcut granite samples filled with a layer of several different fault gouge types. Changes in pore volume and strength were monitored as the sliding velocity alternated between fast and slow rates. Pore volume increased at the faster strain rate, indicating a dilation of the gouge layer, whereas volume decreased at the slower rate indicating compaction. These results verify that gouge dilation is a function of strain rate. Pore volume changed until an equilibrium void ratio of the granular material was reached for a particular rate of strain. Using arguments from soil mechanics, we find that the dense gouge was initially overconsolidated relative to the equilibrium level, whereas the loose gouge was initially underconsolidated relative to this level. Therefore, the transient stress behavior must be due to the overconsolidated state of the gouge at the new rate when the velocity is increased and to the underconsolidated state when the velocity is lowered. Time-dependent compaction was also shown to cause a transient stress response similar to the velocity-dependent behavior. This may be important in natural fault gouges as they become consolidated and stronger with time. In addition, the strain hardening of the gouge during shearing was found to be a function of velocity, rendering it difficult to quantify the change in equilibrium shear stress when velocity is varied under certain conditions.

Journal of Structural Geology↗
USGS1985

PERMEABILITY CHANGES IN CRYSTALLINE ROCKS DUE TO TEMPERATURE: EFFECTS OF MINERAL ASSEMBLAGE.

The change in permeability with time of granite, quartzite, anorthosite and gabbro was measured while these rocks were subjected to a temperature gradient. Permeability reductions of up to two orders of magnitude were observed, with the greatest reactions occurring in the quartzite. These changes are thought to be caused by dissolution of minerals at high temperatures, and redeposition of the dissolved material at lower temperatures. Quartz appears to be an important mineral in this self-sealing process. If very low permeability is desired around a nuclear waste repository in crystalline rocks, then a quartz-rich rock may be the most appropriate host.

Conference Paper↗
USGS1983

Chemical reactions accompanying fluid flow through granite held in a temperature gradient

Distilled water was passed at a low rate down a temperature gradient through cylinders of Barre and Westerly Granite. Temperatures ranged from 80–100°C at the outer edges of the cylinders to 250–300°C in central, drilled holes which housed the heating coils. The measured permeabilities of the granite cylinders decreased by as much as two orders of magnitude in experiments of 1–3 weeks' duration. The amount of permeability decrease varied directly with temperature and inversely with the rate of fluid flow. The compositions of the fluids discharged from the granites were functions of temperature and flow rate as well as mineral composition, with dissolved silica concentrations showing trends different from those of the other analyzed species. Fluids from experiments run at higher temperatures but at much lower initial rates of fluid flow had higher concentrations of most ions but substantially lower dissolved silica contents. In contrast, an increase in temperature at similar rates of fluid flow resulted in higher silica concentrations. In the experiments, the distilled water acquired enough dissolved materials at high temperatures to become supersaturated with respect to several minerals at the low-temperature edges of the cylinders. Some of this material, particularly silica, was deposited along grain boundaries and microfractures, causing the observed permeability decreases. The very low rates of fluid flow in some high-temperature experiments significantly increased the rates of SiO 2 precipitation and reduced dissolved silica concentrations relative to other species in the discharged fluids.

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta↗