Deformation-induced dehydration structures in the Nankai accretionary prism

This study investigates the chemical changes caused by deformation in the hanging wall of a major, probably seismogenic thrust fault in the Kumano forearc basin, Nankai Trough. In cores from IODP Expedition 315 (site C0001), the clay sediments display numerous deformation structures including tilted beddings, decimeter scale faults and shear zones with normal or thrust offsets, and clusters of parallel curviplanar veins interpreted as earthquake-induced dewatering structures. Curviplanar veins are often observed to merge into small oblique shear zones with millimeter offsets, or to branch on larger shear zones with a ~30° angle. This suggests that some shear zones may form by the coalescence of veins. Curviplanar veins and shear zones appear darker than the surrounding clay at the macroscopic observation scale, and brighter and therefore denser under CT-scan imaging. At the micro-scale, clay has a preferred crystallographic orientation in the deformation structures and no preferred orientation outside. Electron probe micro-analysis reveals that the dark material has a higher sum of major elements (65-80 wt%), i.e. a lower volatile content (assumed to be mostly water) than the host sediment (50-60 wt%). All the major elements are equally enriched in proportion to the volatile depletion. Mass balance calculation indicates that a 20-30 wt% water loss is required to account for chemical change in the deformation microstructures. The water loss may be due to clay dehydration or to pore collapse. Shear zones are equally dehydrated as the curviplanar veins from the mass balance standpoint. In 1 m3 of sediment, a deformed volume of 1 % should produce about 6.2 L of water. Given the low permeability of the sediment, dehydration may increase the pore pressure and enhance further deformation. Deformation localization would be self-sustained by fluid overpressure, suggesting that dewatering veins may evolve into larger deformation structures after an earthquake.