Temperature-dependent frictional properties of heterogeneous Hikurangi Subduction Zone input sediments, ODP Site 1124

Carolyn Boulton; André R. Niemeijer; Christopher J. Hollis; John Townend; Mark D. Raven; Denise K. Kulhanek; Claire L. Shepherd

doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2019.02.006

Temperature-dependent frictional properties of heterogeneous Hikurangi Subduction Zone input sediments, ODP Site 1124

Carolyn Boulton^*
, André R. Niemeijer
, Christopher J. Hollis
, John Townend
, Mark D. Raven
, Denise K. Kulhanek
, Claire L. Shepherd

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

The Hikurangi Subduction Zone (HSZ), New Zealand, accommodates westward subduction of the Pacific Plate. Where imaged seismically, the shallow HSZ décollement (<10–15 km depth) occurs within or along the upper contact of Late Cretaceous-Paleogene (70–32 million-year-old) sediments. The frictional properties of Paleogene sediments recovered from Ocean Drilling Program Leg 181, Site 1124 were measured at 60 MPa effective normal stress and varying sliding velocities (V = 0.3–30 µm/s) and temperatures (T = 25–225 °C). Velocity-stepping experiments were conducted at temperatures of 25 °C, 75 °C, 150 °C, and 225 °C to determine the friction rate parameter (a–b). Paleocene and Oligocene clay-bearing nannofossil chalks (μ = 0.45–0.61) and a middle Eocene clayey nannofossil chalk (μ = 0.35–0.51) are frictionally stronger than smectite-bearing Eocene clays (μ = 0.16–0.31). With increasing temperature, chalks show rate-strengthening to rate-weakening frictional stability trends; clays show rate-weakening and rate-neutral to rate-strengthening frictional stability trends. The results obtained from Site 1124 sediments indicate that: (1) fault-zone weakness may not require pore-fluid overpressures; (2) clays and chalks can host frictional instabilities; and (3) heterogeneous frictional properties can promote variable slip behaviour.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	123-139
Number of pages	17
Journal	Tectonophysics
Volume	757
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2019.02.006
Publication status	Published - 20 Apr 2019

Funding

This research used archival ODP samples provided by the International Ocean Discovery Program. The Royal Society of New Zealand supports C.B. through a Rutherford Postdoctoral Fellowship RFT-VUW1601-PD , with additional funds provided by Victoria University of Wellington . ERC starting grant SEISMIC ( 335915 ) and the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research ( NWO ) VIDI grant 854.12.011 supports A.R.N. This work was performed with assistance from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, Grant Agreement N. 67654, Multi-scale laboratories Trans-national Access pilot, partly financed by NWO Internationalisation in the Earth and Life Sciences programme project number ALWIN.004. L. Hunfeld, T. Wolterbeek, E. de Graaf, and T. van der Gon Netscher provided excellent technical assistance. Results and data are tabulated in Table 1 and in Appendix A. Helpful discussions with S. Ellis and T. Little improved this manuscript. We thank F. Meneghini, M. Scuderi, and Editor P. Agard for constructive comments. The authors have no conflicts of interest. Appendix A

Keywords

Creep
Friction
Mineralogy
Seismicity
Stability
Subduction zone

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10.1016/j.tecto.2019.02.006

Temperature-dependent frictional propertiesFinal published version, 4.33 MBLicence: Taverne

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@article{b760cf26a3b640199e47d535e6c031e3,

title = "Temperature-dependent frictional properties of heterogeneous Hikurangi Subduction Zone input sediments, ODP Site 1124",

abstract = "The Hikurangi Subduction Zone (HSZ), New Zealand, accommodates westward subduction of the Pacific Plate. Where imaged seismically, the shallow HSZ d{\'e}collement (<10–15 km depth) occurs within or along the upper contact of Late Cretaceous-Paleogene (70–32 million-year-old) sediments. The frictional properties of Paleogene sediments recovered from Ocean Drilling Program Leg 181, Site 1124 were measured at 60 MPa effective normal stress and varying sliding velocities (V = 0.3–30 µm/s) and temperatures (T = 25–225 °C). Velocity-stepping experiments were conducted at temperatures of 25 °C, 75 °C, 150 °C, and 225 °C to determine the friction rate parameter (a–b). Paleocene and Oligocene clay-bearing nannofossil chalks (μ = 0.45–0.61) and a middle Eocene clayey nannofossil chalk (μ = 0.35–0.51) are frictionally stronger than smectite-bearing Eocene clays (μ = 0.16–0.31). With increasing temperature, chalks show rate-strengthening to rate-weakening frictional stability trends; clays show rate-weakening and rate-neutral to rate-strengthening frictional stability trends. The results obtained from Site 1124 sediments indicate that: (1) fault-zone weakness may not require pore-fluid overpressures; (2) clays and chalks can host frictional instabilities; and (3) heterogeneous frictional properties can promote variable slip behaviour.",

