An experimental study of soil memory and preconsolidation adjacent to an active tectonic structure: the Meers fault, Oklahoma, USA

Special consolidation tests were run on undisturbed samples to study the ab ility of Quaternary soils adjacent to the Meers fault in southwestern Oklah oma to record and remember the maximum effective (preconsolidation) stresse s they experienced during the faulting process. The results show that the s oils record > 60% of the applied total stresses as preconsolidation stresse s ill 2 s of loading time, indicating that these stresses could have been r ecorded during an earthquake faulting event. To record all of the applied t otal stresses as preconsolidation stresses (100% recording or memory), the loading needs to last at least 4-5 min. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.