The application of geological techniques in fault investigation and characterisation : examples from southern England
The application of geological techniques in fault investigation and characterisation : examples from southern England
Faulting plays an important role in the distribution of fluids within sedimentary basins as such knowledge of faulting can contribute to the successful search for hydrocarbons. Given the remote nature by which such exploration takes place predictive methods are required to derive inferences about fault character.
Utilising a well exposed fault set on the Dorset coast fault distribution analysis techniques were tested and compared with results from high resolution seismic images in the adjacent offshore area. Results of this work show that fault throw, in the fault set investigated, is power-law, but that the scaling relationship changes for small and large size faults. Faults with throws greater than 1-2m are characterised by the same negative power-law exponent (0.9) and exhibit similar densities over the range 1-10m, which is common to both data-sets. Density and strain estimates for fault sizes smaller than 1m would be over-estimated using a D-value of 0.9. The change in scaling relationship is caused by lithological controls on the nucleation and growth of small size faults.
Other methods of fault investigation were also used to ascertain fault age and investigate fault geometry. Sr-isotope characterisation of carbonate fault seal, recognised three periods of faulting on the southern coast of England. Results suggest that large scale advection of seawater through active fault networks accompanied faulting. Under specific circumstances the Sr-isotope ratio can be used to date the faults.
Geometrical analysis of faults and fault damage indicate that faults formed under a stress regime where the maximum stress was vertical and the minimum stress was horizontal and directed east-west. Damage associated with fault propagation through limestone beds suggests damage results from fault tip processes in advance and to the hanging-wall of upwardly propagating normal fault tips.
University of Southampton
Hunsdale, Robert
06ae6f1d-5054-435f-a957-d25e1326f0c8
1996
Hunsdale, Robert
06ae6f1d-5054-435f-a957-d25e1326f0c8
Hunsdale, Robert
(1996)
The application of geological techniques in fault investigation and characterisation : examples from southern England.
University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.
Record type:
Thesis
(Doctoral)
Abstract
Faulting plays an important role in the distribution of fluids within sedimentary basins as such knowledge of faulting can contribute to the successful search for hydrocarbons. Given the remote nature by which such exploration takes place predictive methods are required to derive inferences about fault character.
Utilising a well exposed fault set on the Dorset coast fault distribution analysis techniques were tested and compared with results from high resolution seismic images in the adjacent offshore area. Results of this work show that fault throw, in the fault set investigated, is power-law, but that the scaling relationship changes for small and large size faults. Faults with throws greater than 1-2m are characterised by the same negative power-law exponent (0.9) and exhibit similar densities over the range 1-10m, which is common to both data-sets. Density and strain estimates for fault sizes smaller than 1m would be over-estimated using a D-value of 0.9. The change in scaling relationship is caused by lithological controls on the nucleation and growth of small size faults.
Other methods of fault investigation were also used to ascertain fault age and investigate fault geometry. Sr-isotope characterisation of carbonate fault seal, recognised three periods of faulting on the southern coast of England. Results suggest that large scale advection of seawater through active fault networks accompanied faulting. Under specific circumstances the Sr-isotope ratio can be used to date the faults.
Geometrical analysis of faults and fault damage indicate that faults formed under a stress regime where the maximum stress was vertical and the minimum stress was horizontal and directed east-west. Damage associated with fault propagation through limestone beds suggests damage results from fault tip processes in advance and to the hanging-wall of upwardly propagating normal fault tips.
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Published date: 1996
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Local EPrints ID: 460291
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/460291
PURE UUID: 9280782c-6926-4b82-98d2-013479141d32
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Date deposited: 04 Jul 2022 18:18
Last modified: 04 Jul 2022 18:18
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Author:
Robert Hunsdale
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