scholarly journals Cenozoic stress field in the southwestern Antarctic Peninsula from brittle mesostructures in Wright Peninsula, Adelaide Island

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adolfo Maestro ◽  
Jerónimo López-Martínez

Cenozoic stress field in the southwestern Antarctic Peninsula from brittle mesostructures in Wright Peninsula, Adelaide IslandPalaeostresses inferred from brittle mesostructures in the southern Wright Peninsula show a stress field characterized by compressional, strike-slip and extensional regime stress states. The compressional stress (σ1) shows a main NW-SE direction and the extensional stress (σ3) shows a relative scattering with two main modes: NE-SW to E-W and NW-SE. The maximum horizontal stress (σy) has a bimodal distribution with NW-SE and NE-SW direction. The compressional orientation is related to subduction of the former Phoenix Plate under the Antarctic Plate from the Early Jurassic to the Early Miocene. Extensional structures within a broad-scale compressional stress field can be related to both the decrease in relative stress magnitudes from active margins to intraplate regions and stretching processes occurring in eastern Adelaide Island, which develop a fore-arc or intra-arc basin from the Early Miocene. Stress states with NW-SE-trending σ1are compatible with the dominant pattern established for the western Antarctic Peninsula. NW-SE orientations of σ3suggest the occurrence of tectonic forces coming from fore-arc extension along the western Antarctic Peninsula.

2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Maestro ◽  
J. López-Martínez ◽  
F. Bohoyo ◽  
M. Montes ◽  
F. Nozal ◽  
...  

AbstractPalaeostress inferred from brittle mesostructures in Seymour (Marambio) Island indicates a Cenozoic to Recent origin for an extensional stress field, with only local compressional stress states. Minimum horizontal stress (σ3) orientations are scattered about two main NE–SW and NW–SE modes suggesting that two stress sources have been responsible for the dominant minimum horizontal stress directions in the north-western Weddell Sea. Extensional structures within a broad-scale compressional stress field can be linked to both the decrease in relative stress magnitudes from active margins to intraplate regions and the rifting processes that occurred in the northern Weddell Sea. Stress states with NW–SE trending σ3are compatible with back-arc extension along the eastern Antarctic Peninsula. We interpret this as due to the opening of the Larsen Basin during upper Cretaceous to Eocene and to the spreading, from Pliocene to present, of the Bransfield Basin (western Antarctic Peninsula), both due to former Phoenix Plate subduction under the Antarctic Plate. NE–SW σ3orientations could be expressions of continental fragmentation of the northern Antarctic Peninsula controlling eastwards drifting of the South Orkney microcontinent and other submerged continental blocks of the southern Scotia Sea.


2020 ◽  
Vol 91 (2A) ◽  
pp. 891-900
Author(s):  
Yan Xu ◽  
Keith D. Koper ◽  
Relu Burlacu ◽  
Robert B. Herrmann ◽  
Dan-Ning Li

Abstract Because of the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, the Yunnan Province of southwestern China has some of the highest levels of seismic hazard in the world. In such a region, a catalog of moment tensors is important for estimating seismic hazard and helping understand the regional seismotectonics. Here, we present a new uniform catalog of moment tensor solutions for the Yunnan region. Using a grid-search technique to invert seismic waveforms recorded by the permanent regional network in Yunnan and the 2 yr ChinArray deployment, we present 1833 moment tensor solutions for small-to-moderate earthquakes that occurred between January 2000 and December 2014. Moment magnitudes in the new catalog vary from Mw 2.2 to 6.1, and the catalog is complete above Mw∼3.5–3.6. The moment tensors are constrained to be purely double-couple and show a variety of faulting mechanisms. Normal faulting events are mainly concentrated in northwest Yunnan, while farther south along the Sagaing fault the earthquakes are mostly thrust and strike slip. The remaining area includes all three styles of faulting but mostly strike slip. We invert the moment tensors for the regional stress field and find a strong correlation between spatially varying maximum horizontal stress and Global Positioning System observations of horizontal ground velocity. The stress field reveals clockwise rotation around the eastern Himalayan syntaxis, with northwest–southeast compression to the east of the Red River fault changing to northeast–southwest compression west of the fault. Almost 88% of the centroid depths are shallower than 16 km, consistent with a weak and ductile lower crust.


