Multiscale coupling and multiphysics approaches in earth sciences: Applications

Research reveals that the Glarus thrust, a seminal geological structure in the Swiss Alps, represents a complex interplay of thermal (T), hydraulic (H), mechanical (M), and chemical (C) processes (THMC coupling). This km-scale rock package, pushed 40 km over its footwall as a solid body, exhibits a m-wide ductile shear zone with an ultralocalized central slip zone experiencing periodic extreme deformation akin to stick-slip events. The study demonstrates that such large-scale geological features emerge from non-conservative thermodynamic forces and can be characterized by the modified Gruntfest number (Gr), which measures dissipative processes reaching quasi-steady states. These findings highlight the importance of considering time and microstructure in THMC feedback simulations, providing a multiscale theoretical framework to understand earth's instabilities, including faults, folds, and convective patterns.

Regenauer-Lieb, K., Veveakis, M., Poulet, T., Wellmann, F., Karrech, A., Liu, J., Hauser, J., Schrank, C., Gaede, O., Fusseis, F., & Trefry, M. (2013). Multiscale coupling and multiphysics approaches in earth sciences: Applications. Journal of Coupled Systems and Multiscale Dynamics, 1(3), 281–323. https://doi.org/10.1166/jcsmd.2013.1021