Conveners:
Giulia Schirripa Spagnolo (Sapienza Università di Roma)
Marco Mercuri (Sapienza Università di Roma)
Barbara Marchesini (Sapienza Università di Roma)
Giuseppe Volpe (Sapienza Università di Roma)
giulia.schirripaspagnolo@uniroma1.it
Deformation mechanisms shape the structural architecture and mechanical behavior of fault zones and regulate fluid flow and fluid-rock interactions, ultimately controlling the migration of geofluids such as hydrocarbons, natural hydrogen, ore-forming fluids, and geothermal fluids, with direct implications for subsurface storage and resource exploitation. Constraining the spatial and temporal evolution of fault-zone mechanical and hydraulic properties requires a multiscale approach, from outcrop observations to microstructural analysis. By integrating approaches from structural geology, rock mechanics, geochemistry, and geochronology, it is possible to reconstruct fault and fracture networks, identify preferential fluid-flow pathways, unravel long-term sealing histories, investigate the mechanisms controlling fault reactivation and slip behavior, track changes in fluid chemical-physical properties during deformation, and constrain the timing of faulting events. This session focuses on the processes that govern fault-fracture networks from the meso- to micro-scale, combining structural field studies, virtual outcrop modeling, microstructural and petrographic analyses, and rock physics experiments with geochemical investigation of both fault-related mineralization (providing information on paleo-fluids) and present-day fluids, including soil gas, groundwater, and injected fluids. We invite contributions using Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) modeling, laboratory experiments, isotopic analysis, fluid inclusion studies, and geochronological techniques, with applications to seismic hazard assessments, environmental monitoring, and geo-resources exploration.