The friction between two adjacent tectonic plates under shear loading may dictate seismic activities, while water has been recognized to alter the fault dynamics and earthquake nucleation. Our previous Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) works investigating the frictional behavior of calcite in solution at the level of single asperity contact indicate that pressure solution can significantly reduce friction, and fluid chemistry plays a role. Recognizing the limitation of AFM that the pressure solution cannot be explicitly measured, in this work, we further scrutinize the effect of the fluid chemistry on the pressure solution and frictional characteristics of calcite in aqueous solution with an extended Surface Forces Apparatus (eSFA). The kinetics of pressure solution of calcite is unambiguously quantified by measuring the time-dependent deformation of the calcite substrates while friction is concurrently measured, as a function of the applied load and solution composition. The findings of this novel study advance the understanding of mechanisms underlying the frictional strength of carbonate rocks in presence of aqueous solutions. More broadly, the development of a new methodology for the investigation of interfacial reactions between surfaces of brittle minerals expands the range of applications of the SFA.

Investigating pressure-solution and frictional behavior of calcite with an extended surface forces apparatus

2019 Fall National Meeting

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