Laboratory Earthquakes Nucleated by Fluid Injection

Marcello Gori, Vito Rubino, Ares J. Rosakis, & Nadia Lapusta

Published August 15, 2016, SCEC Contribution #6756, 2016 SCEC Annual Meeting Poster #035

Fluids play an important role in earthquake source processes. Numerous field observations have highlighted the connection between fluids and faulting in triggering events ranging from earthquakes to creeping motion. Our newly developed laboratory setup allows the rapid injection of fluid onto a frictional interface in an acrylic specimen loaded in compression and shear. The fluid injection has controlled fluid pressure, time, and flow rate. We have successfully nucleated dynamic ruptures by fluid injection and captured their propagation using our rich collection of diagnostics encompassing: (1) high-speed digital image correlation (DIC) for full field measurements of displacements, velocities, strains and stresses; (2) strain gage array for high-temporal resolution point-wise strain measurements; and (3) laser velocimetry for high-temporal resolution point-wise velocity measurements. Hence we can nucleate dynamic ruptures via the injection of fluid in a controlled laboratory environment. We plan to use the setup to explore the range of experimental parameters that leads to triggering dynamic events and/or slow slip.

Key Words
Fluid Injection, Laboratory, Earthquakes, Nucleation, Triggering, Slow Slip

Citation
Gori, M., Rubino, V., Rosakis, A. J., & Lapusta, N. (2016, 08). Laboratory Earthquakes Nucleated by Fluid Injection. Poster Presentation at 2016 SCEC Annual Meeting.

Related Projects & Working Groups
Fault and Rupture Mechanics (FARM)