Friction-Stability-Permeability Evolution of a Fracture in Granite

Ishibashi, Takuya; Elsworth, Derek; Fang, Yi; Riviere, Jacques; Madara, Benjamin; Asanuma, Hiroshi; Watanabe, Noriaki; Marone, Chris

doi:10.1029/2018wr022598

Title: Friction-Stability-Permeability Evolution of a Fracture in Granite

Journal Article · 06 November 2018 · Water Resources Research

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2018wr022598 · OSTI ID:1613389

^[1];

^[2];

^[3];

^[4];

^[2];

^[5];

^[6];

^[2]

National Inst. of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Koriyama (Japan); DOE/OSTI
Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)
Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States); Univ. Grenoble Alpes (France)
National Inst. of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Koriyama (Japan)
Tohoku Univ., Aoba‐ku (Japan)

The evolution of frictional strength, stability, and fracture permeability is intimately linked both to the seismic cycle and to the impact of hydraulic stimulation for fractured reservoirs. However, despite this importance, the poromechanical relationships between fault permeability and strength remain unclear. The present study explores this relationship via laboratory experiments for concurrent shear-flow on smooth fractures of Westerly granite. The novelty of these experiments is that the shear velocity is precisely controlled during the measurement of fracture permeability. Results indicate permeability enhancement during velocity-weakening (potentially unstable) frictional slip. To decipher key processes contributing to this response, we evaluate the state of contacting asperities and of fracture surface asperities via digital rock fracture modeling of statistically equivalent surfaces. We propose two plausible mechanisms constraining the relationship between friction and permeability evolution—one based on changes in asperity contact distribution and one on shear-induced dilation triggered by changes in fault slip velocity. Finally, these mechanisms should be taken into account in interpreting field observation such as the abrupt permeability increase of natural faults at the onset of seismic slip.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Cite

Export

Save

Research Organization:: Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

Grant/Contract Number:: EE0006762; FE0023354

OSTI ID:: 1613389

Journal Information:: Water Resources Research, Journal Name: Water Resources Research Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 54; ISSN 0043-1397

Publisher:: American Geophysical Union (AGU)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (63)

