Dear Colleagues

As you may be aware the abstract submission for the EGU General Assembly in Vienna, 2010 (02 – 07 May), is now open.  We would like to invite you to contribute to session SM2.3:

"Feedbacks between fluids in fault zones and seismic processes”.

The session aims to bring together scientists with interests in seismology, geology and hydro-mechanical modelling and experiments to discuss the relationships between fluids and seismic processes and the feedbacks between deformation and fluid flow.   A more detailed description is given below.

The important dates to note at this time are:
4 December 2009 - Deadline for requests for support
18 January   2010 - Abstract submission deadline

On-line information and abstract submission for this session can be found at:
http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2010/session/2430

Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
We hope to see you in Vienna.

Stella Pytharouli
University of Strathclyde
[log in to unmask]

James Kirkpatrick
University of Glasgow
[log in to unmask]


Session description:
Fault-related deformation results in zones with contrasting fluid flow properties to the surrounding country rock. These zones exert significant controls upon the migration of fluids in the brittle crust. It is clear that fluids in fault zones influence earthquake processes over a variety of timescales. Coseismic processes such as dynamic triggering of earthquakes and aftershocks, triggering by pore pressure diffusion, and dynamic fault weakening mechanisms are affected by fluids and pore pressures. Over the timescale of the seismic cycle, fault instability can be promoted by the build up of pore pressure and fluid-assisted alteration or cementation may change fault rock mechanical properties between earthquakes. The key parameter that determines how, when and where fluids migrate within fault zones is permeability. Throughout the duration of activity on a particular fault, permeability can be created through fracturing or dilatant cataclasis, reduced through cementation, or re-distributed as displacement occurs. In this session we will examine the feedbacks that exist between deformation processes and fluid migration that are integral to understanding the earthquake source. We aim to gather contributions based on seismic data, geological observations, experimental results and hydro-mechanical modelling of faulted environments to discuss the interactions between seismic processes and fluid migration.

-- 

James Kirkpatrick
Department of Geographical and Earth Sciences
University of Glasgow
Glasgow G12 8QQ
UK
Tel: +44 (0)141 330 5442

http://www.gla.ac.uk/faults
http://www.ges.gla.ac.uk:443/staff/jkirkpatrick

The University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401.