Title: Mechanism of formation of wiggly compaction bands in porous sandstone: 1. Observations and conceptual model

Abstract

Abstract Field observations are combined with microscopic analyses to investigate the mechanism of formation of wiggly compaction bands (CBs) in the porous Jurassic aeolian Aztec Sandstone exposed at Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada. Among the three types of CBs (T1, T2, and T3), we focused on the wiggly CBs (T3), which show a chevron (T3 ₁ ) or wavy (T3 ₂ ) pattern with typical corner angles of approximately 90° or 130°, respectively. Where corner angles of wiggly CBs increase to 180°, they become straight CBs (T3 ₃ ). Image analyses of thin sections using an optical microscope show host rock porosity increases downslope in this dune, and the predominant type of wiggly CBs also varies from chevron to straight CBs. Specifically, band type varies continuously from chevron to wavy to straight where the porosity and grain sorting of the host rock increase systematically. Based on the crack and anticrack models, we infer that the change from chevron to straight CBs is due to increasing failure angle of the sandstone and this may correlate with increasing grain sorting. Wavy CBs with intermediate failure angle and host rock porosity are an intermediate stage between chevron and straight CBs. Previous sedimentologicalmore » studies also have suggested that grain size and sorting degree increase downslope on the downwind side of sand dunes due to a sieving process of the wind‐blown grains. Therefore, the transition of wiggly CB types in this regard correlates with increasing sorting and perhaps with increasing porosity downslope.« less

Authors:

Liu, Chun ^[1]; Pollard, David D. ^[2]; Deng, Shang ^[3]; Aydin, Atilla ^[2]

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Nanjing Univ., Nanjing (China); Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA (United States)
2. Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA (United States)
3. Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA (United States); Sinopec Group, Beijing (China)

Publication Date:

Tue Nov 17 00:00:00 EST 2015

Research Org.:

The Leland Stanford Junior Univ., Palo, Alto, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1468439

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1402308

Grant/Contract Number:  

FG02-04ER15588; DE‐FG02‐04ER15588

Resource Type:

Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:

Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Volume: 120; Journal Issue: 12; Journal ID: ISSN 2169-9313

Publisher:

American Geophysical Union

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

58 GEOSCIENCES; wiggly compaction band; formation mechanism; sandstone deformation; porosity; grain sorting