Transition scaling of the immature strike-slip fault damage zone in the central Sichuan Basin (SW China)

Immature faults typically exhibit a linear scaling between damage zone width and displacement up to a certain displacement threshold. However, the nature and precise value of this threshold remain debated. In this study, we investigate five immature strike-slip fault damage zones and their scaling r...

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Main Authors: Xiaoxu Liu, Guanghui Wu, Hailong Chen, Hui Long, Song Tang, Chen Su, Weizhen Tian
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Earth Science
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2025.1570159/full
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author Xiaoxu Liu
Guanghui Wu
Hailong Chen
Hui Long
Song Tang
Chen Su
Weizhen Tian
author_facet Xiaoxu Liu
Guanghui Wu
Hailong Chen
Hui Long
Song Tang
Chen Su
Weizhen Tian
author_sort Xiaoxu Liu
collection DOAJ
description Immature faults typically exhibit a linear scaling between damage zone width and displacement up to a certain displacement threshold. However, the nature and precise value of this threshold remain debated. In this study, we investigate five immature strike-slip fault damage zones and their scaling relationships in the central Sichuan Basin using seismic data. The widths of the seismic damage zones are consistent with borehole data and show a correlation with the vertical displacement (throw) in Ediacaran carbonate rocks. The damage zone widths are found to be approximately 3–7 times larger than the vertical throw, exhibiting an overall linear scaling relationship. As the vertical throw increases, three of the faults maintain this linear scaling with increased data scatter. In contrast, two faults display a power-law transition in scaling when the vertical throw ranges from 50 m to 80 m and then return to a linear trend once the throw exceeds 130 m. Notably, the transition in scaling emerges when the damage zone width exceeds 600 m. These findings suggest that the scaling transition between fault damage zone width and displacement cannot be constrained by a fixed displacement threshold. Furthermore, the damage zones of immature strike-slip faults may exhibit variable off-fault damage evolution, transitioning from linear to power-law scaling as displacement increases.
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language English
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publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
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spelling doaj-art-40b97060ac424d77ac07aa2e0fce19d72025-08-20T02:08:38ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Earth Science2296-64632025-06-011310.3389/feart.2025.15701591570159Transition scaling of the immature strike-slip fault damage zone in the central Sichuan Basin (SW China)Xiaoxu Liu0Guanghui Wu1Hailong Chen2Hui Long3Song Tang4Chen Su5Weizhen Tian6School of Geoscience and Technology, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, ChinaSchool of Geoscience and Technology, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, ChinaSchool of Geoscience and Technology, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, ChinaPetroChina Southwest Oil & Gasfield Company, Chengdu, ChinaPetroChina Southwest Oil & Gasfield Company, Chengdu, ChinaPetroChina Southwest Oil & Gasfield Company, Chengdu, ChinaSchool of Geoscience and Technology, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, ChinaImmature faults typically exhibit a linear scaling between damage zone width and displacement up to a certain displacement threshold. However, the nature and precise value of this threshold remain debated. In this study, we investigate five immature strike-slip fault damage zones and their scaling relationships in the central Sichuan Basin using seismic data. The widths of the seismic damage zones are consistent with borehole data and show a correlation with the vertical displacement (throw) in Ediacaran carbonate rocks. The damage zone widths are found to be approximately 3–7 times larger than the vertical throw, exhibiting an overall linear scaling relationship. As the vertical throw increases, three of the faults maintain this linear scaling with increased data scatter. In contrast, two faults display a power-law transition in scaling when the vertical throw ranges from 50 m to 80 m and then return to a linear trend once the throw exceeds 130 m. Notably, the transition in scaling emerges when the damage zone width exceeds 600 m. These findings suggest that the scaling transition between fault damage zone width and displacement cannot be constrained by a fixed displacement threshold. Furthermore, the damage zones of immature strike-slip faults may exhibit variable off-fault damage evolution, transitioning from linear to power-law scaling as displacement increases.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2025.1570159/fullimmature faultseismic damage zonescaling transitiondisplacement thresholdoff-fault damageevolution
spellingShingle Xiaoxu Liu
Guanghui Wu
Hailong Chen
Hui Long
Song Tang
Chen Su
Weizhen Tian
Transition scaling of the immature strike-slip fault damage zone in the central Sichuan Basin (SW China)
Frontiers in Earth Science
immature fault
seismic damage zone
scaling transition
displacement threshold
off-fault damage
evolution
title Transition scaling of the immature strike-slip fault damage zone in the central Sichuan Basin (SW China)
title_full Transition scaling of the immature strike-slip fault damage zone in the central Sichuan Basin (SW China)
title_fullStr Transition scaling of the immature strike-slip fault damage zone in the central Sichuan Basin (SW China)
title_full_unstemmed Transition scaling of the immature strike-slip fault damage zone in the central Sichuan Basin (SW China)
title_short Transition scaling of the immature strike-slip fault damage zone in the central Sichuan Basin (SW China)
title_sort transition scaling of the immature strike slip fault damage zone in the central sichuan basin sw china
topic immature fault
seismic damage zone
scaling transition
displacement threshold
off-fault damage
evolution
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2025.1570159/full
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