Characterizing Mechanisms of Clay Gouge Formation and Implications for Permeability, Moab Fault, Utah

Abstract

Clay composition and content profoundly impacts the strength and sealing capacity of a fault zone, reducing frictional resistance to sliding and permeability by as much as 7 orders of magnitude. Previous approaches, including the Shale Gouge Ratio (SGR) and Shale Smear Potential (SSP), have been used to understand and predict the clay content of fault zones. These models are largely limited to mechanical incorporation of detrital clays. This hypothesis stems from field observations of clay gouge and the smearing and associated attenuation of clay-rich shale beds offset by the fault. Recently, diagenesis has been recognized as an additional critical mechanism of clay enrichment In fault zones. My study investigates the relative contributions of both mechanisms of clay enrichment focusing on the implications for fault permeability and strength through structural and elemental mapping of the Moab Fault in Utah. Detailed mapping at Six sites along the Moab Fault in southeast Utah, revealed distinct structural deformation zones as defined by structures and distribution of normally faulted sandstone and shale including: (1) layers of clay-rich gouge separated by slip surfaces that include isolated sandstone breccia; (2) an inner smeared shale adjacent to the gouge showing increasing bed parallel shearing and resulting boudinage closer to the fault, and an outer smear with little shearing but rotation of beds; (3) faulted sandstone hosting deformation bands, slip surfaces, and intersections, joints and veins in locations near relays. Fluid assisted alteration was revealed by a combination of high spatial resolution scan-lines on outcrops element composition and measured sections of measured with a portable X-Ray Fluorescence device. Results to date include: (1) elemental concentrations relative to immobile species (such as Ti) and by structural zone show that Ca, Sr, Rb are preferentially enriched and/or depleted in the fault core, (2) the fault core hosts the greatest alteration; (3) a progressively more extensive and greater density of bed parallel slip surfaces from protolith to gouge where slip surfaces are associated with mixing and disaggregation; (4) stable concentration of elements associated with illite such as K, occurs preferentially in the gouge; (5) localized enrichment and/or depletion reveals solution mass transfer contributed to formation of the fault core and to a lesser extent the damage zones. Elemental mapping clearly demonstrates a compositional evolution of the fault core, and in particular the clay gouge, that cannot be accounted for by mixing of protolithic formations. Thus, observations from elemental mapping show that solution mass transfer influences the formation of clay gouge in the fault zone, in addition to mechanical incorporation of detrital clays from the surrounding protoliths.