Glass Microbeads in Analog Models of Thrust Wedges



Título del documento: Glass Microbeads in Analog Models of Thrust Wedges
Revista: Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias
Base de datos: PERIÓDICA
Número de sistema: 000418010
ISSN: 0001-3765
Autors: 1
1
Institucions: 1Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Departamento de Geologia, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais. Brasil
Any:
Període: Mar
Volum: 89
Número: 1
Paginació: 73-90
País: Brasil
Idioma: Inglés
Tipo de documento: Artículo
Enfoque: Experimental, aplicado
Resumen en inglés Glass microbeads are frequently used in analog physical modeling to simulate weak detachment zones but have been neglected in models of thrust wedges. Microbeads differ from quartz sand in grain shape and in low angle of internal friction. In this study, we compared the structural characteristics of microbeads and sand wedges. To obtain a better picture of their mechanical behavior, we determined the physical and frictional properties of microbeads using polarizing and scanning electron microscopy and ring-shear tests, respectively. We built shortening experiments with different basal frictions and measured the thickness, slope and length of the wedges and also the fault spacings. All the microbeads experiments revealed wedge geometries that were consistent with previous studies that have been performed with sand. However, the deformation features in the microbeads shortened over low to intermediate basal frictions were slightly different. Microbeads produced different fault geometries than sand as well as a different grain flow. In addition, they produced slip on minor faults, which was associated with distributed deformation and gave the microbeads wedges the appearance of disharmonic folds. We concluded that the glass microbeads may be used to simulate relatively competent rocks, like carbonates, which may be characterized by small-scale deformation features
Disciplines Geociencias
Paraules clau: Geología,
Modelos de deformación por compresión,
Arena,
Microesferas,
Caracterización física
Keyword: Geology,
Compressional deformation models,
Sand,
Microbeads,
Physical characterization
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