Flow rate dictates permeability enhancement during fluid pressure oscillations in laboratory experiments: Dynamic permeability enhancement Candela, Thibault; Brodsky, Emily E.; Marone, Chris Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 120, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JB011511	journal	April 2015
Beyond-laboratory-scale prediction for channeling flows through subsurface rock fractures with heterogeneous aperture distributions revealed by laboratory evaluation: Scale dependencies for fracture flows Ishibashi, Takuya; Watanabe, Noriaki; Hirano, Nobuo Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 120, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JB011555	journal	January 2015
Linking microearthquakes to fracture permeability change: The role of surface roughness: LINKING MEQS TO PERMEABILITY CHANGE Ishibashi, Takuya; Watanabe, Noriaki; Asanuma, Hiroshi Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 43, Issue 14 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069478	journal	July 2016
Evidence for a transient hydromechanical and frictional faulting response during the 2011 M _w 5.6 Prague, Oklahoma earthquake sequence : FAULTING RESPONSE AT PRAGUE Norbeck, J. H.; Horne, R. N. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 121, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JB013148	journal	December 2016
Frictional stability-permeability relationships for fractures in shales: Friction-Permeability Relationships Fang, Yi; Elsworth, Derek; Wang, Chaoyi Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 122, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JB013435	journal	March 2017
Influence of weakening minerals on ensemble strength and slip stability of faults: Influence of Weakening Minerals on Fault Wang, Chaoyi; Elsworth, Derek; Fang, Yi Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 122, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JB013687	journal	September 2017
The influence of Preslip Sealing on the Permeability Evolution of Fractures and Faults Im, Kyungjae; Elsworth, Derek; Fang, Yi Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 45, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL076216	journal	January 2018
Critical Evolution of Damage Toward System-Size Failure in Crystalline Rock Renard, François; Weiss, Jérôme; Mathiesen, Joachim Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 123, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JB014964	journal	February 2018
Frictional properties of shale reservoir rocks: SHALE FRICTIONAL PROPERTIES Kohli, Arjun H.; Zoback, Mark D. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 118, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1002/jgrb.50346	journal	September 2013
Time-Dependent Friction and the Mechanics of Stick-Slip Dieterich, James H. Rock Friction and Earthquake Prediction, p. 790-806 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7182-2_15	book	January 1978
Time-dependent friction and the mechanics of stick-slip Dieterich, James H. Pure and Applied Geophysics PAGEOPH, Vol. 116, Issue 4-5 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00876539	journal	January 1978
Strength, deformation and conductivity coupling of rock joints Barton, N.; Bandis, S.; Bakhtar, K. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences & Geomechanics Abstracts, Vol. 22, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-9062(85)93227-9	journal	June 1985
The Mechanics of Earthquakes and Faulting Shimamoto, Toshihiko Journal of Structural Geology, Vol. 15, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1016/0191-8141(93)90067-k	journal	June 1993
Development of a shear-flow test apparatus and determination of coupled properties for a single rock joint Esaki, T.; Du, S.; Mitani, Y. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, Vol. 36, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148-9062(99)00044-3	journal	July 1999
An experimental investigation of hydraulic behaviour of fractures and joints in granitic rock Chen, Z.; Narayan, S. P.; Yang, Z. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, Vol. 37, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1016/S1365-1609(00)00039-3	journal	October 2000
An improved model for hydromechanical coupling during shearing of rock joints Olsson, R.; Barton, N. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, Vol. 38, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/S1365-1609(00)00079-4	journal	April 2001
Exploring the scale-dependent permeability of fractured andesite Heap, Michael J.; Kennedy, Ben M. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 447 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2016.05.004	journal	August 2016
Emergence of anomalous transport in stressed rough fractures Kang, Peter K.; Brown, Stephen; Juanes, Ruben Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 454 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2016.08.033	journal	November 2016
Characterisation of the Basel 1 enhanced geothermal system Häring, Markus O.; Schanz, Ulrich; Ladner, Florentin Geothermics, Vol. 37, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geothermics.2008.06.002	journal	October 2008
Size effect on aperture and permeability of a fracture as estimated in large synthetic fractures Matsuki, K.; Chida, Y.; Sakaguchi, K. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, Vol. 43, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2005.12.001	journal	July 2006
The Mechanics of Earthquakes and Faulting Scholz, Christopher H. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316681473	book	December 2018
The Mechanics of Earthquakes and Faulting Scholz, Christopher H. Cambridge University Press https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511818516	book	January 2012
Effect of humidity on granular friction at room temperature: EFFECT OF HUMIDITY ON GRANULAR FRICTION Frye, Kevin M.; Marone, Chris Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 107, Issue B11 https://doi.org/10.1029/2001JB000654	journal	November 2002
Fluid flow in synthetic rough-walled fractures: Navier-Stokes, Stokes, and local cubic law simulations: FLUID FLOW IN ROUGH-WALLED FRACTURES Brush, David J.; Thomson, Neil R. Water Resources Research, Vol. 39, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1029/2002WR001346	journal	April 2003
Permeability creation and damage due to massive fluid injections into granite at 3.5 km at Soultz: 1. Borehole observations: PERMEABILITY CREATION IN GRANITE Evans, Keith F.; Genter, Albert; Sausse, Judith Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 110, Issue B4 https://doi.org/10.1029/2004JB003168	journal	April 2005
Influence of shear and deviatoric stress on the evolution of permeability in fractured rock: PERMEABILITY IN FRACTURED ROCKS Faoro, Igor; Niemeijer, Andre; Marone, Chris Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 114, Issue B1 https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JB005372	journal	January 2009
Diversity of channeling flow in heterogeneous aperture distribution inferred from integrated experimental‐numerical analysis on flow through shear fracture in granite Watanabe, Noriaki; Hirano, Nobuo; Tsuchiya, Noriyoshi Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 114, Issue B4 https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JB005959	journal	January 2009
Shear-induced dilatancy of fluid-saturated faults: Experiment and theory Samuelson, Jon; Elsworth, Derek; Marone, Chris Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 114, Issue B12 https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JB006273	journal	January 2009
Laboratory observations of permeability enhancement by fluid pressure oscillation of in situ fractured rock Elkhoury, Jean E.; Niemeijer, André; Brodsky, Emily E. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 116, Issue B2 https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JB007759	journal	January 2011
