Engineering topics

Rubin, Allan M.

Publications and source records attributed to Rubin, Allan M..

6 records

NASA NTRS1995

Getting granite dikes out of the source region

Whether a dike can propagate far from a magma reservoir depends upon the competition between the rate at which propagation widens the dike and the rate at which freezing constricts the aperture available for magma flow. Various formulations are developed for a viscous fluid at temperature T(sub m) intruding a growing crack in an elastic solid. The initial solid temperature equals T(sub m) at the source and decreases linearly with distance from the source. If T(sub m) is the unique freezing temperature of the fluid, dike growth is initially self-similar and an essentially exact solution is obtained; if T(sub m) is above the solidus temperature, the solution is approximate but is designed to overestimate the distance the dike may propagate. The ability of a dike to survive thermally depends primarily upon a single parameter that is a measure of the ratio of the dike frozen margin thickness to elastic thickness. Perhaps more intuitively, one may define a minimum distance from the essentially solid reservoir wall to the point at which the host rock temperature drops below the solidus, necessary for dikes to propagate far into subsolidus rock. It is concluded that for reasonable material properties and source conditions, most basalt dikes will have little difficulty leaving the source region, but most rhyolite dikes will be halted by freezing soon after the magma encounters rock at temperatures below the magma solidus. While these results can explain why granitic dikes are common near granitic plutons but rare elsewhere, the potentially large variation in magmatic systems makes it premature to rule out the possibility that most granites are transported through the crust in dikes. Nonetheless, these results highlight difficulties with such proposals and suggest that it may also be premature to rule out the possibility that most granite plutons ascend as more equidimensional bodies.

Rubin, Allan M.↗

NASA NTRS1994

The transition from diapirism to dike intrusion: Implications for planetary volcanism

Magma transport processes influence the rate of magma transport and how far the magma travels before it freezes, the degree to which the magma communicates chemically with the host rock, the morphology of volcanic landforms on planetary surfaces, the interplay between magmatism and regional tectonics, and even the direction the magma moves. The primary question motivating this research is: How does magma rheology influence the mechanisms by which it is transported through planetary lithospheres? It is widely recognized that on Earth basaltic intrusions typically take the form of narrow dikes, while granites are typically found in more equidimensional plutons. Several explanations for this observation were offered over the last 50 years. While basalts and rhyolites vary somewhat in temperature and density, the major difference is the 2 to 8 orders of magnitude contrast in viscosity. The significant ductile strains associated with many granitic plutons has led to the statement that the occurrence of granites in diapirs rather than dikes results from the fact that there is insufficient viscosity contrast between the magma and wall rock for the granite to intrude narrow cracks. A second explanation states that granites are so viscous that they cannot propagate far before freezing. Despite the length of time these explanations have been around, there has been relatively little effort to investigate them quantitatively. My goal has been to evaluate these explanations through a series of well-posed numerical models. These models can be tested by the decades of field data collected by structural geologists that have yet to be integrated into any coherent theory, and the results should have important implications for volcanism on the terrestrial planets.

Rubin, Allan M.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Impact-induced tensional failure in rock

Planar impact experiments were employed to induce dynamic tensile failure in Bedford limestone. Rock disks were impacted with aluminum and polymethyl methacralate flyer plates at velocities of 10 to 25 m/s. This resulted in tensile stresses in the range of 11 to 160 MPa. Tensile stress durations of 0.5 and 1.3 microsec induced microcrack growth which in many experiments were insufficient to cause complete spalling of the samples. Velocity reduction, and by inference microcrack production, occurred in samples subjected to stresses above 35 MPa in the 1.3-microsec PMMA experiments and 60 MPa in the 0.5-microsec aluminum experiments. Apparent fracture toughnesses of 2.4 and 2.5 MPa m exp 1/2 are computed for the 1.3- and 0.5-microsec experiments. Three-dimensional impact experiments were conducted on 20 cm-sized blocks of Bedford limestone and San Marcos gabbro. Compressional wave velocity deficits up to 50-60 percent were observed in the vicinity of the crater. The damage decreases as about r exp -1.5 from the crater, indicating a dependence on the magnitude and duration of the tensile pulse.

Ahrens, Thomas J.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Shock wave equation of state of muscovite

Shock wave data were obtained between 20 and 140 GPa for natural muscovite obtained from Methuen Township (Ontario), in order to provide a shock-wave equation of state for this crustal hydrous mineral. The shock equation of state data could be fit by a linear shock velocity (Us) versus particle velocity (Up) relation Us = 4.62 + 1.27 Up (km/s). Third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state parameters were found to be K(OS) = 52 +/-4 GPa and K-prime(OS) = 3.2 +/-0.3 GPa. These parameters are comparable to those of other hydrous minerals such as brucite, serpentine, and tremolite.

Sekine, Toshimori↗

NASA NTRS1991

One- and three-dimensional impact-induced tensional failure in rock

Planar impact (10 to 25 m/sec) experiments were employed to induce dynamic tensile failure in Bedford limestone for stress durations of 0.5 and 1.3 microsec. Ultrasonic P- and S-wave velocities of recovered targets demonstrate deficits caused by microcracks at tensile stresses greater than 35 and 60 MPa in 1.3 and 0.5 microsec experiments. Three-dimensional impact experiments on 20 cm-sized blocks of Bedford limestone and San Marcos gabbro demonstrate compressional wave velocity deficits up to 30 percent in the vicinity of the crater. The damage microcrack decreases as r exp -1.56 from the crater, indicating a dependence on the magnitude and duration of the tensile hoop stresses associated with the impact-induced shock wave.

Ahrens, Thomas J.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Dynamic tensile-failure-induced velocity deficits in rock

Planar impact experiments were employed to induce dynamic tensile failure in Bedford limestone. Rock disks were impacted with aluminum and polymethyl methacralate (PMMA) flyer plates at velocities of 10 to 25 m/s. Tensile stress magnitudes and duration were chosen so as to induce a range of microcrack growth insufficient to cause complete spalling of the samples. Ultrasonic P- and S-wave velocities of recovered targets were compared to the velocities prior to impact. Velocity reduction, and by inference microcrack production, occurred in samples subjected to stresses above 35 MPa in the 1.3 microsec PMMA experiments and 60 MPa in the 0.5 microsec aluminum experiments. Using a simple model for the time-dependent stress-intensity factor at the tips of existing flaws, apparent fracture toughnesses of 2.4 and 2.5 MPa sq rt m are computed for the 1.3 and 0.5 microsec experiments. These are a factor of about 2 to 3 greater than quasi-static values. The greater dynamic fracture toughness observed may result from microcrack interaction during tensile failure. Data for water-saturated and dry targets are indistinguishable.

Rubin, Allan M.↗