1. ERC Starting Grant – Stage 2 – Interview - Bruxelles, 10 October 2007
Uncovering the Secrets of an Earthquake: Multidisciplinary Study of Physico-Chemical Processes During the Seismic Cycle
(acronym: USEMS)
Giulio Di Toro
Principal Investigator:
Hosting Institution:
The USEMS
ERC Starting Grant – Stage 2 – Interview - Bruxelles, 10 October 2007

2. Outline of the USEMS project 1. Motivation 2. Methodology. 3
Outline of the USEMS project 1. Motivation 2. Methodology 3. Main results and applications
Just make the list

3. Outline of the USEMS project 1. Motivation 2. Methodology. 3
Outline of the USEMS project 1. Motivation 2. Methodology 3. Main results and applications

4. 1.Motivation
Earthquakes (EQs, red) and landslides (blue) threaten our continent.
These are issue receiving considerable attentin in the international community

5. EQs and landslides are due to slip on surfaces.
Hypocenter
Fault surface
10 km
EQs and landslides are due to slip on surfaces.
Friction is the key to understand the physics of EQs and landslides.
Destructive EQs nucleate at km depth so are investigated remotely via seismology.
Indirect approach allows only limited understanding of EQ physics.
Just read

6. Deformation conditions during EQs are extreme:
1. High slip rates ( m/s)
2. Large displacements (up to 20 m)
3. High stresses (> 20 MPa)
These conditions are so extreme that they belong to a new frontier in material science.
NO apparatus in the world can simultaneously reproduce ALL these deformations conditions.
Moreover, deformation conditions…

7. The USEMS will bridge this technological and scientific gap by:
Installing a world class versatile rock friction apparatus to reproduce the seismic cycle in the lab.
Looking inside the EQ engine (exhumed faults).
With this new and direct multidisciplinary approach, we aim to understand EQ physics but also other friction-related processes of geological and industrial interest.

8. Physico-chemical processes similar to those occurring during EQs produce hydrocarbons from rocks.
During comminution of marly rocks, CO2 and H2 due to decomposition of calcite and clays react to yield methane:
CO2 + 2H2  CH4 + O2
(method patented by the Italian National Research Council, ref. P. Plescia, Team Member of the USEMS).
This process of industrial interest requires systematic investigation that will become possible using the rock friction apparatus we propose in USEMS.
Just read.

9. Outline of the USEMS project 1. Motivation 2. Methodology
Outline of the USEMS project 1. Motivation 2. Methodology a) Field studies b) Experimental studies and installation of the HVRFA c) Microstructural studies d) Numerical models 3. Main results and applications
Which includes field studies, etc… and the installation of an high versitile top class EQ simulator

10. 2. Methodology
a) Field studies of exhumed seismic faults will be performed using state of the art techniques (e.g., LIDAR, goCad) to quantify the structure of seismic faults.
LIDAR
goCad
200 m
We will start from field studies … just read…
Seismic Fault

11. b) Experimental studies and the High Velocity Rock Friction Apparatus (HVRFA)
We will investigate the mechanical properties of faults during the EQ cycle by performing experiments on natural rocks.
Specimens
5 cm
2 cm
when you say this sentence add, by performing high resolution controlled experiments on natural rocks across a wide range of conditions).
Seismic fault

12. The world class, new-conception HVR-Friction App.
Axial
load
actuator
Axial column
Axial load cell
Torque
cell
1 m
Upper specimen
Lower specimen
Rotary column
Secondary motor
Main motor
HVRFA
Frame
Lateral view
HVRFA will simulate the EQ cycle (and landslides) in the lab, including:
1. EQ cycle accelerations and slip rates (1 mm/s - 9 m/s).
2. Infinite displacements.
3. High Stresses (up to 50 MPa).
The HVRFA has an unprecedented range of loading conditions allowing us to study processes never investigated before.
Just read

13. Exper. will produce mechanical data, test theoretical friction laws and explore new frictional mechanisms.
Nielsen, Di Toro, Hirose, Shimamoto, JGR, in press
Theoretical friction law
Experimental data
Shear stress (MPa)
Normal stress (MPa) 3 2 1 20 15 10 5
Just read

14. Nature Experiment Seismic melts
c) Microstructural Studies will determine the deform. mechanisms operating in nature and experiments.
50 mm
50 mm
SEM
SEM
(through a continuous feedback between nature and laboratory).
Seismic melts
Nature
Experiment
50 mm
50 mm
Di Toro et al., Science, 2006

15. d) Numerical models (calibrated by field, experimental, theoretical and microstructural data) will produce synthetic seismograms to compare to real seismograms and use in EQ hazard studies.
Just read
Di Toro et al., Nature 2005

16. MICROSTRUCTURAL STUDIES FIELD STUDIES
FAULT ROCKS
FE-SEM
FIELD SURVEY
& LIDAR
500 m
goCad
50 mm
EXPERIMENTS & THEORY
SAMPLE PREP.
MODELING
SYNTHETIC SEISMOGRAMS
EXP. DATA
Synoptic view of the USEMS: the USEMS will involve an International interdisciplinary Group of 14 Team members: each of these activities will involve collab with team members.
RUPTURE DYNAMICS MODELS
THEORETICAL AND CONSTITUTIVE EQ.
HVRFA

17. Outline of the USEMS project 1. Motivation 2. Methodology. 3
Outline of the USEMS project 1. Motivation 2. Methodology 3. Main results and applications

18. 3. Anticipated results of USEMS
Scientific: understanding of the physics of earthquakes and landslides, and application to EQ and landslide hazard.
Technological: the versatile friction apparatus is a technical challenge. Italy and the EU will become key world players in the study of EQs, landslides and high-velocity friction.
Industrial: the apparatus allows the investigation of friction-related processes of economic interest such as production of hydrocarbons from rocks.
Just read

19. Team Members of the USEMS project
(18 researchers coordinated by the PI) A) Field work and microstructural analyses. Giorgio Pennacchioni (Padova Univ., I), Andrea Bistacchi (Milano Bicocca Univ., I), Stefan Nielsen (INGV, I), Richard Jones (Durham Univ., UK), Karen Mair (Oslo Univ., N) and Post-Doc 1. B) Development of the HVRFA and rock friction experiments. Terry Tullis (Brown Univ., USA), Toshiko Shimamoto (Hiroshima Univ., J), Takehiro Hirose (Jamstec, J), Antonino Tripoli, Piergiorgio Scarlato, Stefan Nielsen and Gianni Romeo (INGV, I), Post-Doc 2. C) Modeling and theoretical analyses of field and experimental data. Stefan Nielsen (INGV, I) and Karen Mair (PGP, Univ. of Oslo, Norway). D) Other Applications. Industrial: Paolo Plescia (CNR, I), PhD 1. Landslides: Ioannis Vardoulakis and Emmanuil Veveakis (NTUA, Athens, Greece).

20. Budget of the USEMS project