How faulting keeps the crust strong

Abstract

Research Article| May 01, 2000 How faulting keeps the crust strong John Townend; John Townend 1Department of Geophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-2215, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Mark D. Zoback Mark D. Zoback 1Department of Geophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-2215, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2000) 28 (5): 399–402. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2000)28<399:HFKTCS>2.0.CO;2 Article history received: 16 Aug 1999 rev-recd: 07 Feb 2000 accepted: 15 Feb 2000 first online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation John Townend, Mark D. Zoback; How faulting keeps the crust strong. Geology 2000;; 28 (5): 399–402. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2000)28<399:HFKTCS>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Deep drilling and induced seismicity experiments at several locations worldwide indicate that, in general, the brittle crust in intraplate regions is critically stressed, pore pressures are close to hydrostatic, and in situ bulk permeability is ∼10−17 to 10−16 m2. This high permeability, three or four orders of magnitude higher than that measured on core samples, appears to be maintained by critically stressed faults and greatly facilitates fluid movement through the brittle crust. We demonstrate that such high permeabilities can maintain approximately hydrostatic fluid pressures at depths comparable to the thickness of the seismogenic crust. This leads to the counterintuitive result that faulting keeps intraplate crust inherently strong by preventing pore pressures greater than hydrostatic from persisting at depth. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.