Rock softening due to ultrasonic acoustical energy
Abstract
When igneous or high-grade metamorphic rocks are subjected to deviatoric stresses, dormant defects existing in the matrix of common rock-forming minerals become activated releasing mobile positive hole charge carriers. These defects consist of pairs of oxygen anions in the 1- valence state, e.g. peroxy links such as O3Si-OO-SiO3. When the peroxy bond breaks, O3Si-O:O-SiO3, an electron is transferred from a neighboring O2- creating a trapped electron defect, O3Si-O.O-SiO3, while the donor oxygen, now O-, turns into a defect electron or hole that can propagate as a highly mobile positive charge traveling along the upper edge of the valence band. There is evidence that the wave function associated with these positive hole charge carriers is highly delocalized. The delocalization lowers the electron density at the surrounding O2-, hence the bond energy, thereby affecting fundamental properties including the mechanical strength. To demonstrate the rock softening effect we mounted a rectangular bar of fine-grained gabbro about 30 cm long in a horizontal position clamping it at one end. A piezoelectric transducer (PZT) was epoxied to the fixed end of the rock bar to send ultrasonic energy at 57 KHz toward the cantilevered end. The downward deflection of the free end of the beam was measured with an interferometer to a high degree of precision. With ultrasonic energy present, the free end of the beam sagged near-instantaneously by about 0.2 μm and continued to sag slowly by about 0.4 μm over 120 sec. Upon turning off the PZT the rock bar returned slowly to the baseline deflection value. The ultrasound waves generated by the PZT activate positive holes, changing the apparent stiffness of the beam and causing its cantilevered end to bend downward. We also conducted experiments using an Instron 5569 Dual Column Testing System to subject rectangular plates (15.2 x 3.8 x 0.5 cm) of the same gabbro to dynamic three-point flexural tests. Using electrostatic fields of different polarity and strength, we are able to manipulate the stiffness of the rock. This study contributes to the understanding of rock mechanics. It may shed light on the propagation and termination of fault ruptures during earthquakes.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011AGUFMNH54A..02F
- Keywords:
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- 3902 MINERAL PHYSICS / Creep and deformation;
- 3904 MINERAL PHYSICS / Defects;
- 7209 SEISMOLOGY / Earthquake dynamics