Constant dimensionality of fault roughness from the scale of micro-fractures to the scale of continents: DIMENSIONALITY OF FAULT ROUGHNESS Renard, François; Candela, Thibault; Bouchaud, Elisabeth Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 40, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1029/2012GL054143	journal	January 2013
Mineralogical Controls on Frictional Strength, Stability, and Shear Permeability Evolution of Fractures Fang, Yi; Elsworth, Derek; Wang, Chaoyi Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 123, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1029/2017JB015338	journal	May 2018
Velocity dependent friction of granite over a wide range of conditions Kilgore, Brian D.; Blanpied, Michael L.; Dieterich, James H. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 20, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1029/93GL00368	journal	May 1993
Wear processes during frictional sliding of rock: A theoretical and experimental study Wang, Weibin; Scholz, Christopher H. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 99, Issue B4 https://doi.org/10.1029/93JB02875	journal	January 1994
Applicability of the Reynolds Equation for modeling fluid flow between rough surfaces Brown, Stephen R.; Stockman, Harlan W.; Reeves, Sally J. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 22, Issue 18 https://doi.org/10.1029/95GL02666	journal	September 1995
Frictional slip of granite at hydrothermal conditions Blanpied, Michael L.; Lockner, David A.; Byerlee, James D. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 100, Issue B7 https://doi.org/10.1029/95JB00862	journal	July 1995
A governing equation for fluid flow in rough fractures Ge, Shemin Water Resources Research, Vol. 33, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1029/96WR02588	journal	January 1997
Quantitative measure of the variation in fault rheology due to fluid-rock interactions Blanpied, M. L.; Marone, C. J.; Lockner, D. A. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 103, Issue B5 https://doi.org/10.1029/98JB00162	journal	May 1998
Frictional behavior of granite at low and high sliding velocities Blanpied, M. L.; Tullis, T. E.; Weeks, J. D. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 14, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1029/GL014i005p00554	journal	May 1987
Fractal study and simulation of fracture roughness Kumar, Sunil; Bodvarsson, Gudmundur S. Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 17, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1029/GL017i006p00701	journal	May 1990
Modeling of rock friction: 1. Experimental results and constitutive equations Dieterich, James H. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 84, Issue B5 https://doi.org/10.1029/JB084iB05p02161	journal	January 1979
Effect of pressure and stress on water transport in intact and fractured gabbro and granite Trimmer, D.; Bonner, B.; Heard, H. C. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 85, Issue B12 https://doi.org/10.1029/JB085iB12p07059	journal	January 1980
Hydromechanical behavior of a deformable rock fracture subject to normal stress Tsang, Y. W.; Witherspoon, P. A. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 86, Issue B10 https://doi.org/10.1029/JB086iB10p09287	journal	October 1981
Slip instability and state variable friction laws Ruina, Andy Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 88, Issue B12 https://doi.org/10.1029/JB088iB12p10359	journal	December 1983
Effective pressure law for permeability of westerly granite under cyclic loading Morrow, C. A.; Zhang, Bo-Chong; Byerlee, J. D. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 91, Issue B3 https://doi.org/10.1029/JB091iB03p03870	journal	March 1986
Fluid flow through rock joints: The effect of surface roughness Brown, Stephen R. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 92, Issue B2 https://doi.org/10.1029/JB092iB02p01337	journal	January 1987
Roughness and wear during brittle faulting Power, William L.; Tullis, Terry E.; Weeks, John D. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 93, Issue B12 https://doi.org/10.1029/JB093iB12p15268	journal	December 1988
Frictional behavior and constitutive modeling of simulated fault gouge Marone, Chris; Raleigh, C. Barry; Scholz, C. H. Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 95, Issue B5 https://doi.org/10.1029/JB095iB05p07007	journal	January 1990
Validity of Cubic Law for fluid flow in a deformable rock fracture Witherspoon, P. A.; Wang, J. S. Y.; Iwai, K. Water Resources Research, Vol. 16, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1029/WR016i006p01016	journal	December 1980
Scaling of the critical slip distance for seismic faulting with shear strain in fault zones Marone, Chris; Kilgore, Brian Nature, Vol. 362, Issue 6421 https://doi.org/10.1038/362618a0	journal	April 1993
Seismic waves increase permeability Elkhoury, Jean E.; Brodsky, Emily E.; Agnew, Duncan C. Nature, Vol. 441, Issue 7097 https://doi.org/10.1038/nature04798	journal	June 2006
Approaching a universal scaling relationship between fracture stiffness and fluid flow Pyrak-Nolte, Laura J.; Nolte, David D. Nature Communications, Vol. 7, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms10663	journal	February 2016
Laboratory observations of slow earthquakes and the spectrum of tectonic fault slip modes Leeman, J. R.; Saffer, D. M.; Scuderi, M. M. Nature Communications, Vol. 7, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms11104	journal	March 2016
The role of fluid pressure in induced vs. triggered seismicity: insights from rock deformation experiments on carbonates Scuderi, Marco M.; Collettini, Cristiano Scientific Reports, Vol. 6, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/srep24852	journal	April 2016
Physical analysis of the state- and rate-dependent friction law. II. Dynamic friction Baumberger, T.; Berthoud, P.; Caroli, C. Physical Review B, Vol. 60, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.60.3928	journal	August 1999
Laboratory observations of fault transmissibility alteration in carbonate rock during direct shearing Giwelli, A.; Delle Piane, C.; Esteban, L. Geofluids, Vol. 16, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1111/gfl.12183	journal	June 2016
Stability of Steady Frictional Slipping Rice, J. R.; Ruina, A. L. Journal of Applied Mechanics, Vol. 50, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3167042	journal	June 1983
Injection-Induced Earthquakes Ellsworth, W. L. Science, Vol. 341, Issue 6142 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1225942	journal	July 2013
Continuous Permeability Measurements Record Healing Inside the Wenchuan Earthquake Fault Zone Xue, Lian; Li, Hai-Bing; Brodsky, Emily E. Science, Vol. 340, Issue 6140 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1237237	journal	June 2013
Slow Earthquakes, Preseismic Velocity Changes, and the Origin of Slow Frictional Stick-Slip Kaproth, B. M.; Marone, C. Science, Vol. 341, Issue 6151 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1239577	journal	August 2013
Seismicity triggered by fluid injection-induced aseismic slip Guglielmi, Y.; Cappa, F.; Avouac, J. -P. Science, Vol. 348, Issue 6240 https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aab0476	journal	June 2015
Wear and gouge formation in brittle faulting Scholz, Christopher H. Geology, Vol. 15, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1987)15<493:WAGFIB>2.0.CO;2	journal	January 1987
Laboratory-Derived Friction laws and Their Application to Seismic Faulting Marone, Chris Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Vol. 26, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.earth.26.1.643	journal	May 1998
Investigation of injection-induced seismicity using a coupled fluid flow and rate/state friction model McClure, Mark W.; Horne, Roland N. GEOPHYSICS, Vol. 76, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1190/geo2011-0064.1	journal	November 2011

