The permeability of active subduction plate boundary faults
D. M. SAFFER
Department of Geosciences, Center for Geomechanics, Geofluids, and Geohazards, The
Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
Table 1 Reported permeabilities of active subduction faults.
Location
Barbados
Depth (mbsf)
398–463 m
décollement
Permeability
Type of flow/in
(m2)
situ conditions
1 to 1.2 × 10–
In situ; σv' of
14
approximately 1.7
Technique
Source(s)
Two-well test Screaton et al.
(2000)
MPa
Barbados
398–538 m
décollement
Approximately In situ; at σv' from
Single-well
8 × 10–16 to 6
0.1 to 2 MPa
injection tests (1996, 1997)
5 × 10–18 to 2
In situ; at σv' from
Single-well
Screaton et al.
× 10–17
2.25 to 2.7 MPa
low-volume
(1997)
Fisher & Zwart
× 10–13
Barbados
398–463 m
décollement
injection tests
Barbados
398–538 m
In situ; as f(σv')
−14.8–log(σv')
décollement
Barbados
log(k) =
250–1200 m
10–13 to 10–15
Steady state
décollement
250–6800 m
Bekins et al.
well tests
(2011)
Numerical
Screaton et al.
modeling
(1990)
Approximately Steady state
Bekins et al.
10–14
(1995)
Approximately Approximately Steady state
0.2–20 km
Synthesis of
10–14
a/.(2003)
Approximately Approximately Steady state*
0.2–5000 m
10–15 to 10–14
250–6800 m
10–13 to 10–11
Cutillo et
Henry & Le
Pichon (1991)
Transient
Bekins et al.
(1995)
Approximately Approximately Transient
Cutillo et al.
0.2–20 km
10–12
(2003)
250–2000 m
Approximately Transient†
Henry (2000)
3 × 10–13 to 10–
14
Barbados
190–280 m
décollement
Barbados
399–429 m
décollement
Approximately Transient
Analysis of
Fisher &
10–12
thermal
Hounslow
anomaly
(1990)
1.1 × 10–18to
At effective
Laboratory
Zwart et al.
1.1 × 10–17
stresses
measurements
(1997)
approximately
on cores
0.1–0.8 MPa
Costa Rica
133–371 m
décollement
2.5 × 10–16 to 7 Background/steady Geochemical
Saffer &
× 10–15
Screaton (2003)
state
mixing
constraint
Costa Rica
0–19 km
>4 × 10–15 10–
13
décollement
0–300 m
to 10–11
>10–17
Steady state
Numerical
Spinelli et al.
Transient
modeling
(2006)
Steady state
Screaton &
Saffer (2005)
Costa Rica
281 m
Shallow
6 × 10–19 to 2
At effective
Laboratory
Bolton et al.
× 10–15
stresses 0.05-0.9
measurements
1999;
MPa
on core
splay fault
Costa Rica
0–10 km
splay faults
1.3 × 10–14 to 2 Focused
Analysis of
Ranero et al.
× 10–12
discharge; unclear
seep flow
(2008)
if steady or
rates
transient
Costa Rica
0–13 km
splay faults
Nankai
800–4600 m
Approximately Steady state
Numerical
Lauer& Saffer
10–12 to 10–14
modeling
(2012)
Numerical
Saffer & Bekins
10–15to 10–17
Steady state
décollement
modeling
5 × 10–14to 10–
Transient
(1998a,b)
Steady state
Saffer (2010)
12
940–7400 m
10–19 to 3 ×
10–14‡
Nankai
700–5000 m
Approximately Steady state
Underthrust
Skarbek &
décollement
7 × 10–16 to 8
dewatering;
× 10–14§
numerical
Saffer (2009)
modeling
Nankai
389–407 m
>2 × 10–17
In situ;
Response to
Hammerschmidt
Background
tidal loading
et al. (2013)
Steady state
Numerical
Saffer & Bekins
modeling
(1998b)
Analysis of
Davis et al.
frontal
thermal
(1995)
thrust
anomaly
megasplay
10–16 to 10–14
Oregon
décollement
Oregon
92–116 m
1.9 × 10–12
3 × 10–14
Transient
Background
and BSR
shoaling
Oregon
92–116 m
6 × 10–13 to 6
Transient
× 10–12
frontal
from vein fill
92–116 m
frontal
6.3 × 10–14 to
In situ; as f(σv');
Single-well
Screaton et al.
5.7 × 10–13
approximately
injection tests
(1995)
thrust
Oregon
0.30–0.35 MPa
92–116 m
frontal
2.5 × 10–16to
In situ; as f(σv');
Single-well
Screaton et al.
1.8 × 10–15
approximately
low-volume
(1995)
0.59 MPa
injection tests
thrust
Oregon
Sample (1996)
disequilibrium
thrust
Oregon
Thermal
105–165 m
Approximately At estimated in
Laboratory
frontal
6 × 10–17 to 3.5 situ σv'
measurements
thrust
× 10–15
on cores;
Brown (1995)
fault-normal
orientation
Varies systematically from approximately 10–14 m2 at the trench to 10–15 m2 by 100 km landward.
*
†
Model of solitary wave propagation based on permeability–effective stress relationship from
packer tests reported by Fisher & Zwart (1997). ‡Assigned to vary linearly with depth from 3 × 10–
14
m2 at the trench to 10–19 m2 at 60 km landward. §Decreases systematically from approximately 6
to 8 × 10–14 m2 at the trench to 7 × 10–16 m2 at 38 km landward.