Unstable Slip in Fault Gouge Driven by Temperature and Water

TL;DR

This study uses molecular dynamics simulations to show how increasing temperature weakens fault gouge friction by disrupting interfacial water structure, revealing a transition from locked to lubricated states relevant for earthquake nucleation.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the temperature-driven structural changes of interfacial water and their impact on fault gouge friction, advancing understanding of earthquake mechanics.

Findings

Friction coefficient decreases with temperature following μ ∝ T^{-1}

Interfacial water transitions from ordered to diffuse with heating

Structural weakening promotes water-mediated lubrication in fault zones

Abstract

Microscale granular sliding within fault gouge is fundamental to earthquake nucleation, yet the mechanism by which temperature affects friction through interfacial water remains poorly understood. Here, large-scale molecular dynamics simulations were conducted on a hydrophilic quartz-water-quartz interface over 300-500 K to quantify temperature-dependent changes in frictional strength, real contact area, and water-layer structure. Results show that both the friction coefficient and friction force decrease monotonically with increasing temperature, following near-linear relationships of $\mu \propto T^{-1}$ and $F_t \propto A$, indicating that frictional weakening is primarily governed by temperature-driven contact restructuring. Structural analyses further show that heating progressively disrupts the hydrogen-bond network in the first adsorption layer, reduces adsorption-layer density, and weakens radial distribution peaks, demonstrating a transition of interfacial water from an ordered, strongly adsorbed state to a more diffuse, weakly bound configuration with delayering and quasi-phase-transition behavior. This interfacial reconstruction weakens intergranular bridging and structural cohesion, promoting a shift from structural locking to water-mediated lubrication. These results suggest that frictional stability under coupled temperature-water conditions is strongly controlled by the thermal evolution of interfacial water structure.