Fault slip and rupture behavior controlled by particle size of fault gouge under fluid injection

Fault slip and rupture behavior controlled by particle size of fault gouge under fluid injection<b>Abstract:</b>Understanding the control mechanism of fault rock particle size in fluid-induced fault slip and rupture processes is crucial for mitigating the seismic risks associated with large-scale fluid injection. Here, we conducted laboratory experiments to present the effects of fault rock particle size on slip behavior, friction, and slip modes under fluid injection. Our results demonstrate that the particle size of the gouge controls the initiation of fault slip events and that the fluid pressure required for the initial fault slip is negatively correlated with the rock particle size. The increase in rock particle size can weaken the faults and induce the transition of the fault slip mode from creep to slow stick-slip events, which leads to the occurrence of seismic events. These results reveal the particle size of fault gouge exerts a potentially dominant control on the slip behavior, slip modes, and frictional characteristics of faults under fluid injection, providing crucial insights into fault slip and seismic events.<br><b>Methods:</b>This dataset summarizes all mechanical data from the paper 'Fault slip and rupture behaviors controlled by particle size of fault gouge under fluid injection.' It covers various parameters of fault gouge with particle sizes of 40, 80, 100, and 120 μm, including time, pore pressure, axial stress, effective normal stress, shear stress, friction coefficient, and fault slip.