Importance of thermochemical pressurization in the dynamic weakening of the Longmenshan Fault during the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake: Inferences from experiments and modeling

We determined the internal structure and mineral composition of the Yingxiu-Beichuan fault zone at the Zhaojiagou exposure and measured frictional and transport properties of the fault rocks collected to gain a better understanding of dynamic weakening mechanisms during seismic fault motion. This fault is a major fault in the Longmenshan fault system that caused the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. The exposure studied is located midway along the surface rupture, close to where the largest coseismic displacement occurred. High-velocity friction experiments reveal exponential slip weakening from a peak friction toward a steady state value. Slip weakening is more pronounced for water-dampened gouge than dry gouge, suggesting thermal pressurization. The fault gouge has a very low permeability (< 10−21 m2 at 165 MPa effective pressure) and is surrounded by fault breccia with a permeability of 10−19 to 10−17 m2, grading into less permeable, fractured country rocks. The fault zone thus exhibits a “conduit/barrier” structure, allowing fluid flow only in the breccia zone. We numerically modeled coseismic slip weakening including thermal pressurization and mineral dehydration/decarbonation, basing our calculation on measured frictional and transport properties and on the slip history inferred for the Wenchuan earthquake. The results indicate that (1) thermochemical pressurization played an important role in causing dynamic slip weakening, (2) the slip-weakening distance is similar to the seismologically determined values, and (3) pore pressures might have exceeded the normal stress, thus maintaining temperatures below 600°C. Interestingly, enough heat was generated to fully remove and thermally pressurize the interlayer water from smectite, contributing an excess pore pressure of ~ 6 MPa. In addition, we found that the incorporation of state-dependent fluid properties predicts much more efficient fluid pressurization than using constant properties. The dramatic weakening predicted probably offers a compelling explanation for the large coseismic displacement and slip acceleration observed near Beichuan city