Changes

The shale thicknesses are measured in a "window" with a height equal to the throw; therefore, this window represents the column of rock that has slid past this point on the fault. The definition can be extended for cases where the stratigraphic breakdown is by reservoir zone rather than by individual beds. In these cases, the net contribution of fine-grained material from each reservoir zone can be related to the clay content and thickness of the zone. The corresponding equation (Equation 5) is (see [[:File:Shale-gouge-ratio-fig3.png|Figure 3b]]):

The shale thicknesses are measured in a "window" with a height equal to the throw; therefore, this window represents the column of rock that has slid past this point on the fault. The definition can be extended for cases where the stratigraphic breakdown is by reservoir zone rather than by individual beds. In these cases, the net contribution of fine-grained material from each reservoir zone can be related to the clay content and thickness of the zone. The corresponding equation (Equation 5) is (see [[:File:Shale-gouge-ratio-fig3.png|Figure 3b]]):

<math>\text{SGR} = \frac{[\Sigma (\text{zone thickness}) \times (\text{zone clay fraction})]}{\text{fault throw}} \times 100%</math>

<math>\text{SGR} = \frac{\Sigma [(\text{zone thickness}) \times (\text{zone clay fraction})]}{\text{fault throw}} \times 100%</math>

Equation 5 reduces to equation 4 as the zonation approaches individual beds (assuming shale/clay beds are 100% clay material). The SGR represents, in a general way, the proportion of shale or clay that might be entrained in the fault zone by a variety of mechanisms. The more shaly the wall rocks, the greater the proportion of shale in the fault zone, and therefore the higher the capillary entry pressure. Although this is undoubtedly an oversimplification of the detailed processes occurring in the fault zone, it represents a tractable upscaling of the lithological diversity at the fault surface; the required information is simply fault displacement and shale fraction through the sequence.

Equation 5 reduces to equation 4 as the zonation approaches individual beds (assuming shale/clay beds are 100% clay material). The SGR represents, in a general way, the proportion of shale or clay that might be entrained in the fault zone by a variety of mechanisms. The more shaly the wall rocks, the greater the proportion of shale in the fault zone, and therefore the higher the capillary entry pressure. Although this is undoubtedly an oversimplification of the detailed processes occurring in the fault zone, it represents a tractable upscaling of the lithological diversity at the fault surface; the required information is simply fault displacement and shale fraction through the sequence.