Articles | Volume 11, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-2119-2020
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-11-2119-2020
Research article
 | 
18 Nov 2020
Research article |  | 18 Nov 2020

The growth of faults and fracture networks in a mechanically evolving, mechanically stratified rock mass: a case study from Spireslack Surface Coal Mine, Scotland

Billy James Andrews, Zoe Kai Shipton, Richard Lord, and Lucy McKay

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Status: closed
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
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Peer-review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision
AR by Billy Andrews on behalf of the Authors (04 Jul 2020)  Author's response   Manuscript 
ED: Referee Nomination & Report Request started (12 Aug 2020) by Fabrizio Balsamo
RR by David Sanderson (03 Sep 2020)
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (06 Sep 2020) by Fabrizio Balsamo
AR by Billy Andrews on behalf of the Authors (08 Sep 2020)  Author's response   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (18 Sep 2020) by Fabrizio Balsamo
ED: Publish as is (18 Sep 2020) by Federico Rossetti (Executive editor)
AR by Billy Andrews on behalf of the Authors (21 Sep 2020)
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Short summary
Through geological mapping we find that fault zone internal structure depends on whether or not the fault cuts multiple lithologies, the presence of shale layers, and the orientation of joints and coal cleats at the time of faulting. During faulting, cementation of fractures (i.e. vein formation) is highest where the fractures are most connected. This leads to the counter-intuitive result that the highest-fracture-density part of the network often has the lowest open-fracture connectivity.