Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Electrical resistivity changes in rocks during frictional sliding and fracture

  • Published:
pure and applied geophysics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Significant changes of electrical resistivity of saturated rocks and water pressure along sliding surface occurred during stick-slips in our direct shear experiment. Two types of changes of electrical resistivity occurred. In the first, resistivity decreased with increasing shear stress, reached minimum together with a sudden release of shear stress and returned to a higher value immediately afterwards. In the second, resistivity again decreased with increasing stress but, in contrast to the first type of changes, it decreased further upon the sudden drop of shear stress. The magnitude and the direction of the changes of water pressure on the sliding surface during stick-slip were not uniform, indicating local variations of surface deformation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barsukov, O. M. (1968), Alteration of ρk with time as a posible criterion for earthquake prediction, Phys. Solid Earth7, 443.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barsukov, O. M. (1970),Relationship between the electrical sensitivity of rocks and tectonic process, Phys. Solid Earth1, 55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barsukov, O. M., andSorokin, O. N. (1973),Variations in apparent resistivity of rocks in the seismically active Garm region, Phys. Solid Earth10, 685.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brace, W. F., Orange, A. S. andMadden, T. M. (1965),The effect of pressure on the electrical resistivity of water-saturated crystalline rocks, J. Geophys. Res.70, 5669.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brace, W. F. andOrange, A. S. (1966),Electrical resistivity: Changes in saturated rock due to stress, Science153, 1525.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brace, W. F. andOrange, A. S. (1968),Electrical resistivity changes in saturated rocks during fracture and frictional sliding, J. Geophys. Res.73, 1433.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brace, W. F. (1975),Dilatancy-related electrical resistivity changes in rocks, Pure Appl. Geophys.113, 207–217.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, R. E. andOhnishi, Y. (1973),Undrained shear tresting of jointed rocks, Rock Mechanics5, 129.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazzella, A. andMorrison, H. F. (1974),Electrical resistivity variations associated with earthquakes on the San Andreas fault, Science185, 855.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parkhomenko, E. I. andBonarenko, A. T. (1960),Effect of uniaxial pressure on electrical resistivity of rocks, Bull. Acad. Sci., USSR, Geophysics Ser.2, 326.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parkhomenko, E. I. andBonarenko, A. T. (1963),An investigation of the electrical resistivity of rocks at pressures up to 40,000 kg/cm 2 and temperatures up, to 400°C, IZV. Geophys. Ser.12, 1832.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rikitake, T. andYamazaki, Y. (1969),Electrical conductivity of strained rocks: 5. Residual, strains associated with large earthquakes as observed by a resistivity variometer, Bull. Earthquake Res. Inst., Univ. Tokyo47, 99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Russell, J. E. andHoskins, E. R. (1970),Correlation of electrical resistivity of dry rocks with cumulative damage, Rock Mechanics — Theory and Practice, 11th Symposium on Rock Mechanics, University of California, Berkeley, 213–220.

  • Sundaram, P. N., Goodman, R. E. andWang, Chi-yuen (1976),Precursory and co-seismic water pressure variations in stick-slip experiments, Geology, p. 108.

  • Volarovich, M. P. andBondarenko, A. T. (1960),Investigation of the resistivity of rock samples under hydrostatic pressure to 1000 kg/cm 2IZV. Geophys. Ser. 7.

  • Wang, Chi-Yuen, Goodman, R. E., Sundaram, P. N. andMorrison, H. F. (1975),Electrical resistivity of granite in frictional sliding: application to earthquake prediction, Geophys. Res. Let.2.

  • Yamazaki, Y. (1965),Electrical conductivity of strained rocks, 1 Bull. Earthquake Res. Inst.43, 783.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamazaki, Y. (1966),Electrical conductivity of strained rocks, 2, Bull. Earthquake Res. Inst.44, 1553.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamazaki, Y. (1967),A resistivity variometer, Bull. Earthquake Res. Inst.45, 849.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamazaki, Y. (1974),Coseismic resistivity steps, Tectonophysics22, 159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamazaki, Y. (1975),Percursory and coseismic resistivity changes, Pure and Applied Geophysics113, 218.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of California, Berkeley, USA

    Chi-yuen Wang

  2. Department of Civil Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, USA

    P. N. Sundaram & Richard E. Goodman

Authors
  1. Chi-yuen Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. N. Sundaram
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Richard E. Goodman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wang, Cy., Sundaram, P.N. & Goodman, R.E. Electrical resistivity changes in rocks during frictional sliding and fracture. PAGEOPH 116, 717–731 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00876534

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00876534

Key words

Search

Navigation