Shear failure mechanism in granite inferred from multi-scale brittle structures

The brittle structures of a Hercynian granite (La Borne, French Massif Central) observed at several scales, from regional to microscopic, are presented and interpreted on mechanical terms. Emphasis is placed on strike slip faults, joints, and cracks related to incipient shear fracturing during horizontal compression. Three compressive tectonic phases have been identified according to their brittle structures and characterised by the burial depth at the time of their generation. The two first phases (H1, H2) are Hercynian and occurred while the granite was deeply buried (similar to 5 to 3 km depth) whereas the last phase (P) is Pyrenean and occurred at very low depth. The geometric organizations of cracks, joints and faults are clearly similar at various scales from about 10 pm to several m. These field observations are strong arguments for the occurrence of shear structures at microscopic to macroscopic scales during tectonic events. Following this inference, it is proposed that, at least in the case of Hercynian phases, cracks, joints and macroscopic strike slip faults have been generated by the same mechanical process under high overburden weight. Therefore, incipient fractures seem to be generated as shearing structures and to evolve by coalescence with neighbouring ones with the same direction. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.