Experimental evidence for the simultaneous formation of pseudotachylyte and mylonite in the brittle regime

Jong Wook Kim, Jin Han Ree, Raehee Han, Toshihiko Shimamoto

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

33 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The coexistence of pseudotachylyte, a brittle fault rock representing seismic slip, and mylonite, a plastic or semiplastic fault rock associated with aseismic slip, has been debated for its origin in earthquake-generating faults. Deformation experiments on halite gouge at seismic slip rates show that mylonite forms simultaneously with frictional melt (pseudotachylyte) in the brittle regime, equivalent to upper crustal conditions. The plastic deformation of halite, resulting in mylonite, is facilitated by the conduction of heat from a slip-concentrated molten layer formed by frictional heating at seismic slip rates. Thus mylonites, which are (1) kinematically consistent and (2) just at the contact with pseudotachylyte, might have formed together with the pseudotachylyte in the brittle regime during seismic slip.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1143-1146
Number of pages4
JournalGeology
Volume38
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2010 Dec

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geology

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