1995 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 494 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.J. Buffin ◽  
A.J. Sutherland ◽  
J.A. Gorski

Borehole breakouts and hydraulic fractures in­ferred from dipmeter and formation microscanner logs indicate that the minimum horizontal stress (σh) is oriented 035°N in the South Australian sector of the Otway Basin. Density and sonic check-shot log data indicate that vertical stress (σv) increases from approximately 20 MPa at a depth of one km to 44 MPa at two km and 68 MPa at three km. Assum­ing a normal fault condition (i.e. σy > σH > σh), the magnitude of σh is 75 per cent of the magnitude of the maximum horizontal stress (σH), and the magni­tude of σH is close to that of av. Sonic velocity compaction trends for shales suggest that pore pressure is generally near hydrostatic in the Otway Basin.Knowledge of the contemporary stress field has a number of implications for hydrocarbon produc­tion and exploration in the basin. Wellbore quality in vertical wells may be improved (breakouts sup­pressed) by increasing the mud weight to a level below that which induces hydraulic fracture, or other drilling problems related to excessive mud weight. Horizontal wells drilled in the σh direction (035°N/215°N) should be more stable than those drilled in the σH direction, and indeed than vertical wells. In any EOR operations where water flooding promotes hydraulic fracturing, injectors should be aligned in the aH (125°N/305°N) direction, and off­set from producers in the orthogonal σh direction. Any deviated/horizontal wells targeting the frac­tured basement play should be oriented in the σh (035°N/215°N) direction to maximise intersection with this open, natural fracture trend. Hydrocar­bon recovery in wells deviated towards 035°N/215°N may also be enhanced by inducing multiple hydrau­lic fractures along the wellbore.Considering exploration-related issues, faults following the dominant structural trend, sub-paral­lel to σH orientation, are the most prone to be non-sealing during any episodic build-up of pore pres­sure. Pre-existing vertical faults striking 080-095°N and 155-170°N are the most prone to at least a component of strike-slip reactivation within the contemporary stress field.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steffen Ahlers ◽  
Luisa Röckel ◽  
Andreas Henk ◽  
Karsten Reiter ◽  
Tobias Hergert ◽  
...  

<p>One important criterion for the characterization of a potential nuclear waste repository is the crustal stress field. However, stress data are sparse and usually incomplete regarding the six independent components of the stress tensor. The World Stress Map (WSM) is a valuable compilation of stress data, but it does not include information about stress magnitudes as only the orientation of the maximum horizontal stress (S<sub>Hmax</sub>) is provided. To receive a comprehensive and continuous 3D description of the stress field in a particular area, geomechanical-numerical modelling is required. Key objectives of the SpannEnD project (Spannungsmodell Endlagerung Deutschland) is to provide such a model for Germany and to develop methods for robust stress predictions at the local scale.</p><p>The SpannEnD model is based on finite element techniques and comprises a 3D lithosphere-scale structural model of Germany. The lateral extent of the model covers a pentagon-shaped area of Central Europe with dimensions of 1000 x 1250 km². The model has been chosen significantly larger than Germany to reduce boundary effects in the study area. Furthermore, on the base of the observed stress orientation pattern, the boundaries have been defined parallel or perpendicular to the known orientation of S<sub>Hmax</sub> to simplify the definition of the boundary conditions. The vertical extent of the model is from the surface to a depth of 100 km, incorporating several sedimentary layers, several basement units and the Mohorovičić discontinuity. The mesh is laterally homogenous with a resolution of about 4 km and vertically inhomogeneous with a decreasing resolution with increasing depth, to provide the finest mesh in the layers of the greatest interest, near the surface. These units also provide the most stress data measurements to calibrate the model. Furthermore, a selected number of important faults is implemented in the model. This structural model is discretized into about 4 million elements. For the calibration of the model we use a new compilation of stress magnitude data. We present the workflow, the model geometry, and some first results.</p>


Author(s):  
Angie D. Ortega-Romo ◽  
Jacob I. Walter ◽  
Xiaowei Chen ◽  
Brett M. Carpenter

