We present new detailed analyses of samples of pulverized Tejon Lookout granite collected from sections adjacent to the San Andreas and Garlock faults in southern California. The Tejon Lookout granite is pulverized in all exposures within about 100 m from both faults. Chemical analyses indicate no or little weathering in the collected samples, although XRD analysis shows the presence of smectite, illite, and minor kaolinite in the clay-size fraction. Weathering products may dominate in the less than 1 micron fraction. The average grain size in all samples of pulverized Tejon Lookout granite ranges between 26 and 208 microns (silt to fine sand), with the particle size distribution in part a function of proximity to the primary slip zone. The San Andreas fault samples that we studied are generally finer grained than those collected from adjacent to the Garlock fault. The particle size distribution for each studied sample from both faults follows a pseudo-power law with a continuously changing exponent, which suggests that pulverization is not simply a consequence of direct shear. The average particle size that we determined for our samples is considerably coarser than reported in previous investigations, which we attribute to possible measurement errors in the prior work. Our data and observations suggest that dynamic fracturing in the wall rock of the San Andreas and Garlock faults only accounts for about 1% or less of the earthquake energy budget.

No abstract

No abstract

S U M M A R YWe present results on the composition, structure and particle size distribution (PSD) of pulverized and damaged granitic rocks in a 42-m-deep core adjacent to the San Andreas Fault near Littlerock, CA. The cored section is composed of pulverized granites and granodiorites, and is cut by numerous mesoscopic secondary shears. The analysis employs XRD, XRF, thin sections and semi-automated particle size analyser methods, including a novel calibration method. The mean particle size for the majority of samples falls between 50 and 470 μm. The PSDs can be fitted by a power law, with D-values ranging between 2.5 and 3.1, as well as by a superposition of two Gaussians. Fracture surface energy calculations based on the observed particle distributions provide very low values, indicating that the part of the total earthquake energy budget expended for breaking or shattering rocks is small. Shear deformation is likely to dominate near secondary faults. The most pronounced fault-related alteration occurs along the secondary shears, and is a function of both composition and depth. The alteration to clay appears to be the result of fluid-rock interaction and brittle deformation under low temperature conditions, rather than of surface-related weathering. The particle size reduction noted in the core reflects multiple mechanisms of comminution. The zones of pulverization that lack significant weathering likely result from repeating episodes of dynamic dilation and contraction.