My Fault Experiment: Hot Water & Earth's Crust

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SUMMARY

The forum discussion revolves around a simple experimental model simulating the Earth's crust using broken bricks and hot water to represent magma. The experiment demonstrated that the heat and pressure from the hot water caused the bricks to separate slightly, mimicking geological fault movements. The user expressed a desire for feedback and suggestions to improve the experiment, particularly regarding the effects of cold water on the bricks' movement. The discussion highlights the relationship between heat, pressure, and geological fault dynamics.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of geological fault mechanics
  • Basic knowledge of thermal dynamics
  • Familiarity with experimental modeling techniques
  • Awareness of the properties of materials (e.g., bricks and water)
NEXT STEPS
  • Research geological fault mechanics and their real-world implications
  • Explore thermal dynamics and its effects on material behavior
  • Investigate alternative experimental setups using different materials
  • Conduct experiments comparing hot and cold water effects on structural integrity
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Students, educators, and hobbyists interested in geology, experimental physics, and those looking to understand the principles of fault dynamics and material interactions under varying thermal conditions.

Mkbul
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Ok, so today i made a new very simple model and i'd like just to discuss it with you all.

Ive put a broken brick (x, y, z: 10, 2.5, 4 Splited up to 5, 2.5 and 5 (cm)) together in a marked with walls (20cm x 20cm x 5cm) area. The bricks were representing the Earth's crust. I've then brought a small can with Very hot water painted in red to represent the magma. I've then splited it inside the area. The sample of hot water (magma) was a pretty big amount to fill up the whole area. As i was watching the progress of it I've noticed that the fault inside the 2 bricks was slightly filling up the water and the water splited apart the 2 bricks at a very small distance.

What i believe is that the heat of the water forced the 2 bricks apart because of the pressure the hot water had.

Sorry if this was a bad experiment but I'm not that old to know all this stuff! Also I am sorry if my english are not readable, I'm Greek!

I accept suggestions to make again the experiment better!
 
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Have you tried doing the same experiment but with cold water? Do the blocks still move as you previously observed?
 
billiards said:
Have you tried doing the same experiment but with cold water? Do the blocks still move as you previously observed?

Well yeah, once again the fault becomes wet, but the bricks are not forced away
 

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