Architecture, fracture system, mechanical properties and permeability structure of a fault zone in Lower Triassic sandstone, Upper Rhine Graben

• Fault zone in porous Bunter sandstone includes core-, transition- and damage zone.
• Segregated core zone may provide fluid flow through linked host rock lenses.
• Stiff and strong transition zone shows characteristics from core- and damage zone.
• Fracture aperture, connectivity, thus permeability increase toward the fault core.
• Fracture affected mechanical rock properties decrease toward the fault core.

Close to the western Upper Rhine Graben Main Fault, Alsace, a NNE–SSW-striking fault zone, crosscutting porous, thick bedded Lower Triassic Bunter sandstone was investigated in detail, including its architecture, discontinuity system, mechanical rock properties and implications on its permeability structure and fault zone type. Field observations indicate a three-part fault zone structure including core-, transition- and damage zone. The at least 14 m thick fault core is composed of various slip surfaces and deformation bands, which encompass fractured host rock lenses. When connected, host rock lenses may transport fluids through the core zone. Adjacent transition zones are highly fractured in R1-orientation, show folded beds and contain P1-oriented deformation bands. R1 and P1-fractures are synthetic shear fractures and project with an acute angle (10–20°) toward the fault plane. Only in the damage zone, fault-parallel striking fractures occur. Here, increasing fracture apertures and connectivity may increase the permeability toward the fault core. Mechanical rock properties from 12 rock samples (Young's modulus, uniaxial compressive strength, tensile strength) measured in all the parts of the fault zone, show highest values within the transition zone. In-situ measurements of rebound-hardnesses with a Schmidt-Hammer and analytical approaches, however, indicate that effective Young's moduli are two to sixteen times lower than the Young's moduli of intact rock. Values clearly decrease toward the fault core, even in the transition zone and are in average lower than effective Young's moduli in the damage zone. Although many fault zones in sandstone are sealing structures these field study show, that fault zones in porous sandstone may allow fluid flow.