Anomalous Vp/Vs in highly pressurized rocks: Evidence for anisotropy or mafic composition?
<p>&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; Anomalously high seismic P- to S-wave velocity ratios (Vp/Vs) have been observed in subduction zones, in locations where varieties of earthquakes and slips are expected to occur. From qualitative laboratory knowledge of rocks Poisson&#8217;s ratio, these results were interpreted as evidence of near-lithostatic pore fluid pressure. Because most laboratory data did not document such high Vp/Vs values, these were further linked to additional constrains of anisotropy or the dominance of minerals of very high intrinsic Vp/Vs, e.g. mafic rocks.However, does high Vp/Vs necessarily imply anisotropy and/or mafic composition?</p><p>&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; Recently, the measuring frequency (f) was shown to play a major role on rocks&#8217; resulting Poisson&#8217;s ratio, so that usual laboratory results (at f = 1 MHz) might not directly transfer to field ones (at f = 1 Hz). From this consideration, we investigate Vp/Vs of a variety of crustal rocks in the elastic regime relevant at the field scale, the undrained elastic regime.Accounting for rocks dispersive properties, this work aims to show that:</p><ul><li>In the laboratory, in isotropic rocks, one might attain Vp/Vs values as high as the anomalous ones observed in subduction zones.</li> <li>No mineralogical control is needed for such high Vp/Vs values, which could be consistent with the inherent mineral variability in different settings across the globe.</li> <li>High pore fluid pressure is a major parameter, but not alone: such high values cannot be achieved without very high degree of micro-fracturing of the rock, opened by high fluid pressures, an information of potential importance to understand those seismogenic zones.</li> </ul>