We wanted to work on basin range relationship in the fore-deep areas of thrust belts to verify the nature of blind faults below the valley part of the upper reach of the Brahmaputra valley by applicability of electrical resistivity methods. As the targeted areas have different types of logistic problems, we prepared static models in the courtyard to study resistivity responses for different types of situations. However, in spite of getting interesting results, static models demand lots of raw energy to make and break the models frequently. A reputed structural geologist suggested to set up a dynamic simulation lab. Can anybody suggest how to proceed ahead?
You need to simulate what is really happening under the western United States
that creates the extensional process of " breaking off blocks " in sequence,
from West to East and having the blocks roll over to the west with a resulting
increase in the distance between blocks of about 40 plus percent.
Think of the blocks as cars sitting at a traffic light and the light turns green.
The cars move to the west, but the wave that passes thru the parked cars
moves from west to east.
Under the continent, the wave is the acceleration of magma from west to
east as the motion of the magma sequentially starts at California, and in
the last 60 million years has made it to Colorado. As the wave passes under each block, the block sags at the edge, curves down, breaks off, rolls over, and is carried
to the west by the moving magma which is moving toward the spreading
ridge.
The Western US is Unique in that the spreading ridge now passes under
the western edge of the Continent.
Now how to simulate "pulling the rug out " from under blocks such that they
roll over and stay rolled over at a 45 degree angle, and move apart from
40 % to 50 % increase in distance ???? That is going to be an experimental
process.
Perhaps pulling a sheet of plywood out from under the blocks while holding the
blocks in place, and simultaneously pulling the table out slowly in the opposite direction. Maybe the blocks should be eight sided, or just have one of the
four corners planed off, so it can roll over 45 degrees and stay put.
A conveyor belt supported on hydraulic rams that could move the conveyor belt
vertically different amounts and at different rates might be of use.
Plexiglass, or glass walls would contain the materials laterally, and
allow video taping the process of change.
Thank you Michael for your suggestions.
The selection of representative materials for the layered earth is of course another problematic area. Do you have some more suggestions?
This layers of paper (like telephone books) can be used to represent
scale models of layers of the Earth. There is also white wrapping paper
that was used to print news papers in the past, and can be bought in
bulk. It has a larger surface area than phone books so you can create
taller stacks.
The layers of paper are probably better for simulating folding in layers,
rather than faulting in layers as the paper is very ductile, and not
brittle as real rock layers can be.
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