keywords = "Creep, Friction, Mineralogy, Seismicity, Stability, Subduction zone",

author = "Carolyn Boulton and Niemeijer, \{Andr{\'e} R.\} and Hollis, \{Christopher J.\} and John Townend and Raven, \{Mark D.\} and Kulhanek, \{Denise K.\} and Shepherd, \{Claire L.\}",

year = "2019",

month = apr,

day = "20",

doi = "10.1016/j.tecto.2019.02.006",

language = "English",

volume = "757",

pages = "123--139",

journal = "Tectonophysics",

issn = "0040-1951",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Temperature-dependent frictional properties of heterogeneous Hikurangi Subduction Zone input sediments, ODP Site 1124

AU - Boulton, Carolyn

AU - Niemeijer, André R.

AU - Hollis, Christopher J.

AU - Townend, John

AU - Raven, Mark D.

AU - Kulhanek, Denise K.

AU - Shepherd, Claire L.

PY - 2019/4/20

Y1 - 2019/4/20

N2 - The Hikurangi Subduction Zone (HSZ), New Zealand, accommodates westward subduction of the Pacific Plate. Where imaged seismically, the shallow HSZ décollement (<10–15 km depth) occurs within or along the upper contact of Late Cretaceous-Paleogene (70–32 million-year-old) sediments. The frictional properties of Paleogene sediments recovered from Ocean Drilling Program Leg 181, Site 1124 were measured at 60 MPa effective normal stress and varying sliding velocities (V = 0.3–30 µm/s) and temperatures (T = 25–225 °C). Velocity-stepping experiments were conducted at temperatures of 25 °C, 75 °C, 150 °C, and 225 °C to determine the friction rate parameter (a–b). Paleocene and Oligocene clay-bearing nannofossil chalks (μ = 0.45–0.61) and a middle Eocene clayey nannofossil chalk (μ = 0.35–0.51) are frictionally stronger than smectite-bearing Eocene clays (μ = 0.16–0.31). With increasing temperature, chalks show rate-strengthening to rate-weakening frictional stability trends; clays show rate-weakening and rate-neutral to rate-strengthening frictional stability trends. The results obtained from Site 1124 sediments indicate that: (1) fault-zone weakness may not require pore-fluid overpressures; (2) clays and chalks can host frictional instabilities; and (3) heterogeneous frictional properties can promote variable slip behaviour.

AB - The Hikurangi Subduction Zone (HSZ), New Zealand, accommodates westward subduction of the Pacific Plate. Where imaged seismically, the shallow HSZ décollement (<10–15 km depth) occurs within or along the upper contact of Late Cretaceous-Paleogene (70–32 million-year-old) sediments. The frictional properties of Paleogene sediments recovered from Ocean Drilling Program Leg 181, Site 1124 were measured at 60 MPa effective normal stress and varying sliding velocities (V = 0.3–30 µm/s) and temperatures (T = 25–225 °C). Velocity-stepping experiments were conducted at temperatures of 25 °C, 75 °C, 150 °C, and 225 °C to determine the friction rate parameter (a–b). Paleocene and Oligocene clay-bearing nannofossil chalks (μ = 0.45–0.61) and a middle Eocene clayey nannofossil chalk (μ = 0.35–0.51) are frictionally stronger than smectite-bearing Eocene clays (μ = 0.16–0.31). With increasing temperature, chalks show rate-strengthening to rate-weakening frictional stability trends; clays show rate-weakening and rate-neutral to rate-strengthening frictional stability trends. The results obtained from Site 1124 sediments indicate that: (1) fault-zone weakness may not require pore-fluid overpressures; (2) clays and chalks can host frictional instabilities; and (3) heterogeneous frictional properties can promote variable slip behaviour.

KW - Creep

KW - Friction

KW - Mineralogy

KW - Seismicity

KW - Stability

KW - Subduction zone

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85063223435

U2 - 10.1016/j.tecto.2019.02.006

DO - 10.1016/j.tecto.2019.02.006

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85063223435

SN - 0040-1951

VL - 757

SP - 123

EP - 139

JO - Tectonophysics

JF - Tectonophysics

ER -

Temperature-dependent frictional properties of heterogeneous Hikurangi Subduction Zone input sediments, ODP Site 1124

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Keywords

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