This dataset provides mechanical test data for quartz sand (“MAM1ST-300”, Sibelco, Mol, Belgium), gypsum powder (plaster; “Goldband”, Knauf), kaolin clay powder, garnet sand, and mixtures of quartz sand and gypsum powder, used at the Analogue Laboratory of the Department of Geography at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium, for simulating brittle rocks in the upper crust (Poppe et al., 2019). The measured properties are density ρ, tensile strength T0, shear strength σ, obtained by density measurements, ring-shear tests (RST; at Helmholtz Centre Potsdam GFZ, Germany), direct shear tests, traction tests (at University of Maine, Le Mans, France) and extension tests. The obtained tensile strengths and shear strengths reconstruct two-dimensional failure envelopes for each material. By fitting linear Coulomb and non-linear combined Griffith failure criteria to the characterised failure envelopes (Jaeger et al., 2007), the internal friction coefficient µC, Coulomb cohesion CC and Griffith cohesion CG are obtained. The influence of the material emplacement technique has been investigated in Poppe et al. (2021) to which this data set is supplementary, by repeat characterisation of the above physical parameters under three emplacement conditions, i.e. sieving, pouring (non-dried state) and compaction after pouring (oven-dried state).
We find that densities of the materials and mixtures range from ~1600 kg.m³ (sieved) and ~1700 kg.m³ (compacted) for pure quartz sand to ~600 kg.m³ (poured) to ~900 kg.m³ (compacted) for pure plaster. Tensile strengths range from ~166 Pa (sand) to ~425 Pa (plaster). Velocity ring-shear tests on a 90 wt% quartz sand – 10 wt% plaster mixture show a minor shear rate-weakening of <2% per ten-fold increase in shear velocity. The materials show a behavior ranging from Mohr-Coulomb behavior for the materials with coarser grain size (sands) to combined Griffith-Mohr-Coulomb behavior for the powder materials (plaster, kaolin), with the sand-plaster mixtures occupying a spectrum between both end-members. Peak friction coefficients range from ~0.5 (sand) to ~0.6 (plaster) with a maximum of ~0.9 (80:20 wt% sand:plaster), peak Coulomb cohesions range from 13 Pa (sand) to 248 Pa (plaster), peak Griffith cohesions range from ~10 Pa (sand) to ~425 Pa (plaster).
This dataset presents the raw data from two experimental series of analogue models and four numerical models performed to investigate Rift-Rift-Rift triple junction dynamics, supporting the modelling results described in the submitted paper. Numerical models were run in order to support the outcomes obtained from the analogue models. Our experimental series tested the case of a totally symmetric RRR junction (with rift branch angles trending at 120° and direction of stretching similarly trending at 120°; SY Series) or a less symmetric triple junction (with rift branches trending at 120° but with one of these experiencing orthogonal extension; OR Series), and testing the role of a single or two phases of extension coupled with effect of differential velocities between the three moving plates. An overview of the performed analogue and numerical models is provided in Table 1. Analogue models have been analysed quantitatively by means of photogrammetric reconstruction of Digital Elevation Model (DEM) used for 3D quantification of the deformation, and top-view photo analysis for qualitative descriptions. The analogue materials used in the setup of these models are described in Montanari et al. (2017), Del Ventisette et al. (2019) and Maestrelli et al. (2020). Numerical models were run with the finite element software ASPECT (e.g., Kronbichler et al., 2012; Heister et al., 2017; Rose et al., 2017).
These data are supplementary to the GJI research article of Blanke et al. 2020, in which static stress drop estimates of laboratory acoustic emission (AE) waveform records were analyzed. Stick-slip experiments were conducted on two triaxial loaded Westerly Granite samples of different roughness: 1) a smooth saw-cut fault (sample S12) and 2) a rough fault (sample W5). Both experiments resulted in six stick-slip failures of which five were analyzed for each fault. A variant of the spectral ratio technique was applied to find the best fitting source parameters.
Laboratory Experiments:
Acoustic emission waveform data of two triaxial stick-slip experiments was recorded at room temperature on cylindrical oven-dried Westerly Granite samples of 105-107 mm height and 40-50 mm diameter. The experiments were conducted on a smooth saw-cut (sample S12) and a rough fault (sample W5). Both experiments were performed in a servo-controlled MTS loading frame equipped with a pressure vessel. The acoustic emission activity was monitored by 16 piezoceramic transducers with a resonance frequency of about 2 MHz. A transient recording system (DAX-Box, Prökel, Germany) recorded full waveform data in triggered mode at a sampling frequency of 10 MHz and an amplitude resolution of 16 bits. The rough fault W5 was first prepared with Teflon-filled saw-cut notches at 30° inclination to the vertical axis and then fractured at 75 MPa. Then, each sample, S12 and W5, was subjected to constant confining pressure of 133 MPa and 150 MPa and then loaded in axial compression using a strain rate of 3*10-4 mm/s and 3*10-6 mm/s, respectively.
Data description:
The tables 2020-008_Blanke-et-al_S1_S12.txt and 2020-008_Blanke-et-al_S2_W5.txt contain AE locations and occurrence, and source parameter estimates of the smooth fault S12 and the rough fault W5, respectively. Both column headers show coordinates of AE locations (X, Y, Z [mm]), temporal occurrence (t [sec]), seismic moment (M0 [Nm]), corner frequency (f0 [Hz]), source radius (r [mm]), static stress drop (stress drop [MPa]), and moment magnitude (MW). M0 and f0 were estimated from the amplitude spectra, using the spectral ratio technique. The source radii were calculated for S-waves using the dynamic circular source model of Madariaga (1976). Static stress drops were estimated following Eshelby (1957). Both tables are used and displayed in Blanke et al. (2020).
This data set is part of the manuscript entitled "Determining crack apertures distribution in rocks using 14C-PMMA autoradiographic method: experiments and simulations" by Bonnet, M., Sardini, P., Billon, S., Siitari-Kauppi, M., Kuva, J., Fonteneau, L., & Caner, L. which is currently under review in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth.All the data set are including in one zip file. It contains:- one text file describing the content of the zip file {ReadMe.txt},- the raw data of the energy profiles obtained by simulations {RawDataEnergyProfiles folder},- one excel file with the data extracted from the energy profiles with Code::Blocks {DataExtractedEnergyProfiles.xlsx},- one image file of two artificial samples (at left with a real aperture of 96 µm and a tilt angle of 90°; at right with a real aperture of 189 µm and a tilt angle of 20°) {ExEch.pdf},- one image file of the scan autoradiograph of perpendicular artificial cracks {AG_Texp8h_1200dpi_Ech90deg.pdf},- and one image file of the scan autoradiograph of tilted artificial cracks {AG_Texp8h_1200dpi_EchTilted.pdf}.The authors provide raw data from the simulations (.txt and .xlsx), as well as some photos of the experimental part (.pdf).Raw data from the simulations are energy profiles (.txt) obtained with Geant4 toolkit. The simulated object is an artificial crack sample in-filled with a radioactive resin (14C-MMA) which is in contact with an autoradiographic film (also simulated), simulating the 14C-PMMA autoradiographic method. Crack aperture and tilt angle (of the crack to the autoradiographic plane) are varying parameters (from [0.1; 1000] µm and from [10; 90]°, respectively).Other raw data from the simulations is one excel file with the data extracted from the energy profiles with the IDE Code::Blocks, for data analysis purposes.Three photos of the experimental part of the article are also made available. One image file of two artificial samples with different crack aperture and tilt angle; one image file of the scan autoradiograph of perpendicular artificial cracks; and one image file of the scan autoradiograph of tilted artificial cracks.