Physicochemical characterization of the youngest active domain in major fault zones using the weathering index and X-ray computed tomography

Iwamori, Akiyuki*; Ogita, Yasuhiro  ; Shimada, Koji   ; Tateishi, Ryo*; Takagi, Hideo*; Ota, Toru*; Cho, T.*; Kudo, Shunsuke*; Nojiri, Keisuke*; Shigemitsu, Yasumune*; Ogawa, Masaya*

Clarification of the physicochemical characterization of brittle fault rocks is important not only for understanding the history of the fault activity and deformation mechanisms, but also for assessing the siting conditions of important facilities such as nuclear power plants, radioactive waste disposal sites, and oil storage bases. Here, we apply the chemical weathering index (W values) to the brittle fault rocks of the Shiraki-Nyu fault (granite), the Tsuruga fault (geological boundary between granite and greenstone), and the Yamada fault (adamellite), which are active faults in the peripheral area of Wakasa Bay, and their respective protoliths (hard rocks), and investigate the physicochemical characteristics of the youngest active domain of brittle fault rocks based on the relationship between computed tomography data (CT numbers) and alteration intensity (AI values). The W values of the fault rocks are mainly affected by changes in NaO and CaO, corresponding to the elution or deposition of plagioclase and calsite for granite, clinopyroxene and hornblende for greenstone, and plagioclase for adamellite. The W values mainly indicate the effects of hydrothermal alteration up to 50 60 percent and of weathering at over 60 percent. On the other hand, the CT values of the fault rocks are lowest in the fault gouge corresponding to the latest active zone, which was identified as the lowest density zone. In addition, fresh plagioclase fragments are present in each fault gouge of the latest active zone of the active faults in this study. The application of W values to brittle fault rocks is an effective method for understanding the trends of mineralogical variations associated with hydrothermal alteration and weathering in fault rocks, and it is highly possible to improve the accuracy of identifying the youngest active domain in major fault zones through joint analyses of CT numbers.