The state of stress in the Earth's crust as based on measurements in mines and on geophysical data

Kropotkin, P. N.

doi:10.1016/0031-9201(72)90002-7

Cited by 14 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 4 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Several authors (e. g., VOIGHT et al, 1969;KROPOTKIN, 1972) have underlined the potentially important role that in situ rock stress determinations have in testing various geotectonic hypotheses. However, we think that excessive reliance on these determinations as a critical factor in accepting or rejecting a given hypothesis would be premature.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

The Stress Field in the Upper Crust as Determined from In Situ Measurements

Ranalli

Chandler

1975

Geol Rundsch

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Zusammen[assungDieser Beitrag behandelt die Spannungsverh~iltnisse in der oberen Erdrinde, so wie sie sich bei Messungen yon lokalen Spannungsfeldern herausstellen, Die Streuung der Daten ist zwar betr~iehtlieh, abet es zeichnen sieh zwei Hauptlinien ab in den Beziehungen zwisehen durchsehnittlieher Horizontalspannung und Tiefe. In alten Grundgebirgen und in den deformierten Gesteinen der Faltungsgebiete findet man im allgemeinen Horizontalspannungen, die gr613er sind als die bereehnete Belastung. In Sediment~trgesteinen und zerbrochenen massiven Gesteinen sind die Horizontalspannungen meistens geringer als die Belastung. In den meisten F~illen findet man eine unverkennbare Spannungsardsotropie in der Horizontalebene. In den Gebieten, ffir die wit fiber geniigende Messungen verffigen (d. h. f/ir Nordamerika und Fennoskandia) stellt es sich heraus, dab die Orientierung der maximalen horizontalen Hauptspannung ziemlieh eindeutig und einheitlieh ist, obgleieh diese Orientierung sieh in den meisten F~illen nicht aus einfaehen, nach bestimmten Regeln zu bereehnenden Spannungsverteilungen voraussagen l~il3t.Die Deutung von 5rtlieh bestimmten Spannungsverh~iltnissen wird yon vielen Faktoren beeintr~iehtigt. Die Beziehung zwischen der Verteilung der Hauptspannungen und der Position der heutigen Oberfl~iehe ist ~iul3erst kompliziert. Die topographisehe Beschaffenheit und Abtragungsvorg~inge dfirften eine Anh~iufung yon Horizontalspannungen zur Folge haben. Sehr alte Restspannungen iiberlagern manehmal die Spannungen der rezenten Tektonik, w~ihrend anderseits die heutige Spannungslage nieht mehr mit den Spannungsfeldern iibereinstimmt, die zu den heute zu beobachtenden Bruch-und Faltungssystemen gefiihrt haben. Messungen von Restspannungen in alten Gesteinen haben bewiesen, dal3 die Gesteine der oberen Erdrinde, sogar fiber geologische Zeitspannen heraus, eine gewisse Deformationsresistenz haben.Vom Gesichtspunkt der Globaltektonik ist es zu ernpfehlen, alle in-situ-Spannungsbestimmungen nur mit grSl3ter Vorsieht zu verwerten, und auch dann nur unter Berfieksiehtigung der Bruchfl~ichenlSsungen der seismischen Daten. Das Spannungsfeld in der Erdrinde ist zwar im allgemeinen kompressiv, abet die Feststellung, dal3 undeformierte Sedimentdecken meistens keine horizontale tdberspannung aufweisen, maeht deutlieh, dab die Annahme einer weltumfassenden horizontalen Kompression unnStig ist. Woes in Gegenden, die einst heftigen Gebirgsbildungsvorg~ingen unterworfen waten, Horizontalspannungen gibt, die grSl3er sind als der bereehnete lithostatisehe Druek, so daft dies wohl zuriiekgefiihrt werden auf Restspannungen und auf den Einflul3 der 5rtliehen Topographie und Struktur. Es scheint daher voreilig, auf lokalen Spannungsbestimmungen eine universelle tektogenetische Hypothese zu griinden. Um wirkliehe Fortschritte in dieser Hinsicht zu erzielen, miissen weitere Messungen und eine quantitative Bewertung der jene Messungen beeinflussenden Faktoren durchgefiihrt werden. AbstractThis paper provides a synopsis of the state of stress in t...