Cited By (4)

Slip Velocity Dependence of Friction-Permeability Response of Shale Fractures Jia, Yunzhong; Fang, Yi; Elsworth, Derek Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, Vol. 53, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-019-02036-8	journal	December 2019
Seismic Response to Injection Well Stimulation in a High‐Temperature, High‐Permeability Reservoir Hopp, Chet; Sewell, Steven; Mroczek, Stefan Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, Vol. 20, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1029/2019gc008243	journal	June 2019
Collapse of Reacted Fracture Surface Decreases Permeability and Frictional Strength Spokas, K.; Fang, Y.; Fitts, J. P. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 124, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1029/2019jb017805	journal	December 2019
Fracture Unclogging: A Numerical Study of Seismically Induced Viscous Shear Stresses in Fluid‐Saturated Fractured Rocks Barbosa, Nicolás D.; Hunziker, Jürg; Lissa, Simón Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 124, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1029/2019jb017984	journal	November 2019

Similar Records

Permeability Evolution and Frictional Stability of Fabricated Fractures With Specified Roughness

Journal Article · 2018 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth · OSTI ID:1614208

Fang, Yi; Elsworth, Derek; Ishibashi, Takuya; +1 more

Mineralogical Controls on Frictional Strength, Stability, and Shear Permeability Evolution of Fractures

Journal Article · 2018 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth · OSTI ID:1539725

Fang, Yi; Elsworth, Derek; Wang, Chaoyi; +1 more

Frictional stability-permeability relationships for fractures in shales

Journal Article · 2017 · Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth · OSTI ID:1355030

Fang, Yi; Elsworth, Derek; Wang, Chaoyi; +2 more

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
environmental sciences & ecology
fictional coefficient
flow channel
marine & freshwater biology
permeability change
rock fracture
surface roughness
unstable slip
water resources

Title: Friction-Stability-Permeability Evolution of a Fracture in Granite

Citation Formats

References (63)

Cited By (4)

Similar Records

Related Subjects