Sandbox Experimental Study on the Influence of Rock Strength and Gravity on Formation of Thrusts

A sandbox experiment model was designed to simulate how differences in rock strength and gravity between two blocks can influence the formation characteristics of thrusts. In the experiment the compression was from one direction with basement shortening and the initial surfaces of the model were oblique. The results show that if the initial surface was horizontal or the slope angle was smaller than 7°, the compression induced two groups of thrusts with opposite dip orientations. If the slope angle of the initial surface was greater than 7°, the compression induced only one group of thrusts with a dip orientation contrary to the original compression direction. This result is similar to the actual section of a collision zone between two continental blocks. By applying stress analysis, rock strength is shown to be an important factor in deformation. As other boundary conditions are changeless, it is the change of gravitational potential energy that leads to different deformation styles.