Abstract To better understand relationships among crustal anisotropy, fracture orientations, and the stress field in Oklahoma and southern Kansas, we conduct shear-wave splitting analysis on the last 9 yr of data (2010–2019) of local earthquake observations. Rather than a predominant fast direction (ϕ), we find that most stations have a primary fast direction of polarization (ϕpri) and a secondary fast direction of polarization (ϕsec). At most stations, either the primary fast direction of polarization (ϕpri) or the secondary fast direction of polarization (ϕsec) is consistent with the closest estimated maximum horizontal stress (σHmax) orientation in the vicinity of the observation. The general agreement between fast directions of polarization (ϕ) and the maximum horizontal stress orientations (σHmax) at the regional level implies that the fast polarization directions (ϕ) are extremely sensitive to the regional stress field. However, in some regions, such as the Fairview area in western Oklahoma, we observe discrepancies between fast polarization directions (ϕ) and maximum horizontal stress orientations (σHmax), in which the fast directions are more consistent with local fault structures. Overall, the primary fast direction of polarization (ϕpri) is mostly controlled and influenced by the stress field, and the secondary fast direction of polarization (ϕsec) likely has some geologic structural control because the secondary direction is qualitatively parallel to some mapped north-striking fault zones. No significant changes in fast directions over time were detected with this technique over the 5 yr (2013–2018) of measurements, suggesting that pore pressure may not cause a significant enough or detectable change above the magnitude of the background stress field.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (18) ◽  
pp. 5955
Author(s):  
Karolina Adach-Pawelus ◽  
Daniel Pawelus

This paper investigates the problem of stability in a group of headings driven in high horizontal stress fields in the copper ore mines of the Legnica-Glogow Copper Belt (LGCB). The headings are protected with the roof bolting system. This problem is of high importance due to special safety regulations which apply in mining workings serving as airways and haulageways. The analysis was performed for a group of four headings driven in the geological and mining conditions of the Polkowice-Sieroszowice mine. The stability of the headings was evaluated with the use of Finite Element Method (FEM). The parameters of the rocks used in the numerical modeling have been determined on the basis of the Hoek–Brown classification, with the use of the RocLab 1.0 software. The parameters of the stress field have been identified on the basis of in situ measurements, which were performed in the Polkowice-Sieroszowice mine in 2012. The measurements were carried out with the use of the overcoring method, which is a stress relief method. A CSIRO HI probe was used as the measuring device. The tests were carried out on three measuring points, on which six successful tests were performed. The measurements confirmed the presence of high horizontal stresses in the rock mass. Numerical modeling was performed using the Phase2 v.8.0 software, in a triaxial stress state and in a plane strain state. The rock mass was described with an elastic-plastic model with softening. Numerical analyses were based on the Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion. It was assumed that the optimal measure of the stability of the group of headings is the range of the formed zone of yielded rock mass in the excavation roof. Numerical simulations have shown that the direction of driving the headings in the field of increased horizontal stresses may be of key importance for the stability of the headings in LGOM mines. The greatest extent of the yielded rock mass zone in the excavation roof occurred when the group of headings was driven in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the maximum horizontal stress component σH. The obtained results served to provide an example of the application of a roof bolting system to protect headings driven in unfavorable conditions in a high horizontal stress field.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1398
Author(s):  
Mohamed Rashwan ◽  
Rashad Sawires ◽  
Ali M. Radwan ◽  
Federica Sparacino ◽  
José Antonio Peláez ◽  
...  

The comparison between crustal stress and surface strain azimuthal patterns has provided new insights into several complex tectonic settings worldwide. Here, we performed such a comparison for Egypt taking into account updated datasets of seismological and geodetic observations. In north-eastern Egypt, the stress field shows a fan-shaped azimuthal pattern with a WNW–ESE orientation on the Cairo region, which progressively rotated to NW–SE along the Gulf of Aqaba. The stress field shows a prevailing normal faulting regime, however, along the Sinai/Arabia plate boundary it coexists with a strike–slip faulting one (σ1 ≅ σ2 > σ3), while on the Gulf of Suez, it is characterized by crustal extension occurring on near-orthogonal directions (σ1 > σ2 ≅ σ3). On the Nile Delta, the maximum horizontal stress (SHmax) pattern shows scattered orientations, while on the Aswan region, it has a WNW–ESE strike with pure strike–slip features. The strain-rate field shows the largest values along the Red Sea and the Sinai/Arabia plate boundary. Crustal stretching (up to 40 nanostrain/yr) occurs on these areas with WSW–ENE and NE–SW orientations, while crustal contraction occurs on northern Nile Delta (10 nanostrain/yr) and offshore (~35 nanostrain/yr) with E–W and N–S orientations, respectively. The comparison between stress and strain orientations over the investigated area reveals that both patterns are near-parallel and driven by the same large-scale tectonic processes.


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