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

The Stress Field in the Upper Crust as Determined from In Situ Measurements

Ranalli

Chandler

1975

Geol Rundsch

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Characterization of the stress state in the Earth's crust is essential for earthquake prediction and subsurface engineering (McGarr & Gay, ; Zoback, ). Over the past half‐century, great efforts have been devoted to the measurement of in situ stresses (Amadei & Stephansson, ; Bell & Gough, ; Haimson, ; Hast, ; Kropotkin, ; Zoback et al, ). The state of stress in the crust is mainly governed by tectonic stresses and local perturbations (Hudson & Cooling, ; Zoback et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Correlation Between Fracture Network Properties and Stress Variability in Geological Media

Lei

Gao

2018

Geophysical Research Letters

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We quantitatively investigate the stress variability in fractured geological media under tectonic stresses. The fracture systems studied include synthetic fracture networks following power law length scaling and natural fracture patterns based on outcrop mapping. The stress field is derived from a finite‐discrete element model, and its variability is analyzed using a set of mathematical formulations that honor the tensorial nature of stress data. We show that local stress perturbation, quantified by the Euclidean distance of a local stress tensor to the mean stress tensor, has a positive, linear correlation with local fracture intensity, defined as the total fracture length per unit area within a local sampling window. We also evaluate the stress dispersion of the entire stress field using the effective variance, that is, a scalar‐valued measure of the overall stress variability. The results show that a well‐connected fracture system under a critically stressed state exhibits strong local and global stress variabilities.

show abstract

“…In situ measurement of stress in deep holes, by several different methods, holds great promise for defining both the directions and magnitudes of the principal deviatoric stresses in at least the continental plates (e.g. Hast 1969;Voight 1969;Kropotkin 1972). A number of large-scale geologic features can be indicative of recent stress patterns.…”

Section: Observations Of Intraplate Stressmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Forces Driving Plate Tectonics: Inferences from Absolute Plate Velocities and Intraplate Stress

Solomon

Sleep

Richardson

2007

Geophysical Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society

162

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Absolute plate motions and intraplate stress both serve as tests of models for the forces acting on plate boundaries. Plate velocities relative to a presumedly fixed underlying mantle are calculated from the hypothesis that no net torque is exerted on the lithosphere. Intraplate stress is calculated by solving the equilibrium equations for thin elastic shells in the membrane state of stress. The absolute velocity fields predicted from a wide assortment of physical and geological models are all very similar. While the global pattern of absolute velocity is probably close to those predicted by such models, the absolute motions do not therefore provide a strong test of the driving mechanism. Comparison of predicted intraplate stress with the long-wavelength features of the global stress field, however, as determined by in situ measurements, earthquake mechanisms, and stressinduced geological structures, does prove to be a powerful test of possible driving forces.All absolute velocity models have several interesting properties. Lithosphere in the equatorial half of the Earth is moving significantly faster than lithosphere in the polar half. Some connection to the Earth's rotation is implied since this statement is demonstrably untrue for co-ordinate poles much different from the geographic pole. Subducted slabs are characterized by a slow horizontal translation perpendicular to strike that is independent of the plate convergence rate, confounding attempts to explain the dip angles of Benioff zones in terms of a uniform vertical sinking and a variable absolute velocity for the overthrust plate. Ridges must migrate at a wide range of velocities relative to their underlying source of new lithosphere; such rapid migration may be a necessary but is not a sufficient condition for ridge jumps.Force models considered in velocity and stress calculations include driving forces at spreading centres and subduction zones and various parameterizations of drag at the base of the lithosphere. From the rms absolute velocities of individual plates, there is a weak indication that pull by subducted lithosphere at trenches is an important driving force and that drag may be greater beneath continental than oceanic lithosphere. The predicted intraplate deviatoric stress cannot match the well-determined stress fields in North America and Europe unless the driving force exerted at ridges is at least comparable in magnitude to other forces in the system. The mid-plate stresses are very sensitive to the nature of drag at the base of the lithosphere and thus measured stresses may ultimately provide a sensitive test of absolute plate velocities. 769

show abstract

The state of stress in the Earth's crust as based on measurements in mines and on geophysical data

Cited by 14 publications

References 4 publications

The Stress Field in the Upper Crust as Determined from In Situ Measurements

The Stress Field in the Upper Crust as Determined from In Situ Measurements

Correlation Between Fracture Network Properties and Stress Variability in Geological Media

On the Forces Driving Plate Tectonics: Inferences from Absolute Plate Velocities and Intraplate Stress

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About