Benchmarking analogue models of brittle thrust wedges
| Type | Article | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | 2016-11 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Language | English | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Author(s) | Schreurs Guido1, Buiter Susanne J. H.2, 3, Boutelier Jennifer4, Burberry Caroline5, Callot Jean-Paul6, Cavozzi Cristian7, Cerca Mariano8, Chen Jian-Hong9, Cristallini Ernesto10, Cruden Alexander R.11, Cruz Leonardo12, Daniel Jean-Marc 6, Da Poian Gabriela10, Garcia Victor H.10, Gomes Caroline J. S.13, Grall Celine6, Guillot Yannick14, Guzman Cecilia10, Hidayah Triyani Nur15, Hilley George16, Klinkmuller Matthias1, Koyi Hemin A.5, Lu Chia-Yu17, Maillot Bertrand18, Meriaux Catherine, Nilfouroushan Faramarz, Pan Chang-Chih9, Pillot Daniel6, Portillo Rodrigo8, Rosenau Matthias20, Schellart Wouter P.19, Schlische Roy W.15, Take Andy21, Vendeville Bruno22, Vergnaud Marine6, Vettori Matteo7, Wang Shih-Hsien9, Withjack Martha O.15, Yagupsky Daniel10, Yamada Yasuhiro23 |
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| Affiliation(s) | 1 : Univ Bern, Inst Geol Sci, Baltzerstr 1 & 3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland. 2 : Geol Survey Norway, Geodynam Team, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway. 3 : Univ Oslo, Ctr Earth Evolut & Dynam, POB 1048, N-0316 Oslo, Norway. 4 : Univ Toronto, Dept Geol, 22 Russell St, Toronto, ON M5S 3B1, Canada. 5 : Uppsala Univ, Dept Earth Sci, Hans Ramberg Tecton Lab, S-75326 Uppsala, Sweden. 6 : IFP Energies Nouvelles, 1 & 4 Ave Bois Preau, F-92500 Rueil Malmaison, France. 7 : Univ Parma, Dept Phys & Earth Sci Macedonio Melloni, NEXT Nat & Expt Tecton Res Grp, Via G Usberti 157-A, I-43100 Parma, Italy. 8 : Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Ctr Geociencias, Blvd Juriquilla 3001, Juriquilla 76230, Queretaro, Mexico. 9 : Natl Taiwan Univ, Dept Geosci, 1 Roosevelt Rd Sect 4, Taipei 106, Taiwan. 10 : Univ Buenos Aires, Dept Ciencias Geol, Pabellon 2,Ciudad Univ,C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, DF, Argentina. 11 : Univ Toronto, Dept Geol, 22 Russell St, Toronto, ON M5S 3B1, Canada. 12 : Stanford Univ, Dept Geol & Environm Sci, Braun Hall 215, Stanford, CA 94305 USA. 13 : Univ Fed Ouro Preto, Dept Geol, Morro Cruzeiro S-N 35, BR-400000 Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil. 14 : Univ Lille Nord France, Lab Geosyst, FRE CNRS 3298, F-59655 Villeneuve Dascq, France. 15 : Rutgers State Univ, Dept Earth & Planetary Sci, 610 Taylor Rd, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA. 16 : Stanford Univ, Dept Geol & Environm Sci, Braun Hall 233, Stanford, CA 94305 USA. 17 : Natl Taiwan Univ, Dept Geosci, 1 Roosevelt Rd, Taipei 106, Taiwan. 18 : Univ Cergy Pontoise, Lab Geosci & Environm Cergy, 5 Mail Gay Lussac, F-95031 Neuville Sur Oise, Cergy Pontoise, France. 19 : Monash Univ, Sch Earth Atmosphere & Environm, Melbourne, Vic 3800, Australia. 20 : Helmholtz Ctr Potsdam, GFZ German Res Ctr Geosci, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany. 21 : Queens Univ, Dept Civil Engn, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada. 22 : Univ Lille, UMR 8187, LOG, F-59000 Lille, France. 23 : Kyoto Univ, Dept Civil & Earth Resources Engn, Kyoto 6158540, Japan. |
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| Source | Journal Of Structural Geology (0191-8141) (Pergamon-elsevier Science Ltd), 2016-11 , Vol. 92 , P. 116-139 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| DOI | 10.1016/j.jsg.2016.03.005 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| WOS© Times Cited | 46 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Keyword(s) | Thrust wedges, Brittle wedges, Shear zones, Analogue modeling, Benchmarking, Critical taper, Sand, Friction, Cohesion | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Abstract | We performed a quantitative comparison of brittle thrust wedge experiments to evaluate the variability among analogue models and to appraise the reproducibility and limits of model interpretation. Fifteen analogue modeling laboratories participated in this benchmark initiative. Each laboratory received a shipment of the same type of quartz and corundum sand and all laboratories adhered to a stringent model building protocol and used the same type of foil to cover base and sidewalls of the sandbox. Sieve structure, sifting height, filling rate, and details on off-scraping of excess sand followed prescribed procedures. Our analogue benchmark shows that even for simple plane-strain experiments with prescribed stringent model construction techniques, quantitative model results show variability, most notably for surface slope, thrust spacing and number of forward and backthrusts. One of the sources of the variability in model results is related to slight variations in how sand is deposited in the sandbox. Small changes in sifting height, sifting rate, and scraping will result in slightly heterogeneous material bulk densities, which will affect the mechanical properties of the sand, and will result in lateral and vertical differences in peak and boundary friction angles, as well as cohesion values once the model is constructed. Initial variations in basal friction are inferred to play the most important role in causing model variability. Our comparison shows that the human factor plays a decisive role, and even when one modeler repeats the same experiment, quantitative model results still show variability. Our observations highlight the limits of up-scaling quantitative analogue model results to nature or for making comparisons with numerical models. The frictional behavior of sand is highly sensitive to small variations in material state or experimental set-up, and hence, it will remain difficult to scale quantitative results such as number of thrusts, thrust spacing, and pop-up width from model to nature. | ||||||||||||||||||||
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